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Posted by: cassidy_bolger May 7 2006, 05:24 PM

My rear factory stabilizer bar has popped out of its socket on one side. Forgive me if those are the wrong terms - but I hope people know what I mean. I have had my car only a week or so and don't know my way around it too well yet.

Here's what happend: My driveway is steep, so I am taking it at a slight angle to avoid destroying the LE spoiler up front. Just now, as I slowly pulled in turning right, in the right rear made a suspension grind kind of noise. I stuck my head under the back and saw a shiny ball! The other side looks to be intact. The car has 140lb springs and Bilsteins that were installed 50K mi. ago.

Can I just jack the thing up and pop the bar back into place? Did this happen because of the stiff suspension?

Other than this, I have been having a blast with the new car.

Posted by: trekkor May 7 2006, 05:35 PM

rear sway bar.

Use huge channel locks to snap it back on.
If it keeps popping out you might need to replace the bushings.


KT


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Posted by: Dave_Darling May 7 2006, 05:40 PM

You can just jack the thing up and pop it back on. On my car, it takes a clamp; I cannot just squeeze it on with a pair of channel-locks or whatever. And most certainly not by hand!!

You may have to jack up the whole back of the car and use a jack to raise one trailing arm or the other to get the ball and socket to line up nicely.

My first guess as to why the drop-link came off is that the bushings are old and tired. Putting new bushings in the drop-link is a major pain in the butt. I wound up using a vise, some screwdrivers, I think a socket or two, and a lot of swear-words.

--DD

Posted by: cassidy_bolger May 7 2006, 05:44 PM

Thanks, I'll go give it a whirl.

Posted by: cassidy_bolger May 7 2006, 06:21 PM

Thanks guys.

The bushing disintigrated into my hand.

(4) new ones on order.

Posted by: blitZ May 7 2006, 07:10 PM

Stick them in a cup of water and microwave for a minute, they will soften a bit and make installation easier.

Posted by: john rogers May 7 2006, 08:43 PM

If the trailing arm moved enough to pop the sway bar off, even with a bad bushing, you might want to look closely at the swing arm bushings as they might be in the same boat, that is bad shape too?!

Posted by: Tobra May 8 2006, 12:00 AM

Remove old bushings, paint end links, heat bushings in water to soften and use vise to get them started, mallet to pop them in. I used a gear puller with a sacagewea dollar piece to protect the bushing. There is a little dimple on the end of the sway bar for the threaded part of the puller, used dollar piece to put the hooks on, for the bottom on the shock, used the dollar piece to protect the bushing from the threaded part, and put the hooks on the little tabs that stick out from the ball at the bottom of the shock

Posted by: watsonrx13 May 8 2006, 07:14 AM

Here's a http://www.tampabay914.com/7491405302005.html to my website that shows how I installed new bushings in the rear sway bar.

-- Rob

Posted by: Joe Ricard May 8 2006, 08:19 AM

OH OH I know this one..

Crap, Rob beat me to it.

Rob you are makin me proud son.