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low cost swaybar upgrade


jc04ss

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Anyone who is RWD is gonna have a tough time installing these. Myself and Hank(Hankg42) just installed the Energy Suspension sway bar bushing and end link/bushing kit on my SSS this evening. Everything was going fine until the end link/bushing installation. The new end links/bushings were so thick that there was absolutely no way to start the nut on the bolt. We tried to compress the bushings and put presure down on the sway bar, nothing helped. We wound up using a mix of parts to make it work.........The factory bolt and cap nut combined with the new end link sleeve, bushings, and washers. The AWD installation is a breeze compared to this.........you would think that they would be the same, apparently not. :banghead:

 

Kudos to Hank for thinking outside the box and helping me make this kit work. :thumbs:

Edited by Fireman31 (see edit history)
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My truck is AWD, and we had a similar problem with the end link bushings when installing my Front Hotchkis sway bar. We put the truck on the ground to compress the suspension, and then used 2" wide ratcheting tie down straps around the sway bay and lower control arm. This compressed the Poly bushings enough to get the top nuts started on the bolts. We used all of the parts that came with the Hotchkis kit.

Edited by AUTOGUY (see edit history)
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My truck is AWD, and we had a similar problem with the end link bushings when installing my Front Hotchkis sway bar. We put the truck on the ground to compress the suspension, and then used 2" wide ratcheting tie down straps around the sway bay and lower control arm. This compressed the Poly bushings enough to get the top nuts started on the bolts. We used all of the parts that came with the Hotchkis kit.

We tried tying a strap around the sway bar and lower control arm, then twisting the strap with a ratchet extension to pull down the sway bar, but couldn't move it down far enough. Ratchet tie downs probably would have worked for us if we had them. The good news is, only using the old bolt and end cap should not affect the performance of the kit, since all of the bushings, washers, and everything else is new from the kit.

Edited by Hankg42 (see edit history)
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My truck is AWD, and we had a similar problem with the end link bushings when installing my Front Hotchkis sway bar. We put the truck on the ground to compress the suspension, and then used 2" wide ratcheting tie down straps around the sway bay and lower control arm. This compressed the Poly bushings enough to get the top nuts started on the bolts. We used all of the parts that came with the Hotchkis kit.

 

yeah mine is rwd and i had a bear of a time installing the hotchkis front bar like your saying. i was using a lift but decided it needed to be compressed and did it on the ground using a pry bar to compress the bushings so i could start the not.

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Just ordered mine from EnergySuspensionParts.com. Ordered the 9.5172, 9.8121, and the 3 1/2oz lube tube. :thumbs:

 

Thanks Hank and Fast4 for the tips and Jim for the initial nod.

 

 

are these the correct part numbers for the AWD's? i keep thinking about doing this.

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I just found everything on the summitracing site, $22.39 for the bushings and $13.69 for the end links. I'll be ordering mine today as well. Thanks for all the info.

 

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.a...art=ENS-9-8121R

 

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.a...art=ENS-9-5172R

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Like I mentioned before, the install was a bit of a pain in my case, but it may not be that way for everyone.......this upgrade was definitely worth the money, my SSS has less body roll in tight turns and corners now. Like Hank mentioned, it feels like the front end isn't plowing as much. Hold the old factory rubber bushings next to the new polyurethane bushings and you'll be amazed at the difference. This kit was $40 well spent. :chevy:

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I installed mine yesterday after I got off work. Went by the auto hobby shop and did it on a lift. Thanks to tip about using a 2 inch ratcheting strap for compression the install was a breeze.

 

BTW, I'm very happy with the results so far but I have yet to really test it out with some serious cornering. I'll do that this weekend and report back but I do believe, based on the cornering I've already done, I'll be very happy.

 

THANKS FOR SHARING THIS MOD!!

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