Is this a simple process? unbolt old one, rebolt new one?

Is there any hub travel involved at all, i.e. does the rear need to in the air?

A friend warned me that it may be hell "breaking the bolts" on a swaybar? Has anyone had that experience?

Thanks.

Yes, very simple. On an stock height car, you can do it even without jacking up the car. All you need is a 12mm socket/ratchet with an extension and 2 14mm wrenches. You first take the loopidy loop things with a 12mm socket, then take the bar of the end links with a 14mm wrenches. Then wiggle it around and pull it out. When you install a new one, make sure not to cross thread the 12mm loopidy loop bolts. If you need to, you can remove a single 12mm nut and move the charcole canister out of the way. Whole job should take you about 30min or so.

- Alex

Thanks for the response!

took me 20 min to sway it and the end links out.
Best upgrade for the money, hands down.

No jack at all huh?

Sweet. Chris you hear that?

~v6

my friend and I put a new sway bar on his wagon, first we tried jacking it up... the wheels hang down putting pressure on the sway bar making it immobile...

Originally posted by V6turboTA
No jack at all huh?

Sweet. Chris you hear that?

~v6

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~v6

Easiest way to do it is drive the car up on ramps.

Somehow I had a big headache changing the rear sway bar.
The clamp over the bushing didn't align well.
I guess it's only my case.

screwing back the passengerside rear mounting braket back onto the car wasa REAL(!) pita.

Originally posted by go go go
Somehow I had a big headache changing the rear sway bar.
The clamp over the bushing didn't align well.
I guess it's only my case.

Did you upgrade the endlinks as well, or only the swaybar?

Just the sway bar. The bushing had resistance and the bar didn't slide into the place well.
If I had somebody helping me push the bar in while I was threading, it could have been much easier.

You won't need to jack up and you won't need power tool, either.
You'll need 2 wrench (or socket) though.

gogogo- yah, that's probably the same problem i encountered...especially the passenger side. it was a biatch.

i used the factory jack to push the bar up as I tried countless
times to try to get the bolt aligned to the hole. took me a
very very very very very very long time.

I don't think you should do it on jacks. I thought when it was on jacks that it would put tension in the bar so when you took out the last bolt it would fly some where.

I also had the same problem. We used the stock bushings so it took a while to get them smashed enough.

Great mod and I love mine

Originally posted by MGXsport
I don't think you should do it on jacks. I thought when it was on jacks that it would put tension in the bar so when you took out the last bolt it would fly some where.

I also had the same problem. We used the stock bushings so it took a while to get them smashed enough.

Great mod and I love mine

Definitely to be done on ramps (suspension under tension- makes it much easier), if you happen to be on the thinner side you could probably get away w/o ramps, simply laying underneath it. If anyone is trying to source ramps, Walmart carries Rhino ramps at a very reasonable price, these ramps are bullet proof and very lowered car friendly (BTW I'm not admiting that I wasn't thin enough to do it w/o ramps :)).

big sky

Originally posted by MGXsport
I don't think you should do it on jacks. I thought when it was on jacks that it would put tension in the bar so when you took out the last bolt it would fly some where.

you are right, but I think Kenchan was using jack to lift the sway bar not the car.

I changed my bar without lifting the car, my car is low but I had enough room.

Originally posted by MGXsport

I also had the same problem. We used the stock bushings so it took a while to get them smashed enough.


K now I'm getting scared. Bushings smashed enough?

when replaced my rear sway bar all i did was drive the car over a piece of wood that's between 1 1/2 to 2 inches in thickness. that raised the car just right (for me it is, i'm 5'8" 160lb and sexy as hell). That way you don't have to buy the ramp and worry about going too far and having your car stuck on this thing. that's just my fear of ramp.
And when replacing the bolt back on, i found that it did not align right to just push it throught the hole. what i did was push the car up with my knees (i did this alone that's why) while i was on my back and it align perfectly.

yeh, i used a ramp because my car's lowered about 2inches.
i used the factory jack to push up on the bar as i worked to
get the bolt back into the friggin bracket. it was a pita.

but yah, i agree, this mod has VERY GOOD results. :D

highly recommend you get 22mm+ sway bar on the rear.

I installed mine in my driveway and my wrx is lowered on prodrive springs. Took about an hour to do but I was taking my time. There are so many links down there I was trying to figure out what each one did.

Make sure you get used to the new feel somewhere safe. I got in a minor accident after installing mine (24mm). Pretty major change for not so much $$. I have since gone to 22mm setting. lol

Also, after about a week, make sure all the bolts are still tight.

Good Luck

Did everyone upgrade endlinks as well?

Endlinks? Yup. I got whiteline endlinks and no problems thus far. If I had to do it over again, I'd go with kartboys.

How much were your endlinks? I'm wondering if I should hold off install until I have the endlinks and do it all at once.

I believe they were around $60. Was a while ago. It's not really a big deal to install each seperately. Endlinks by themselves would take maybe 15 minuetes. The hardest part of the swaybar install is getting the bar over the muffler and oriented in the correct position. When it comes to the endlinks, thats the easy part.

I've heard bad things about whiteline endlinks though. Kartboys are around $100 I think. Try their website.

The smaller your muffler is , the easier the install will be. 22mm bar is a tremendous upgrade. Kartboy endlinks complete the package.

I'm going from 13 to 17, and I have stock exhaust for the moment.

Edit: '02 OBS, I keep forgetting your ride doesn't show up in your user info anymore.

im using vivid endlinks (blue). haven't snapped... yet? hehehe.

yep, get bolder endlinks as the factory ones are known to
snap with a 22mm.

I believe the front is a bit more of a job then the rear....man sways are great additions though...for sure!

I was a pain in the ass on my 02RS. The 20mm rear bar simply didn't fit without jacking the car up

It took me less time to put my springs on than it was to put that rsb on :p