Write-Up: Stabillizer (Anti-Sway) Bar Link Upgrade

i replaced my front links/bushings with a with a heavy duty version with poly bushings and treated bolt and separator sleeve. It was a direct fit for the front. I don't intend to replace my bars. I'm very much satisfied with the STB and HD links but I was thinking about replacing my rear sway bar bushings with energy-suspension's universal poly bushings. the bushings look pretty much like the fronts. Question is do you think those bushings will fit well on the back? I haven't really looked too much at the rears yet


here's a pic of the front HD links


The true reason I replaced them is because the previous owner replaced the link on the passenger side with a standard one and the driver side was OEM which really bothered me (type A personality i guess)

turtleman, where did you get the HD links?

Like many others, my end links gave up the ghost. (or one of them did). Always looking for the upgrade, I bought some Energy Suspension end links (no listing for the Riv...) I bought the second shortest ones they had at the store, and plan on cutting the 'spacer' piece to make them the same length as the stock end links.

I'll probably replace the bolt with a slightly shorter stainless steel bolt to top it all off.

Is anybody else interested? It would be very easy to make more of them. I plan on using a mitre saw with a cutoff wheel to make sure the spacer is cut straight.

I'll post some pictures when I finish the part tomorrow...

-Derek

just ordered some, but not poly. i got heavy duty Moog links that are made of something like poly, but with grease worked in. not as strong, but only $8.50 a pair.
let me know if you can feel a difference in stiffness or sway bar function.

In my experiences the rubber does not fail, it's the bolt that rusts out. (why I'm going with a stainless bolt) Will you be able to feel a difference? Probably not at first, but when there's 40000 miles on them there will be a difference.

I'm not a big fan of the stock design... a thin bolt and what's with the plastic spacer?!

When I got this car it had a popping and I knew exactly what it was so I went and bought a MOOG replacement for the passenger side. $7! Great deal.

Anyways, I'm trying to change it and I found it was broken completely in half. I'm not real sure how it is secured in there and the bottom half wont just screw out. Any suggestions?

maybe this will help?

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/brakes-suspension-f6/write-up-front-rear-stabilizer-bar-installation-t916.htm?highlight=sway+bar

BFH (Big ____ Hammer) A crow bar may also help.

False alarm. Sawzall to the rescue!

Chicken I've had that same thread pulled up so I know how the new one goes back

Oh..your taking it out...okay...try this thread:

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LOL

Haha, excellent

It was a pretty easy job after I got the good ol sawzall out. I couldn't believe it wasn't making a worse racket being broke in half! My old 02 STS had one go bad coming back from Florida and it sounded like the wheel was gonna fall off!

had to do mine right after i baught the car its actually easy, i had to pry both ends of the link out. they were rusted in bad, i did it with a prybar and they came out after a lil elbow grease!

I installed a Moog link a few months back. Went great. The plastic sleeve that went around the bolt is now missing? I assume it cracked off? The bolt is stainless. Is this even something to concern myself with since it's so new and in great shape?

The link kit was only $7 and I only did the side that was already rusted through.

I think you do need to worry about it - that plastic sleeve is the spacer that stops the sway bar from moving down. Without it the sway bar is just hanging out... That's why most end links have metal spacer sleeves.

That is... if it's what I think it is... a pic would help.

I don't think I've ever seen a sway bar link with a plastic sleeve. How could plastic possibly hold up to the pressure exerted on it by the sway bar and control arm ?

The stock one is plastic.

No shit !!! You learn something new every day.
I wouldn't think it could last through a couple twisty's.

Yeah... well it is pretty reinforced plastic, but it's still plastic and gets brittle and fails.

I know the replacement ones that are on my car are steel. Hopefully soon they will be Addco bars with some poly bushings and stainless links.

I'll get a pic this evening. The one I got was hard plastic. No way steel would have came off.

I saw it and couldnt believe my eyes. It only had about 3k miles on it.

The stock end links have a strong plastic sleeve that seperates the sway bar and the control arm(I think that is what it connects to). You can get the same part from GM if you wanted. The bolt fails before the plastic. Both of mine rusted away until they broke. I don't know how the sleeve broke off, but I would replace it pretty soon. They are not that expensive and you need something there to keep the sway bar from bouncing around. The sway bar won't perform correctly with the spacer missing. I know when I was driving around on a broken end link the car didn't feel that stable and there was a loud clunk when you went over bumps.

As you may or may not know Energy Suspension does not list their parts by application. You have to measure your existing endlinks and find the correct p/N from those measurements.
The only measurement needed for the End Links is the length of the spacer or "sleeve".
I had not measured what was on my car so i had him bring out a set of other mfg links listed for the Riv (he only had a rear set) and the sleeves were just shy of 2". So I ordered the Energy links: P/N 9.8123 which have 2" long sleeves with 3/8" bolts, etc.
I ordered two sets of these hoping the fronts are close. If not he will put them back in stock.
The paragraph in Energy's literature states; (quote) Make sure stabilizer bar end eyelet (B) is parallel with the control arm (C). Many times they are not. You may have to use slightly longer or shorter sleeve length than the original. Measure sleeve length (A) and compare to the chart to find correct set. (end quote)
I took a gamble but this guy will let me bring them back if they are not opened. More than likely i will have time to take proper measurements by then and know what I need. I think from looking at mine recently that they are shorter than 2" which means what I get will work as all I have to do is shorten the sleeves a little.
But, I would highly recommend you measure yours according to the diagram on Energy's site. www.energysuspension.com and go to sway bar end links. If you get a chance to measure before i do and i'm way off please let me know.

I just replaced my OE plastic rear links with a pair of Moog K6690 links. I had noticed the clunk that 98Riv mentioned but could not find it... until installing a replacement exhaust. Jacked the car up and found I had a link bolt that rusted away.

The Moog link is a more or less conventional design with zinc plated metal parts except the spacer, which is chromated (that yellowish coating). It comes with two differnt size bushings. The big ones go in the control arm and the smaller ones on the anti-sway bar.

I got a look at an old GM parts fiche, which interestingly enough shows a conventional design for the link, for the 95-99 Riv, and the link with plastic spacer for the "late 99" Riv.

Could have "repaired" the stock end links with a new through bolt and maybe new lower bushings p/n 6270752. The fiche shows the top washer a P/n 25628204 but the bolt and the bottom nut are not shown as available separately from p/n 25684759, which is the link kit. I imagine that a long-enough metric grade 10 bolt size M8 would work if the spacer was still in good shape. The link kit has been superseded by p/n 25940977; I don't know if that's the same part different vendor (hence different number) or if there was a design change (maybe they started using a stainless bolt... naaah) oehq.com shows them for $16 per kit plus $7 to ship.

Albertj