don,

I saw how dropping the clip could have really helped with access. but I was not prepared to do that...

the links have been on for a week now. so there is no "returning" them... did some spirited driving on a few back roads (as much as one can do in the burbs of our nations capital) and no interference or binding or rubbing. or evidence thereof when it was up on the rack.

at least the annoying clunks are gone... My hearing was slowing going away as I had to keep turning the radio up louder...

After a week or 2 check that the links are not bumping into the control arms. My 12" links did, but I changed the bushings and the control arms after, so it could have been any of those factors. The metal of the control arms is softer than the links. Sorry I am being off-topic.

Always a good idea after doing anything to check it all out aft it has a chance to "settle in".

I was pretty OCD when it came to my impala checking stuff before a track day...

saw the same control arm/sway bar interference deal but see that they only came close to one another at full wheel droop. did see some indent on the control arm from the sway bar but, anyway..after replacing the links and sway bar mounts(with urethane) no more clunks

http://www.bigmotors.by/forum/viewto...5c7f15a0c8cbd8 see foto )

What I really meant was; the Sway Bar hits the Control Arms because of the 12" Links. Don't know if it's a problem or not. The gouges seemed pretty significant after 20K miles. My car is a pretty good laboratory since I do 1500 miles a week.

I just replaced these sway bar bushings today. After reading several different topics on here about how hard it is to pull the 15mm nut off of the 10mm head bolt, I found it is very easy to pry down on the loosened nut against the body, and it pops the 10mm bolt down and the nut comes right off. It took me about 40 minutes to do both bushings, and that includes driving into the garage, jacking it up, and then letting it down afterwards.

Piece of cake.

The 10mm headed bolt is held in place with a washer that won't let it come down, and that is what makes it hard to get the 15mm nut off.


I changed clothes and took it for a test drive. Quiet as can be now. When we test drove it, I thought it was strut mounts. Looked on here for common problems and saw end links. I checked those, and they are GM non greasable, but with 65000 on it, they had to have been replaced. Wiggled the sway bar by the passenger bushing, and found the clunk.

there is an easier way.
Stabilizer inconveniently located, steel subframe prevents work with stabilizer bushings.
I just weaken the subframe bolts, sub-frame is lowered and allows access to the stabilizer bushings.
At the end of the work I tighten the bolts and sub-frame returns to its original state. This procedure does not affect the location of the wheels.

Unfortunately, I have to do these steps frequently. GM stabilizer bushings - just rubbish, very weak. After a while I'll put the stabilizer bushing of Camry. Next - A detailed report on the results of the experiment.

loweredd~ Would you please elaborate a little more on this procedure. I suspect you loosened the top nut so it cleared the stud a MM or so and then pried down on the nut? When you removed the nut, did the bolt fall out of the frame? It looks like a bear to put back in if it does. Did you remove the end links 1st? I have the end links ordered and plan on picking up the replacement bushings at teh dealer so I can do the entire job at one time.

Appreciate the clarification.

I left the end links on. They were GM style, and tight, and I didn't want to bother with trying to loosen them, so I left them on.

I read quite a bit of posts that said the 15mm nut barely fit over the stud. There is a flange where the body is spot welded together, right above the rear studs. I held the nut with a 15mm wrench, and turned the 10mm head of the bolt with a deep socket and an extention on a ratchet. Once the nut was loose, I spun it up until it was flush with the top of the stud, and pryed against that body flange, against the nut, and it pushed it down enough to get the nut off with NO problem.

The reason the nut does not come out is there is a washer (?) right on top of the subframe, under the bushing clamp. It is used to keep that 10mm head bolt in place. I think the washer is actually threaded ON the bolt. I thought about taking it off, but didn't. If the bolt were to come out, I don't see why it would be a problem at all to get back in the hole.