hey guys,

i just bought a pair of energy suspension swaybar endlinks (polyurethane) and i checked my GM service manual and it said to torque the links to 20 N*M (newton meters). the problem i have is that my torque wrench only torques as low as 33.9 N*M. does anyone know the torquing values for 3/8ths or 1/2 rachet wrenches?

-GTAman

 

i usualy don't torque, i just tighten until the bushing diamater is the same as the endlink washers.

 

ok another question: are the sleeves for the new end links supposed to be the same length as the old links? when i was putting them in today there was no room to put the top middle bushing in so i cut some of it off so it would. is this ok or am i going to have to buy new links?

-GTAman

 

Cutting the sleeve is bad. You will need a new sleeve thats the correct length. You had your suspension slightly preloaded on the side that would not fit. Typically if you lift the car on the rear subs where the LCA's bolt you will lift the car and not the rear end. Once the car is up and the pressure is off the rear then you can use a floor jack to raise/lower the rear end to the correct hieght to install the endlinks.

EDIT: I assumed it was the rear end links not the front sway bar end links. If its the front the same principal about preload on suspension applies.

 

I do the same thing. You don't want to go to loose but you do not want to but the bushings in a bind. Matching diameters is a safe way to go.

 

On my Energy Suspension end links it appeared that the nut bottomed out on the threads when the bushings seemed to be at the proper compression.

phil

 

razor
the way i get access to the under side of my car is i use those ramps they sell at like AZs and strausses so it's not like the front wheels aren't loaded. but reguardless, if this is the case you say, how do i stuff those middle bushings (meaning the bushings that are in between the brackets) in with that long spacer?

phil,
it runs out of thread at proper diameter? the directions say to tighten so they slightely buldge. did this happen when you tightened it all the way down to the unthreaded part?

-GTAman

 

If it is the front sway bar you have to be able to drop the front tires while still raising the car. This will open up the space where the sleeve on the end link goes. If you are having trouble, drive your car on the ramps, but when its up there, jack up on the front sub on the same side you are installing. This will lower end of the stabilizer bar away from the car and allow you enough room to install your end links. Once you have one side installed just move to the other side and repeat the process. You will not have to lift the car high enough to take the front tire away from the ramp, but just enough to take the weight off the suspension. Hope this helps.

 

so what you're saying is that i have to unload the weight from the front suspension to install them, right?

-GTAman

 

Yea GTAman,

it seemed that they were buldge properly when they ran out of threads.


phil

 

GTA you don't have to totally unload the suspension but you will have to remove some of the load to get enough space between your endlink and the mount. Its very easy to do, just grab another endlink kit and go nuts Your new endlink will be nice to change seeing as the threads and sleeve aren't corroded. I doubt it will take much more than 15 minutes to complete.

 

now that i'm thinking about it, i think they gave me the wrong length. i was looking through my JEGS part book and they sell the ES links there and it says to measure the original sleeve for correct length. when i had the original link out of the car i compared it to the ES sleeve and it was a bit longer and that's why i cut it. or is the ES sleeve supposed to be longer?