rear sway bar installation problem

**10legacy** · #1: 10-09-2012, 01:21 PM

I changed my bar last night to the 19mm subaru bar.

I have a question about the installation though, when I installed it I couldn't get the bushing brackets to line up with the holes without forcing one side of the bar up or one side of the bar down. I had the car sitting on the ground on a pretty level driveway.

It wouldn't line up evenly no matter what I tried to do.

What I had to do was install the right side bracket to hold the bar in place then forcefully push the bar up on the left side until I could get the screws to line up with the holes. If I put the left side on first then I would have to pull the right side down which was more difficult. So now there is some tension on the bar when the car is sitting still. The holes were off by about 1/2 inch.

Any ideas on what the cause of this would be? How bad is it too leave it like this?

Some back story: I had a whiteline 20mm bar that I had originally installed upside down (I don't remember having to force this one into place but maybe I did) I tried to flip it so the bend was upward (correctly) but it was hitting the spare tire well. I drove it with the bar upside down for the summer then I decided to by the 19mm subaru bar so that I could install it correctly and not hit the spare tire well, which it clears easily but install was not as easy as I remember.

**whitetiger** · #2: 10-09-2012, 01:31 PM

you should be doing this with the suspension unloaded(car in the air on jack stands)

**BarManBean** · #3: 10-09-2012, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitetiger

you should be doing this with the suspension unloaded(car in the air on jack stands)

Wat? Sway bar installation should be easier when the suspension is loaded, not unloaded. It's recommended to do the install on ramps instead of jack stands for this reason.

not sure about the 2010+ or the 2.5i, but do you need reinforcement brackets? It sounds like you may have bent one of the mounting points while having the whiteline installed.

**minuccims** · #4: 10-09-2012, 03:21 PM

Unlikely it's the mounting bracket. Improved design.

**10legacy** · #5: 10-09-2012, 04:09 PM

I borrowed this picture to give you guys a visual idea of what is happening.

So I couldn't get the brackets that are holding the red bushings to line up with the mounting holes evenly on both sides of the car.

I had to install the right side securely then forcibly push the left side up approximately 1/2 inch until the holes in the bracket lined up with the holes in the mounting point.

When I tried to tighten the left side first I had to pull the right side down the same 1/2 inch which was too difficult to do.

**Aaron48** · #6: 10-09-2012, 04:13 PM

I wonder if the bushing brackets might be bent slightly...??

**nadracer** · #7: 10-09-2012, 06:36 PM

When you were doing the install did you by chance first install the bar on the brackets then put the endlinks on?

Yes the suspension should be under load so the bar is nice and straight with the suspension. If you dont and the control arms are allowed to bend towards the ground puts pressure on the bar & endlinks so they wont want to come off.

**10legacy** · #8: 10-10-2012, 04:56 AM

I installed the endlinks first and put the bolt through to hold them in place inside the frame.

I had tons of free play up and down with the bar but just couldn't get it to 100% line up left to right when trying to get the bushing brackets installed. I was getting annoyed after spending a bunch of time trying to get it to line up so that's when I decided to try to force it into place and hope you guys had an idea.

By the way it drives and feels awesome. It's just as good and maybe even slightly better than the 20mm whiteline bar so driving it hasn't changed (maybe having the bend going the proper direction helps)

**Rutchard** · #9: 10-10-2012, 05:23 AM

Install the bar & brackets first, endlinks second. That's probably why it's not lining up correctly.

**whitetiger** · #**10:** 10-10-2012, 05:37 AM

^+1

**10legacy** · #**11:** 10-10-2012, 06:33 AM

hmm alright i'll give that a try. it seemed like it would be easier to do the brackets last, i can't remmeber how i installed the whiteline bar but i know it went on a lot easier than this.

thanks for the suggestion.

**10legacy** · #**12:** 10-10-2012, 04:26 PM

well i tried it again, this time at a friends house with a completely level garage instead of in my driveway.

I think it was just that my driveway wasn't completely level. in the garage when we loosened the bushing brackets there was no tension on the bar and getting the holes to line up when we re-installed the bar was no problem.

so lessen learned, a completely flat surface is key, if one side is off by just a little it will cause problems.

When I installed the whiteline bar it was also in my friends garage so that might be why i remember it being much easier.

I still think this bar feels better than than 20mm fixed whiteline bar. I thought i would be loosing something going with the subaru 19mm bar but I am more than happy with it. I wish I could say whether this bar is actually better or if having it installed properly with the bend going upward is the difference.

**zambazil** · #**13:** 10-10-2012, 04:33 PM

Glad to hear problem solved! Learn something new everyday..