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Sway Bar Stops

M

m1a rocks

CEG'er
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
75
Location
Howell, MI
:confused: I'm not sure what to call them. There are 2 of them, one on the outside of easch bushing at the frame mount.
Has anyone ever replaced them? I was getting ready to throw the engine back in when I noticed that the sway bar wasn't centerd. One side is missing the stop. The auto parts store doesn't have anything like that.
I was going to check the dealer in the morn. but I'm afraid there going to say "obsolete". I could rig something up, like a hose clamp or something....
Looking for input/experience with them. Thanks, Brian....
 
Are you talking about the two little stops on the bar that keep the sway bar from sliding side to side in the bushings? If so, i think you have to buy the whole sway bar as it is part of it. That would be why the auto parts store had nothing of the sort. You can always get a used sway bar off of this site.

I have heard of people using a rubber hose clamped on with a hose clamp.

More specifically this:
yes i know it is the rear sway bar but should be the same principle.
rollinstylee said:
HPIM1166.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Yep, dealer doesn't carry it either. I was thinking of installing one from a svt. I do have one. Those darn bolts on the bushing mounts are a real pain to remove though. I started to round out the one on the drivers side yesterday.

I might use a sawzall but I don't want to screw up the clamp. It's nearrly impossible to grab the nut on the bottom with a wrench. Also getting at the 2 nd bolts nearly impossible. I better do this now before the engine goes in or I can forget it.
I had hoped to get the engine in yesterday but this is holding me up......
 
lol I was going to reply to this thread saying "rubber hose and hose clamp" and lo and behold, someone had already quoted a pic of mine. They've been on for about nine months now and haven't shifted or caused any other problems whatsoever.

Annnd
BrApple said:
need to drop the rear of the subframe for clearence ....
Click to expand...
is false. I removed the original sway bar and installed this Roush 21mm one with nothing but a wheel removed. Yes, it is difficult, and you must use some force to get it past the fuel tank, but certainly possible and nowhere near the pain of dropping the whole subframe.

*EDIT* I just realized BrApple is probably talking about the front subframe, my bad.
 
For the record, you CAN get to the front bushings without lowering the subframe, but it is near impossible. You can barely, with much effort, get 1/6 of a turn at a time. Or so I hear from a reliable mechanic...:shrug:
 
Somehow I did manage to remove the front sway bar from my parts svt. I can't remember how I did it. Don't know if I cut the bolt or not.
I do know that I removed one inner tie rod and managed to fanagle it out that way.
I am thinking of cutting a small notch out to get at the lower bolt with a wrench. I just don't want to make this a bigger problem.
 
Ok, I ended up doing a repair instead of switching the sway bar out. I think that would end up being a project.
I thought about things for a few minutes. Grabbed a 3/4" pipe nipple. Cut about a 1" peice off it. Cut a slit down one side, pried it open so it would slide on the sway bar. I then squezzed it back together with channel locks.
I was going to wait and have my son weld that on the bar but didn't have the patientce to wait. I welded it on myself( my welding sucks as I don't ever get any practice), ground down my extra weld that I put on it and shot it with some paint.
Pics at the bottom of this post. I still had time to drop the engine in, get 3 mounts bolted in , showered, ate and got to work on time!

P1070696.jpg

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This is the die grinder that gets a lot of use!
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I knew a guy, I think on the Focus forum, who got a set from Amazon. he just happened to see them listed when he was shopping for a sway bar. Real nice billet units. They were called "collars" I think. I searched on there, but couldn't find anything. But they ARE out there, just so you know.
 
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