swaybar questions

This is probably a dumb question but please humor me. I read in the fifth gen forum that you have to lift the motor during removal/install of the front sway bar. Is this the case for our cars and also what size Allen head is the bolt on the end link so I can remove that nut? I planned on this being part of my weekend but I gotta know how its done before I get tearing apart.

Not bad questions. I've been looking for a walkthrough for the front bar as well but haven't found anything. There's a great one for the rear in the Walkthrough's.

 

I don't think you have to lift the engine. There's a brace that you (have to?) remove that makes it much easier to get the bar out but as to the size of the allen I'm not sure.

 

Cheers!

Yes, you do need to remove the brace to get the swaybar off. It's pretty self explanatory when you see it. Can't remember the size of the allen.

Don't bother with the allen wrench. Cut them off.

Yeah I don't think I'm cutting anything off. How big a difference will the front sway bar make? I have a whiteline 20mm adjustable in the rear on the firmist setting, even though the intructions said start at the softest. I decided it wasn't something I planned on doing twice so I jumped right to the firm setup. Love it. My inspection mechanic has been telling me for two years my front swaybar bushing was junk. You can reach up and shake it. Therefore I have a bit o' roll up front. Is this bigger bar going to make a noticeable difference? It's a whiteline 22mm fixed.

The bigger bar will absolutely be noticeable but it's going to change the turning behavior of your car. You will notice quicker and sharper turn in, more responsive steering, and less roll on quick movements on the highway; it will also be harder to swing the rear around in a turn, and decrease the tendency to oversteer.

 

For awhile I had a larger rear sway and oem front, it was fun and sometimes miss it around town going slower and kinda whipping around turns, but overall I prefer the more balanced setup of front and rear sways that are similar in size.

I noticed a huge difference with the bigger rear but I need to change the front bushings so I figured I'd just change the whole thing. I had store credit. Should I change endlinks at some time or are they not really worth it? What is the benefit of the spherical style or stick with stock?

IMO adjustable endlinks might be beneficial if you are going low. Solid endlinks are great performers and never need adjustment. Also, weather and road conditions can cause accelerated wear on adj endlinks. Snow, salt, grime, etc. I am a fan of solid endlinks obviously. I love my kartboys. There are plenty of people here driving on upgraded bars and stock endlinks. I personally upgraded mine. There is an increase of lateral force placed on the endlink with an upgraded bar. The stock links are plastic. Damn hard, but plastic. Matter of preference I guess. I'm happy with my choice and confident they will last the cars lifetime. I'll have to replace the link bushings before I ever have to replace the link itself.

 

For FSB install. There are 10 - 12mm bolts on the crossmember support. The stock links can be removed with a socket and 3mm allen. Use ramps, keeps suspension properly loaded. PB Blaster is your friend, makes the job easy. 35-40 min.

The rear bar I didn't have ramps so I jacked both sides up, removed the sway bar, installed the new one, and lowered the car before I tightened everything up. Is that as effective? It seems logical to me but logic has backfired on me before...

May I but in and ask a question. 95 legacy L inner tierods same part? Dude at advanced auto got same part number for both sides, do I go back and kill em'?

The rear bar I didn't have ramps so I jacked both sides up, removed the sway bar, installed the new one, and lowered the car before I tightened everything up. Is that as effective? It seems logical to me but logic has backfired on me before...

 

 

As long as the suspension is normally loaded when you tighten everything up, you're fine. There's some leeway.

May I but in and ask a question. 95 legacy L inner tierods same part? Dude at advanced auto got same part number for both sides, do I go back and kill em'?

 

I'm not the right person to ask about tierods on a 95 L

I noticed a huge difference with the bigger rear but I need to change the front bushings so I figured I'd just change the whole thing. I had store credit. Should I change endlinks at some time or are they not really worth it? What is the benefit of the spherical style or stick with stock?

 

You could run the oem endlinks, but with bigger bars they will eventually wear out. Do not buy spherical endlinks, the spherical joint is not really intended to be used in an endlink like that and they wear very quickly on the street and will cause clunking once they wear.

 

I had kartboys in the rear and they were great, simple, quiet, and bombproof. I know a lot of people run KB's front and rear but I don't love the way they fit on the front, they require spacers to fit right with most bars, but they're still great. Personally, my favorite front endlink is the Rallitek HD endlink, it's OE style, but virtually indestructible.

Do the KB end links come with hardware?

 

Trying to figure out if I need to hit up the hardware store ahead of time.

 

Thanks!

Yes the KB end links include all necessary hardware.

Yes the KB end links include all necessary hardware.

 

 

Actually they don't. You need spacers for most bars. Tom will sell them to you for about $9. It depends on the bar, but you want the link to be as close to perpendicular as possible. The spacers help with this.

That is why I said I like the rallitek HD's for the front. Spacers not included, which are required for most front applications depending on the specific bar. All the hardware, however, is included.

^ You fellas mention specific bars ... care to name a few? Specifically, I'm about ready to install Whiteline sways on my 05 wagon. Is this brand one of the ones you guys (or anybody) feel require spacers on the front in order to get the correct geometry? I don't currently have spacers. I do have kb solid endlinks though. Should I get spacers as well? Feel free to mention any other brands you know about. There aren't that many common swaybar setups.

^ You fellas mention specific bars ... care to name a few? Specifically, I'm about ready to install Whiteline sways on my 05 wagon. Is this brand one of the ones you guys (or anybody) feel require spacers on the front in order to get the correct geometry? I don't currently have spacers. I do have kb solid endlinks though. Should I get spacers as well? Feel free to mention any other brands you know about. There aren't that many common swaybar setups.

 

I have whitelines and KB. That's one of the bars that needs spacers.

 

As scoobyscoodle mentions, you get the nuts, bolts and washers with the links..

Tom will sell them to you for about $9.

 

Fyi ... looks like they're now $5.00 on kartboy.com.

Does the front Hotchkis bar need spacers too?

 

Thanks!

If you're using KB links in front I would get spacers just in case and make the judgement call during the install. You could use one, or both, depending on how it looks; you want the end link vertical, if possible.

 

I had a 22mm rallitek front bar and the KB end links, spacers or not, just didn't fit right. It was sort of the opposite of the photo shadowsports posted above. Instead of the bar being inward to the end link mount, the swaybar was almost right above it, and put the end link at a weird angle.

 

The KB end links are great, but fitment is a little different with every bar.

Sounds like more of an issue of the swaybar being too wide than anything else.

 

Whiteline bars, KB endlinks here. No spacers, no noise, no problems. Links are about 5 years old, swaybars 3ish.

I'd chalk that up to the poor fitment of the rallitek.