[VR-VS] How to replace/upgrade Front Swaybar Links

[Chrispy]

Did this on my car today so I thought I'd make a quick write up

What you will need:

Spanner set (Depends what links you have/use. I needed a 17mm and 14mm spanner)
Vice Grips
Jack and Axle stands
Replacement Links and bushes.



Firstly loosen your wheel nuts then jack up the front of your car. Remove the front wheels and support the car on axle stands and chock the rear wheels.

I like a clean work area so i gave everything a quick degrease

The sway bar link is attached the rear of the strut and the sway bar.

Grab your vice grabs and attach it to the sway bar link to stop it from rotating when you loosen the nuts. It doesn't matter if you damage the bar abit because you'll be replacing it anyways.

Using a 14mm spanner remove the top nut then remove the bushing and the washer. Do the same for the bottom.

After you have removed the top and bottom nuts and bushes, grab your jack and jack up the front suspension.

Jack up the suspension enough so that pin is out of the sway bar. You should now be able to remove the lot.

Grab your new sway bar links. I used wasp heavy duty links, they were $25 or something of ebay.

As the saying goes installation is the reversal of removal. Do the bottom of the link first that attaches to the sway bar. Do the bottom nut up finger tight then do the top. You will have to jack the suspension back up and let it down slowly to get the top of the pin back through the hole in the strut.

Pinch the nuts up with a spanner, not too tight. Put your wheels back on and lower your car to the ground and tighten your wheel nuts. Now that the load of the car is on the suspension, you can fully do the nuts up. It can be a bit awkward but it can be done. You might need a mate to hold the pin with a spanner while you tighten the nuts.

 

[Cheap6]

This seems familiar? Oh that's right:

https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/how-replace-front-anti-roll-bar-links-vn-vs.84878

(It's nice to have pics though.)

A couple of things:

All the threads are conventional, RH, threads. You must have got confused somewhere.

It's easier and much safer to drop the front of the 'bar out of the saddle clamps rather than use the jack to fit the links. As I described in the earlier "How To", that also helps ensure that the bushes aren't squashed out of position and half way to failure before you even put the car on the ground.

 

[MOTIV8]

Today I replaced my standard sway bar links and rubber bushes on my HSV VS Clubsport, using the drop the sway bar method. Worked perfectly and did it by myself with no problems. I used a superpropoly kit with heavy duty links and polyurethane bushes sourced from Supercheap Auto for $59.00. Pedders wanted $80.00 for their kit. Only difference was their bushes are red branded Nolathane and the Superpropoly bushes are blue. They are both made from Polyurethane which is rubberised plastic.
Car doesn't make any clunking or squeaking sounds on the front end anymore and handles a lot better.
Cheap6 is correct, the threads are all conventional threads that tighten clockwise and loosen anti-clockwise. Easy to get confused when the thread is upside down.

 

[Chrispy]

Today I replaced my standard sway bar links and rubber bushes on my HSV VS Clubsport, using the drop the sway bar method. Worked perfectly and did it by myself with no problems. I used a superpropoly kit with heavy duty links and polyurethane bushes sourced from Supercheap Auto for $59.00. Pedders wanted $80.00 for their kit. Only difference was their bushes are red branded Nolathane and the Superpropoly bushes are blue. They are both made from Polyurethane which is rubberised plastic.
Car doesn't make any clunking or squeaking sounds on the front end anymore and handles a lot better.
Cheap6 is correct, the threads are all conventional threads that tighten clockwise and loosen anti-clockwise. Easy to get confused when the thread is upside down.

Yep i've fixed the reverse thread bit now. Must have been drinking.. I've got nolathane links and bushes in there now, only because I bought a full bushing kit and I didn't want the yellow bushes there .

I've had no dramas with jacking up the struts to remove the links. Both ways work.