Assistance please - reconnecting front sway bar after suspension work

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CharlieS

CharlieS

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Hey friends,

Wondering if anyone can share tips for reconnecting the front sway bar after suspension work?

Yes, I should know this, I've done it a bunch of times, but for some reason I have to relearn every time.

I swapped out an aftermarket suspension for a stock suspension, and everything has gone well enough. I disconnected both the front and rear left (US passenger side) swaybars to get enough articulation to remove the suspension. I got the rear back in and can't seem to line up the front.

I have it on a low lift (maxjaxx) and lowered it to the ground hoping that the weight of the suspension would help. No dice.

There are several inches between the front anti-sway bar and the lower A-arm where it mounts.

I remember messing with ratchet straps, long pry bars, etc. There has to be a smarter way...

Please help if you are able to.

Thanks!

Charlie

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I think I reconnected mine by jacking up under the control arm with the front wheels off the ground (frame on jack stands). That way the end link is as low as possible and you can move the side you're connecting independently.
 
The easiest for me so far is kdss open, top nut of the link loosened, on the ground. Usually pretty easy to move the bar down so i can get it all started

Sometimes disconnect top and get bottom started as that seems to be the trickier end to get started.
 
jwfowler said:
The easiest for me so far is kdss open, top nut of the link loosened, on the ground. Usually pretty easy to move the bar down so i can get it all started

Sometimes disconnect top and get bottom started as that seems to be the trickier end to get started.
Click to expand...
This is typically my approach as well.
 
You can also loosen up the sway bar brackets on the frame.
 
So, I loosened the KDSS shutter valve bolts 3 turns each, and then it was easy enough to use a prybar to align the bolt hole in the sway bar link with the ones in the lower control arm.

Note: I totally forgot about those shutter valve bolts. Thankfully I had liberally coated the exposed threads with antiseize last time I had them backed out and they turned with no resistance.
 
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Wouldn't raising the opposite side off the ground allow it to droop enough to line up the end link and the control arm? Or conversely, drive this side onto a curb to flex it enough to line up the eyes
 
It didn't work for me. I tried it both on the lift and on the ground with a floor jack on the opposite side. Maybe I was doing it wrong?

That IS how I got the rear anti-sway bar reconnected though. On the ground, I used a floor jack on the driver's side of the swaybar and jacked until everything lined up.

I should have loosened the shutter valve screws before I started any disassembly. I simply forgot about it.
 
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Since an lx doesn’t have kdss what’s the method there? I have an end link I need to replace soon
 
Caveat: I've never worked on a LX, but as I understand it they have a typical anti-sway bar setup, so you shouldn't have the same difficulty. You won't be fighting the pressure in the KDSS system, so traditional techniques like jacks, ratchet straps, and prybars should do the job.
 
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