Sway bar end Links too tall

bhodgdon400 · Sep 26, 2018

hi all, so i installed an oversized (1.25"...I think) sway bar a while back while i had motor out and front end off. after the fact, i realize this is a bit of an overkill but it was not easy getting in so i decided to roll with it and see how i liked it. well, the car drove and felt great so along we went. long story short, i had an end link failure....not due to size or stress from sway bar but another event that happened when a wheel bearing failed and the wheel walked out on the spindle. bent everything up and the top spindle bolt made contact with the top of the end link and took a chunk out of it. i replaced spindle and all that jazz. sway bar seemed sturdy and just had a hunk taken out of top nut & threaded rod. i figured we'd ride it out and see, Now it finally failed and weakened enough that it collapsed the spacer and the sway bar rode down the end link.

time to replace the end links.

so i go to the parts store, grab new end links that match the part number the guy came up with for a 67 camaro (same number i came up with in my searches). they're about 1" longer than the ones that came with my sway bar and when i put them in with the suspension unloaded and control arm hanging down, the top of the end link is dangerously close to the top control arm. this tells me there's no way i can put the car on the ground and tighten things up because it wont clear. the links that came with the sway bar are 6.25" in total length and cleared everything fine..(until my wheel bearing mishap).

now i can't find an end link this short through the parts stores or google searching. looking for some help and advice that does not involve removing / replacing the sway bar. not happening, it was not fun to install with everything apart, don't even want to attempt getting it out of a whole car. please help

stamatisg1977 · Sep 26, 2018

Get same diameter threaded rod cut it to the length you need and put the spacer in the middle. And an extra nut for both sides

Skunk Works · Sep 26, 2018

Of a grade 8 bolt of the required length.

scblucam · Sep 26, 2018

Get same diameter threaded rod cut it to the length you need and put the spacer in the middle. And an extra nut for both sides

Not sure I would use an all-thread but also not sure it would see enough tensile force to fail.

Of a grade 8 bolt of the required length.

Not sure you would need a grade 8, stock are I think grade 5 but as said get a bolt the length you need and cut the spacer to length. If you are afraid od crushing the spacer(the one I see are pretty light)you can get steel pipe with an ID just larger than the bolt and cut that to fit your needs.

allanjs · Sep 27, 2018

Don't use home store threaded rod. The thread class fit is too sloppy. A good quality grade 5 bolt is fine. If you can get a class 3 thread fit that would be even better. The threads are under quite a bit of pressure.

bhodgdon400 · Sep 27, 2018

thanks all. worked it out yesterday with grade 8 bolts and found 1.25 spacers to fit. feels more solid than before, not sure how long the old end link was "failing" but it certainly feels and drives stiffer and better now. alos went with poly bushings so i guess that could play a part

davidpozzi · Sep 27, 2018

On lowered Camaros, the sway bar arms don't end up level. With the short sway bar arms Camaros have, the arms end up at higher angles than later cars causing binding. I have shortened the sleeves and used shorter bolts to fix this but take care to not go too short. I think minimum sleeve length should be 2" or so. I determined this length by installing a bar with no springs and cycling the suspension. The lower A arms swing through a side to side arc 90 degrees to the sway bar arms, so you can have side to side binding of the end links if you go too short. Most aftermarket bar suppliers provide appropriate length end links. Hotchkis end links fit well and are probably made by Energy Suspension.

bhodgdon400 · Sep 27, 2018

i wound up installing bolts and sleeves at the same length as were originally supplied with the sway bar. i cant remember the brand sway bar i used but i know it wasn't Hotchkis or one of the high end brands. it was relatively cheap. the bolts are 6" total length and the sleeves i believe are 1.25" if i remember correct......remembering yesterday is not always as easy as it should be...lol

the bar is not perfectly level, the ends tilt down lightly maybe 5*. do you think this will present a big problem for regular street driving? never auto cross or racing it. just more concerned with pulling in and out of driveways where one wheel may be raised on a curb.

i do know that if i were to put a 2" sleeve on it there would not be enough bolt to protrude through the top of the sway bar. i'll take pics this afternoon and post. i don't want to cause more damage

davidpozzi · Oct 1, 2018

The shortest I would use is 2". Any shorter and you risk binding as the lower A arm moves through it's arc. With the car on it's wheels, the sway bar arms should be level, or upwards to the rear as long as you don't have sleeves shorter than 2".

You want around 4" from lower A arm to center of sway bar eye.

I like the 2.25" end link sleeve length set here: energysuspension.com | Sway Bar End Links & Set Sizing Charts

davidpozzi · Oct 1, 2018

This is typical of what I use

bhodgdon400 · Oct 2, 2018

gotcha, i realized my last post read wrong.....i state the sway bar arms are on a downward tilt when they're actually just very slightly on an upward tilt from level. i'll have to re-measure the sleeves when i get home. i'm posting on these subjects from my desk at work instead of under the car so i'm working from memory..........which has been a little abused over the years....lol

bhodgdon400 · Oct 2, 2018

i do know for certain that the total bolt length was 6" and i'm pretty sure the sleeves are 1.25" or 1.75"...either way, they are the same length as the sleeves that came with the sway bar originally. maybe that was part of the problem to begin with..?..?? i'm afraid if i installed 2" sleeves there would either not be enough bolt length to get the nut on top or it would force the upward tilt to be more extreme

Sway bar end Links too tall

bhodgdon400

stamatisg1977

Skunk Works

scblucam

allanjs

bhodgdon400

davidpozzi

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