FAQ: Sway Bar Install

[CrazyHorse]

Orginally posted by PMantis24
If you can do your CAI, you can do this. It takes a little bit of time, but it's not hard at all. Just need effort.

Both front and rear are pretty much the same procedure. Jack up the car (front or back), put the car on jack stands.
Note: Jack the front as high as you can, you'll need the extra clearance to snake the old sway bar out and put the new one in

Locate the endlinks, you'll see them, they are at the ends of the sway bar.



On the other side of those rubber ball joints, you'll see a nut. Only remove the nut that is attached to the sway bar. For the front it'll be the top one, for the rear it'll be the bottom one.

Ok, here's the tricky part. The nuts will probably be rusted a bit (my car only has 2000miles and it was rusted a little). You'll need to spray some rust eater on it and let it settle. Now you're ready to remove the nut. On the end of the bolt you'll notice a groove that can fit an allen key, find an allen key that'll fit. Insert the allen key into the groove on the bolt. Now while you hold the bolt from moving, remove the nut. This is the hardest part of the whole installation. It'll take a lot of energy outta you, so eat a good meal before hand . Ok, once the nuts on both sides of the sway bar are removed, you can move on to the brackets. This part is easy.

Below is a pic of the a bracket from the rear sway. The ones in the front look indentical to those is the rear.


Each bracket has 2 bolts, remove them and set the brackets and rubber bushings aside, you'll need to reuse them for the front sway bar. Be careful after the brackets are removed, don't let the bar just drop onto the heatshield, make sure you're supporting it. With the brackets removed, start to snake the stock front sway bar out, rememeber how you removed it, cause this is how you'll put the new one in.

Ok, once the stock one is out, snake the new one in place. First connect the ends of the sway bar to the end link bolts, put the nuts back on and tighten (29ft-lbs torque). Now that ends of tight, put the old bushings and brackets on the new sway bar and put the bolts (22ft-lbs) back on. Now put the retaining clips supplied on to the bar, you'll see this step in the supplied instructions. Now you're done with the front.

The rear is the EXACT same process. Only MAJOR difference is you'll be replacing the stock bushings, brackets and bolts with the new ones supplied by Comptech.

Get to the step of replacing the bushings. Make sure you use the lubricant supplied by Comptech to lube the new bushings on the area where they will make contact with the bar.

Below is a pic of the new poly bushing, brackets and bolts and the retaining clip.



Tighten all the bolts to factory specs and you're all done.

It's not hard at all. Hopefully some of these tips will help. I hope I didn't leave anything out, I'll add to it if I did. Good luck and tell us how it goes.

UPDATE

When I first wrote this install I had pics to go with it, but I've lost them since. Well thanks to abram I got some pics to throw in here to help you guys out. I wrote some stuff on the pics to help in figuring what everything is. If you need a pic of something specific from the install let me know. abram might have left me a pic to use :D

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/diy/swaybar/endlink.jpg

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/diy/swaybar/allen_key.jpg

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/diy/swaybar/remove_nut.jpg

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/diy/swaybar/remove_nut2.jpg

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/diy/swaybar/remove_nut3.jpg

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/diy/swaybar/nut_removed.jpg

[XaZnX]

awww, this is great but would you happen to have the pictures that go with this?

[CrazyHorse]

They don't exist anymore that I know of. They weren't in the original thread anymore. It's pretty easy though, no worries.

[XaZnX]

oh yeah, do any of you guys remember someone talking about how the neuspeed bar sqeeks or something with the bushing that come with it and how people solved this problem. I remember reading about that in the old forums. can someone enlightment me about this also. thanks alot :cool:

[gjc12]

I had problems with my comptech sways squeaking, but I got it figured out. In the old forums, there was talk of teflon tape, and of silicon lubricant. So I wrapped my bar in teflon tape and used a spray on silicon. About a month later, I was squeaking like crazy.

Lessons learned:
1) Do NOT use the spray on silicon stuff. I switched to a heavier silicon grease and the stuff works great
2) Comptech says to actually only use one or the other. Teflon tape, or silicon lube, but not both. You'll find this info on the comptech forums if you go to their web page
3) Comptech also says that regardless of which route you go (teflon OR lube) it'll have to be replaced once in a while.

So that was rather long winded, but I hope it helped.

:p


One more thing - the old forums had a secret hint that helped me a lot. If you have a sunroof, you'll have an emergency allen key thingy to close it. This fits the endlinks perfectly, and is long enough that it will brace itself against something so that it won't move. Then you can use two hands on the wrench you have on the bolt site of the endlink - makes this part a lot easier.

If you need help just post - I did it 6-7 months ago recently and remember it completely.

[HeavenOnAStick]

After a sway bar install, do you need to get an alignnment? :confused:

[CrazyHorse]

You really should consider it since you have changed the geometry of your suspension a bit. It's not necesary since you're not moving any of the alignment bolts though. If/When you do struts and springs.. then you really need to.

[Sam Lin]

No need for alignment after sway bars. Alignment only changes via those abovementioned alignment bolts, or by ride height changes. Swaybars don't change either of those, so alignment cannot be changed by swaybars.

I used a thick 3M silicone paste to lube my bushings, it's worked great!

Sam

[Icen]

i tried to DIY for rear sway..
but it's sooo hard!!

i screwed up the allen key hole..
so i had to take it to a garage..
costed me 30 US bucks to install..

[abram2001]

pics are on the way, and will be uploaded soon ;)

[PMantis24]

Update!

Some pics added to help you guys with your installations. Scroll to the first post!

Thank abram for the pics.

I've added some text and arrows to help point out some important parts.

[abram2001]

Originally posted by PMantis24 on June 16th, 2003 at 12:10 PM

Update!

Some pics added to help you guys with your installations. Scroll to the first post!

Thank abram for the pics.

I've added some text and arrows to help point out some important parts.



np ;)

[Icen]

on the first pic.. there's a gap between the link and the sway bar.
WHen the sway bar is installed, is that gap suppose to be there?
or should the sway bar touches the link?

Thanks :confused:

[Sam Lin]

That's normal, the ball joint in the link has that flange to keep the bar away from the ball, that way it can articulate without hitting.

Sam

[Midnight Heretic]

that doesnt sound as easy as a CAI imho, but ill give it at try

[abram2001]

its not that is isnt easy, its really only 4 bolts. Its just the hassle of removing the end link.

[aCcOrDv6VTEC3R]

I just installed my front bar. Wierd. I didn't have to put the allen key in the hole. I just used a ratchet and it came off. It was so much easier than using a wrench trying to hold on the hex key. I was surprised how easily they came off. The brackets... just used a braeker bar. What was challenging was snaking that damn sway bar out. Putting it back in was little easier. It's like a puzzle. putting on new bushings and the bracket back on was a bit of a hassle. One end of bracket is shorter than the other one. You have to put it in right. I didn't see this at first and put it the wrong way.

[driven]

where did you guys put the jack stands when you jacked up the car? I know the jacking point.. but where do I put the stands?

[gjc12]

hahaha - jacking up the front of the car was the hardest part of the whole thing!

If you look past the jacking point (further towards the center of the car, and a bit forward I think) there's a curved bracket thingy. I jacked it up from there, and put the jack stand in the normal jack location. My jack didn't have quite enough lift to do this, so I put a phone book between the jack and the jacking point to get a few extra inches of lift which worked. Be VERY careful though - it's not the most stable idea, so align it very carefully. Ideally you'd use a jack with more lift. As always, don't work under your car unless the weight is on jack stands.

I think some people reported getting enough lift by jacking up the rear to slip the jack stands in up front, but this didn't work for me.

good luck!

[Icen]

HI:

i got my CLS rear sway installed.. but after a month or so.. i noticed that it got softer...
is it the bushing that got softer?? or the car itself got softer??

any ideas what's going on??

[forestir]

If you need to stick an allen key in the endlink bolt, how do you use a torque wrench to apply the 29 lb-ft? Or can you do final torque without the allen key once the nut's snugged down?

Thanks for the instructions and photos. Helpful for a newbie! :)

[gjc12]

Originally posted by forestir
If you need to stick an allen key in the endlink bolt, how do you use a torque wrench to apply the 29 lb-ft? Or can you do final torque without the allen key once the nut's snugged down?

Thanks for the instructions and photos. Helpful for a newbie! :)
It's a bolt on one side, a nut on the other. The allen key goes in this hole in the bolt side, and you tighten the nut side.

I think I remember that right. but it may be hard to get a torque wrench up there.

[Fryd_Up]

If you have a impact wrench it's be a good idea to use it on that nut just to break it loose, then go back and use your wrench and allan key

[vtecricebox]

do you have to use the jackstands? or can you just put the car on ramps and go from there?

[Ei-ccord]

Originally posted by vtecricebox
do you have to use the jackstands? or can you just put the car on ramps and go from there?

Your suspension needs to be at FULL SAG to do the sways.

If you put it on ramps, then the suspension compresses, and you will not have the room to work. ;)

[vtecricebox]

Originally posted by Ei-ccord
Your suspension needs to be at FULL SAG to do the sways.

If you put it on ramps, then the suspension compresses, and you will not have the room to work. ;)

yeah i was thinking about that...thanks for claifying toby

[maccordownr]

Does anyone know the factory torque specs for this install?
Thanks

[99%StockAV6]

22 ft-lbs for the backet bolts and 29 ft-lbs for the endlinks. It has specs in the first post :rolleyes:

[driven]

Originally posted by 99%StockAV6
22 ft-lbs for the backet bolts and 29 ft-lbs for the endlinks. It has specs in the first post :rolleyes:

damn.. my asz finally really needs to buy a torque wrench. lols

[Fryd_Up]

anyone know where you can get some polyurethane bushings for the brackets to replace the rubber?

[DaBenz7898]

i need to re-grease my rear sway bar cause its squeaking like hell. i have a few specific questions:

-is there any spray-like lubricant to do this?
-do i need to undo any bolts to re-grease the swaybar?.....i didn't do the install, so i'm not quite sure what it looks like down there. :(

also, the pics in the first post aren't working anymore. if someone could update the post, or at least email me some pics (palwala@gmail.com) i'd really appreciate it. thanks.

-moatassim

[abram2001]

just get some white lithium greese... they do come in a aeresol can for easier use... but I prefer it in the plastic tubs.

[DaBenz7898]

just get some white lithium greese... they do come in a aeresol can for easier use... but I prefer it in the plastic tubs.

do you have any pics so i know what part i'm gonna be greasing up? i checked it out and saw some tape on the sway bar. i'm guessing that's the teflon tape. its kinda peeling off, that would explain the squeaking sound. do i have to remove anything to get to that spot on the sway bar? thanks abe :D

[Viper]

we need pix!