Sway Bar Link Headache
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 850
Likes: 114
From: Virginia
Sway Bar Link Headache
Hey guys, I recently ordered a new bushing kit for my sway bar and links from energy suspension. Went to install today, greased everything up and put the bushings in the links. Installed the passengers side link with no issues. However, the driver's side sway bar link wants to be annoying. With the passengers side link installed (just hand tight), the driver's side link is about a half inch too short. Do I need to bolt the top of both links before I install the bottoms? Or other way around, bottom links first then tops? As always, thanks for any helps guys. 
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 10,750
Likes: 1,065
From: Douglassville, PA
When you disconnected them did the first one pop down with pressure? I would expect (but don't know for sure) that depending on how the truck is sitting and the frame is twisted this might happen. Can you push the low end of the sway bar up with a jack?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 850
Likes: 114
From: Virginia
They popped down a little, but not with a whole lot of pressure. You did bring up an important point though that I hadn't though about, and that's how the truck was sitting. My normal parking spot is on a slight hill on a gravel driveway. I've created two holes from parking in the same spot overtime. I parked on top of the mound of dirt/gravel that's just behind the holes that I normally park in. I'm kind of thinking that parking on those little mounds of gravel would be enough to compress the suspension/flex the frame to make it difficult to get the sway bar lined up.
Tomorrow when I get back to it, I'll probably take it down to the shop where there's level ground and no gravel (that stuff hurts after a while). There's also a jack down at the shop which I can use to "persuade" the sway bar back into place if need be. I was going to try the jack method today, but it was getting dark and was starting to rain. Thanks for the help!
Tomorrow when I get back to it, I'll probably take it down to the shop where there's level ground and no gravel (that stuff hurts after a while). There's also a jack down at the shop which I can use to "persuade" the sway bar back into place if need be. I was going to try the jack method today, but it was getting dark and was starting to rain. Thanks for the help!
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 816
Likes: 7
From: Prescott, AZ
Non-level surface, unevenly sagged springs, unevenly loaded vehicle, torqued/bent sway bar, bent frame.
My money is on the first three - the sway bar is doing what it's supposed to do if it's one of them.
My money is on the first three - the sway bar is doing what it's supposed to do if it's one of them.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 193
From: Cambs, England
I haven't done the sway bar bushes on a super duty, but on any other vehicle I've done them on I've alway either done it on drive up ramps or a proper lift, everything will come apart & line up for reassembly at test, it's important that the vehicle is at its normal ride height when tightening up the link ends (unless they have swivels/spherical rod ends, if not then the bushes will be constantly under duress & their life expectancy will be severely reduced.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 10,750
Likes: 1,065
From: Douglassville, PA
When I replaced my end links (I also updated to the later model of mounts) I got the highfalutin Ford end links, which have ball joints in them. No need to worry about stressed nylon bushing or anything.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Cambs, England
Do you have part numbers for these please Mark?
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Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 10,750
Likes: 1,065
From: Douglassville, PA
Here they are on fleabay, they are a little pricey but I got lucky...the dealer gave me the wrong thing and I had to go back so they gave me a nice discount on them.
Updated sway bar end links
Updated sway bar end links
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 850
Likes: 114
From: Virginia
Well I finally got the links installed and all buttoned up today. As a couple of y'all suggested, I used a jack to lift the sway bar up so I could get it lined up. Took a total of 15 minutes to get both sides fully tightened down. Thanks again for the help guys 
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