Where is the sway bar link on a car?
Step 6: Locate the sway bar link to be replaced. Sway bars are usually located at the front of the car and are bolted to the suspension on your vehicle. Depending on the make and model of your car, you may have only front sway bars links, or front and rear sway bar links. Step 7: Remove the lug nuts. Two lug nuts hold the sway bar link in place.
Is it possible to change more than one sway bar link?
If you are changing more than one sway bar link, simply repeat the steps on the other side. Replacing the sway bar links is a repair process that can be done with a few basic tools. If you don’t have access to the correct tools or are short on time, ask a certified mechanic from YourMechanic to replace the sway bar links for you.
How to change the sway bar on a Nissan Maxima?
Note: This information and pictures were performed on a 1996 Nissan Maxima on the drivers side front wheel. Other vehicles may look different or have different requirements, check your service manual. Loosen the wheel lug nuts. Loosen them slightly, but do not remove. Jack up/lift the car.
What do I need to remove front wheel drive sway bar?
Remove the nuts holding the sway bar link to the bar and control arm. Remove the link. Link removal on some front-wheel-drive cars will require a ¼-inch Allen wrench to keep the bolt from spinning.
How to install a new sway bar link?
Install the new link. Simple insert the lower part first, then the upper. Be sure it is installed the same as the original – the bushings are touching the sway bar – from the top: nut, metal washer, bushing, sway bar, bushing, metal washer.
How are sway bar bushings and links changed?
Sway bar end links have undergone a design change as front suspension design has transformed. The switch to MacPherson struts required a change in how and where sway bar end links were connected. Confusing the matter even more, they connect upward to the MacPherson strut and are longer, or they connect to the lower control arm and are shorter.
Why are my sway bar links making a creaking noise?
In rare cases, if the grease inside the sway bar link joints dries up, it may also make a creaking noise when the suspension is moving up and down. Your mechanic can check the sway bar links while performing a regular service with the car on the lift. A worn-out sway bar link will show a freeplay when pushed up…
Note: This information and pictures were performed on a 1996 Nissan Maxima on the drivers side front wheel. Other vehicles may look different or have different requirements, check your service manual. Loosen the wheel lug nuts. Loosen them slightly, but do not remove. Jack up/lift the car.
How much does it cost to replace a sway bar?
Typically, a car requires new sway bar end links or stabilizer bushings. A replacement sway bar end link will cost between $125 and $160, with labor making up $50 to $70 and the part costing between $55 and $110. The stabilizer bushing replacement cost is between $125 and $160, with labor making up $95 to $120 and the part costing $30 to $65.
When do you lose control of a sway bar?
If the sway bar links become loose and you can easily move them with your hand, they are worn out. In extreme cases, they can also become detached from the sway bar or control arms. Your car should never be driven when the parts are this deteriorated, or you could lose control. The sway bar is also known as a stabilizer bar.
How do you remove a sway bar link?
Depending on the make and model of your car, you may have only front sway bars links, or front and rear sway bar links. Step 7: Remove the lug nuts. Two lug nuts hold the sway bar link in place. Start by removing the upper nut first. This nut holds the most weight when the sway bar is at normal rest, so it tends to be the most problematic.
Can you remove the nut from a sway bar?
Remove the nut holding the sway bar link to the sway bar. You will have to grip the shaft below the sway bar so it does not turn – for example pair of vice grip locking pliers.The bottom bolt you can use a socket wrench on the nut, and a wrench on the nut on the other side of the mounting point (see picture). Install the new link.
Where are the sway bars on a car?
Sway bars are usually located at the front of the car and are bolted to the suspension on your vehicle. Depending on the make and model of your car, you may have only front sway bars links, or front and rear sway bar links.
Do you need to remove the front wheels on a Saturn Ion?
Raise and support the front of the vehicle. Although doing so will give somewhat easier access to the end links (and frame bushings in some front-wheel-drive vehicles) removing the front wheels isn’t necessary. This Saturn Ion is an example of a front-wheel-drive car in which you have to remove the wheels to get to the frame bushings.