Rear Sway Bar Links

[duaux]

Hi,

Can anyone give me guidance on how to get the rear sway bar links on the sway bar?

Are there any special tools or is "elbow grease" the only way to get them on?

I am having a very hard time using the later method.

I have also tried using U-Shaped vice grips without success.

The article at pelicanparts make it sound like it is easy... which it is not. The links DO NOT simply "slide on"!!!

Any suggestions appreciated. :(

Thanks.

[Holland]

Lot's of lithium grease and love.

[TimR]

A socket( smaller than the aluminum) and a hammer, heat up the rubber, boil it in water to soften up the rubber, grease up then smack it, maybe in a vise. A friend of mine melted the intake boot with a heat gun installing a M30 AFM, he wasn't happy when i told him about the water. This works good on vacum lines too.

[jquirit]

The solution I used to get mine on involved a c-clamp, thick metal bar, vice grips, and a few washers to make an improvised vice to push the sway bar link onto the sway bar with the sway bar on the car. It's slow going, but it worked.

In addition, the dish soap + warm water worked the best (for me) to help slide it on.

Take your time, and wish you the best of luck with it.

[duaux]

Thank you for the advice guys.
I think I will try the boiling water method...
Sounds like it may work.

Cheers.

[jlevie]

Dish washing soap works far better than grease.

[duaux]

UPDATE:

Thank you for all those who have chimed in.

Now, this is how I got it to go.
Hopefully this will help others when they search on the intraweb, etc.

First off... IT IS NOT EASY. DON'T LET ANYONE cough cough pelican article tell you that it is easy... I felt for it. Shame on me.

Difficulty of 3 out of 10 my ******. If there is a special tool, maybe. But from what I know, there is none. Anyways, read on if you want some guidance to how I got it to go.

[[Day 1]]
Rear Passenger Side: Total elapsed time 2hrs
1. Elbow grease and dish soap = Failed

[[Day 2 - Went out to get a U-Shaped Vice Grip]]
Rear Passenger Side: Total elapsed time 2hrs
1. Elbow grease and dish soap = Failed
2. U-shaped Vice Grip and dish soap = Failed
Tends to "snap" out of control.

3. Elbow grease and dish soap = Success... unbelievable =)

Rear Driver Side: 2.5hrs and I gave up. My hands were "shot"/sore/too tired from the elbow greasing.
1. Elbow grease and dish soap = Failed
2. U-shaped Vice Grip and dish soap = Failed
3. Elbow grease and dish soap = Failed

[[Day 3]]
Rear Driver Side: Total elapsed time 2hrs
1. Elbow grease, boiled the end link in water, and dish soap = Failed
2. U-shaped Vice Grip, a "wooden block", and dish soap = SUCCESS!!!

Note: I do not personally recommend using the boiling method unless the regular way does not work. I found that the boiling method tends to make the rubber "too" soft making it harder (for me) to get in as it made it more "elastic".

Wooden Block: This was a moment of genius as the U-Shaped Vice grip would NOT have worked without it. As noted in Day 2 - Passenger side.
- The wooden block acted as a "counter" weight behind the drop-link, as the wooden block was pressed up against the spring.
- My "wooden block" was wide enough to cover "two coils", and about 1 inch thick.
- I lined up the top part of the sway link to: (1) Sway Bar "point" and (2) To the wooden block on the other end
- The bottom of the sway link was pressed up against the Sway Bar itself forming a "triangle".

Details:
Using the U-Shaped Vice Grip, I used the end with a hook to wrap around the Sway Bar itself. The end without the hook, I clamped it around the Sway Link. I pushed it as high to the "bushing" part that you are trying to get in as possible. I tried about 3-4 times before it finally went it!!!

6.5 Hrs over 3 days later.... INSTALLED.
Do I suck? Probably. But I guess I saved a few dollars...

Other note:
My rear sway bar does not have a "hole" for the cotter pin as noted in the diagrams on realoem and bmwfan. Weird... It caught me off guard went I was taking the links off. My car: 1987 325e Sedan.

Comment on handling:
1. Changed front sway bar end links and sway bar bushing
2. Changed rear sway bar end links and sway bar bushing
*** New brackets, nuts, bolts, etc.

I noticed that the handling is much "sharper", almost to the point where it is over steering. Has anyone noticed this? Maybe I am not use to it as the car was bought "used" of course.

[Simon S]

Jesus Christ.
6+ hours ?
Jesus Christ.

Wonder what the deal was? I remember fighting to get mine on – think I ended up smearing dab of lithium grease on the bar first in order to get them on – with my hands – with lots of twisting back and forth until they were in position. I mean yeah – it was a bitch, no doubt there.

Funny – I noted the cotter pin parts – and thought about drilling a hole for them (purchased the pins and washers even) – but then wussied out.. plus I posted a question about anyone else using the cotter pins and just got the crickets of silence..

[tofubento]

cotter pins?