Sway Bar Assistance Needed
 

When I got my 85.2 I found that the sway bar had popped out of the end link on the driver's side. I tried to get it back in today but I'm stuck. I took the sway bar mount on the driver's side off but it did not allow me to pivot the sway bar back into the end link. Any chance I can remove the sway bar from the passenger side and re-install it as a single unit or should I attempt to tackle this with only one side down. I'm thinking I need to remove the passenger side..

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...817_195049.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...817_195123.jpg

I would take off the end link, refit it to the sway bar and re-bolt the end back on the control arm. That's by looking at the pictures.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...eys/yltype.gif

Well, I was over-thinking it. I just dropped the end link down and that gave me enough play with the sway bar mount unbolted and I was able to work the sway bar into the link and work it back up and get it all bolted together. I'm glad that its done. Also noticed that the sway bar mounting bracket on the body was bent. Got it straightened out and it seemed to fit right together.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...817_202713.jpg

After I got it back together I saw your post and you were spot on! That's all it took. Just some wiggling and it went right together!

Glad you got it back together.SmileWavy

I'm thinking you may have to replace the bushings as it will probably pop out again.

Wow, I never knew a bad bushing would be enough to cause that much play to cause the sway bar to disconnect like that.

Glad you got it resolved! :)

I'm not sure it was a bad bushing. The sway bar fit snug into the bushing. When I started messing with this, I noticed that the sway bar mount was bent forward. I'm not sure what caused this but I do know that the car was run really hard and not maintained well. It had a lot of original maintenance parts still on the car. The fuel filter was original for example. The plug wires were original and it had a set of AC Delco plugs in it.. Some odd stuff.. And to top it all off, when I was cleaning it out I found an old bag of marijuana under the driver's seat. I'm glad I found that as I will drive the car to work here and there for shift meetings and such and if our department K9 gets by the car it would have alerted and you would be reading about a cop that brought dope to work, lol. I tossed that garbage out instantly.

I recommend a set of sway bar braces that will lock the center drop down brackets in place. I have them in my car and sell them as well for $40 shipped a set. They are made of high quality stainless steal.

With the front struts fully extended like that, outside their normal operating range, odd things can happen. Just be glad you can use it to your advantage when the time comes to change the strut inserts!

using your jack under the tire in question helps make swaybar work way easier.