So I'm in the process of removing my swaybar to replace with a WS6... I went to dry-fit my wonderbar and it WOULDN'T FIT. It seems about 1/2" too short. Is my frame warped? Anything I should be doing special? What?!

 

Is it a stock wonderbar or one of the various aftermarket incarnations? (It matters.)

Have your measured from swaybar bolt to swaybar bolt and compared it against the wonderbar? If I remember correctly it's 28.5".

Do you know the accident history of your car?

Are you installing it with the suspension loaded or unloaded?

 

double post

 

i think some people had to make a hole bigger for it to fit on.


https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...pohn+wonderbar

 

I tried it with the suspension loaded because that seemed natural for the frame. I'll try jacking it up under the subframe I suppose. The car hasn't been in any accidents. I can only get one side to bolt up at a time, never both. It's a spohn non-adjustable... Kinda makes me want the adjustable instead now. Whatever the problem, it's really uncool.

 

I just broke my last ratchet trying to unbolt the endlink.
What do I do now?

 

Is it the stock endlink? The thru-bolt probably rusted to the metal sleeve between the bushings. Only way to get that old piece out is destroying it. I sliced the control arm endlink bushings out with a cutting edge on a soldering gun. Then I used bolt cutters to cut the end link bolt where it went into the LCA.

 

Yeah, either use bolt cutters as TomP said, or get in there with a mini-hacksaw. When I removed my rear endlinks, one took me an hour because I could only budge it a quarter turn at a time. And this was after multiple shots of penetrating oil!

 

I've found roughly 20% of the end links at the SoCal pick-a-part require me to cut them to remove them. I've gotten smart. When I pull a rear sway bar I remove the end link mount brackets, then deal with any stuck end links at home when I have pneumatic tools and KROIL at hand. My experience with the end links being frequently rusted so badly that they have to be destroyed gave me the idea to have new 1LE end links zinc plated (which they SHOULD have been from the factory) prior to offering them for sale through my web site.

Lon

 

bolt cutters, eh? I'll have to get a set and give it a try.
I got the passenger side completely unbolted but the sleeve is holding it on.
Pain in the *** these things are.

 

saw zall

 

Now you should stop buying cheap tools and get a Craftsman ratchet

 

it... was... a craftsman

 

Hey, at least you'll get a free replacement ratchet out of the deal! I slather that center thru-bolt up with anti-sieze compound to prevent it from ever happening again- even on my energy suspension end links, which appear to be zinc coated. Can't be too careful!

 

any way to get that stupid sleeve off of the stock bolt?
I cant fit a hacksaw in there, and I don't have bolt cutters

 

I used a sawzall to cut mine off the other night.
Maybe get a bar and put it over the endlink and bend it till it snaps.

 

I had a heck of a time getting one of mine off, I soaked it in penetrating oil like 50 times and had to split the sleeve with a screwdriver and a hammer. Took me like an hour but thats all I had on hand This sleeve I worked on though wasn't a solid sleeve though, it already had the slit on the side and I started there. Good luck.

 

Well, good luck then!

 

well I spent $25 on some 18" bolt cutters...
We'll see how they work later on.

 

Use a 1/2" ratchet/short socket, and put a pipe on the end of it. Not only *shold* the 1/2" stand up to the force, but the bolt WILL break. Thats how Ive gotten all of mine off. I dont have time to waste with saws or anything.

 

Air cutoff tools rule!!!

 

The swaybar is on... HOLY COW that's a tight feel!!!
I don't have the wonderbar on, because it's a little too short... But I think I'm going to see what a frame shop will do for it.
I'll have them weld on my SFCs while they're at it.

I'm gonna take a shower and go for a cruise! 85 and sunny! TOP DOWN, ALLOYS SPINNIN

 

old thread but im ressurecting it...

I worry my frame is slightly warped. it's about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch wider than it should be up front on the swaybar. I cannot install my Spohn Wonderbar. I cant get more than one side on at a time. What do i do?I don't want to install my SFCs until I find out if my frame is warped or not.

 

Anyone else you know have a good strait f-body, measure it.

Go to pick-a-parts, measure them.

Also, didnt some of the earlier f-bodys have different swaybar mounting bolts then later ones?

Not to doubt spohn, but parts can be made wrong.

 

I measured it and the part is fine. Is my frame tweaked? How do i fix it?

 

This topic has come up recently in another thread. The home remedy it to use a pipe clamp to pull the rails togehter. If you're not familiar with a pipe clamp, they have a clamp on one end that threads on to a standard water pipe. The other end adjusts and bites into the pipe where you set it with spring-loaded teeth or pawl. This will allow you to squeeze the frame rails together until your aftermarket Wonderbar fits.

Lon

 

oh wow, where can I get one of those? doesnt sound too expensive.

 

Any good hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes. They are commonly used to clamp large items such as if you were gluing kitchen cabinets together. The length you can clamp only depends on how long the pipe you buy. You'll likely buy the clamp pieces and pipe separately.
Lon



buy one online

 

Yep, I was the one that used a pipe clamp to pull my frame together to put my TDS Wonderbar in (AWESOME part, by the way Lon, the car is SO much tighter and quieter now!!!!!) It worked great for me, and my frame was about 1/2-3/4" off like yours is. I believe the reason for mine being off is because of the typical stress crack near the steering box. When I was putting the wonderbar in I noticed some weld there, and I think it had been repaired at one point and the repair failed, because I started hearing a lound snapping noise from my front end every time I turned the wheel at low speeds. I don't hear this noise since I put the wonderbar in and my front end alignment (which was just done at the end of this past summer) is off now. The wheel is about 1/8 of a turn to the left to keep the car going straight now and it was spot on straight before. In any case you should be able to get the wonderbar on, and while you're at it check around your steering box for cracks. I plan on taking my car over to the shop where I got it aligned and have them weld the crack in the frame and re-align my car, then everything should be all set. Good luck with yours, let us know how it turns out!!

-Paul

 

holy crap I need one of those ASAP! haha I think I'll grab one sometime really soon. Sounds like fun!

 

Weld the Pipe clamp to the frame and you'll have yerself a really CHEAP adjustable wonderbar!



Lon

 

Lonsal: You are running out of business if you give tips like that to your customers

 

hmmm, throw that sucker vertical, and you have a spring jack...