Sway Bar install

[Murader03]

Okay guiys! Got the Sway bar sitting in the garage ready to be installed. Any tricks I need to know about? Probably won't go in till the 20th due to work schedule. Also finally got around to upgrading to Denso plugs for the Stage 1. When I bought mine back in November, Dennis was sending out the Autolite plugs with the kit.

TIA

[RF Overlord]

Sway bar install is about 1 hour's work, if you're slow...and have to do it by yourself...on your back...

The only tip I can think of is to make sure you use a good marine grease on the bushings that attach to the axle housing...a kind member with the service manual told me to torque those bolts to 18 ft/lbs. As for the end links, tighten them until you can just barely rotate the center sleeve (tube) by hand (per Addco's web site)...it's just a straight 1-for-1 replacement, so everything else is pretty obvious...

*Oh yeah...I did think of one more thing...Addco says the sway bar should be installed with the car either on ramps or on a lift that picks the car up by the wheels, not the frame...don't try to install the bar with the rear wheels hanging...

[Zack]

One side of the new end links will go in with no problem.
The other side (either or) will need another method of install.
You wont be able to thread the nut on the second link without the following:
install the bolt and washer, bushings etc. like the other side. Whan everything is in place except the nut, take a floor jack and compress the bolt head upwards. This will mash the bushings and push the bolt up enough to thread the nut on.
DO NOT TIGHTEN ONE SIDE DOWN BEFORE THE OTHER!
Tighten everything evenly.
Hope this helps.

[TAF]

Originally posted by RF Overlord
*Oh yeah...I did think of one more thing...Addco says the sway bar should be installed with the car either on ramps or on a lift that picks the car up by the wheels, not the frame...don't try to install the bar with the rear wheels hanging...

Mine was, RF...what could be the problem of doing it this way? My tech has done 100s of them and did not have a problem doing it on the rack.

[martyo]

Originally posted by TAF
Mine was, RF...what could be the problem of doing it this way? My tech has done 100s of them and did not have a problem doing it on the rack.

Remember, they also had you sit in your car when they aligned it so that they could try to compensate for all of that, um, shall we say, frame deflection.

[TAF]

Fat jokes...it ALWAYS comes back to fat jokes...

Can't you find something original?

[martyo]

Originally posted by TAF
Fat jokes...it ALWAYS comes back to fat jokes...

I calls 'em as I sees 'em!

[RF Overlord]

Zack:

I didn't have that problem at all...everything went together nicely... :confused:

TAF:

As far as not doing the installation with the wheels hanging, I'm just quoting Addco's site...perhaps that was a generic message that doesn't apply to the Panther platform...

[Warpath]

You probably don't want the wheels hanging because that may change how the end links are torqued. With the weight of the car on the wheels, the end links will be roughly 90 degrees to the bar (I'm guessing but I think I should be close). When the nut is torqued, the bar squeezes the end link bushings evenly. If the wheels are hanging, the bar is at an angle to the end links. When the nut is torqued, the bar squeezes one side of the bushings and works its way across. When the vehicle is returned to the ground, the angle changes and the nut may be too loose or too tight. Its just a theory without looking at anything.

[Pantherman]

Any time you start jacking the car, don't forget to turn the air suspension switch in the trunk to off.