I'm swapping the rear springs on my camaro, and managed to strip the panhard bar nut, I think I was using the wrong size socket...is it 3/4 or one size down? Didn't realize my next lowest socket wasn't deep enough to get down the bolt far enough so assumed it was the 3/4, especially since it seemed to fit fine.....
Also since its stripped and idk offhand where my special sockets are for that, or if I have english ones or just metric...would like to know if they make deepwells for them, since I suspect the ones I have aren't deep enough...

Also is it possible to disconnect the panhard bar from pass side of car instead of drivers? to change the springs the manual says to disconnect driver side and loosen passenger, but im wondering if I can do it the other way around since I stripped that nut..

 

you dont have to remove the panhard to change springs. unbolting the shocks and sway bar endlinks will help. Maybe remove the bolt in the body that holds the brake line bracket to the body, where the flex lines attaches, get a little move slack in the line.

should be able to get the springs out without a spring compressor. Just drop the rear as far as you can, they may just fall out

 

They're quite literally broke, or at least the left side one is, but I really don't have to remove the panhard bar? I was actually kind of wondering if I could while staring at the whole setup to learn how exactly the suspension works.
And aren't swaybars a front suspension thing?

Edit: you were right about the panhard bar, and I surmised from your mention of unbolting the shocks making it easier that I might get away without unbolting those as well, got one side down, just need an 18mm socket to get my other wheel off....PO mix'n matched lug nuts....and somebody pillaged half my main toolset...only have 16, 17, and 19mm sockets left for metric -_-

Thanks for the info btw.

 

not all 3rd gens had rear sway bars, should be pretty obvious if you have one or not. they are a great addition to the car if you dont have one.

i dont think the rear will drop enough to get the springs out without unbolting the bottom shock mount.

 

Unbolting the lower shocks bolts and lowering the rear (keep an eye on the brake line) will provide enough room to yank the springs.

Fitting a rear sway bar is straightforward. Hit the bone yards. That said, most front and rear are matched sets.

JamesC

 

Already changed the springs out, its doable without removing anything....albeit it takes a lot of elbow grease and colorfull language. That being said I do have a couple other suspension related questions from those of you in this thread...

Where does a sway bar attach, what exactly does it help with, and does anyone have a picture of one installed?
And while doing the springs I noticed one of my shocks has a hole rusted through the outer shell, wondering if that would compromise it functioning or not(the piece that actually moves looked fine), deff going to replace it, but if its not absolutely essential I want to address other problems first, additionally, if it is bad I should still be able to drive the car, would just be incredibly bouncy correct? My understanding is that the springs actually support the weight and take the bumps up, and the shocks are to keep the springs from turning your car into a pogo stick on wheels?

 

Here are a couple of pics of how the sway bar (which helps with sway or roll) mounts. Personally, I'd replace the shocks before I addressed the sway bar.

JamesC

 

Of course, I'm replacing bad parts before I do anything performance wise, except when I can make the two coincide that is. Now that I have the new springs in(one had snapped in half while sitting there) my next priority is the engine swap, exhaust system, and windshield, then she'll be driveable and I can have somebody else take care of the underbody coating and rust problem areas, after which my first performance priority is beefing up the chassis so I don't break anything with the beefed up 3.4 I'm dropping in.

 

That's a damn nice clean car, hoping to get mine looking like that some day,lol...