MVS Forums moderator Abscate tells what led him to know it was the sway bar end links: “…creaking, groaning, crack on loading the front end. I would occasionally get a crack so loud that heads would turn.”
So what’d he do? He got to work! His documented repair here is a compliment to the other couple end link repairs in the VRD, and his photos and steps are clear & clean.
abscate »
Thread to document the replacement of the sway bar links
Symptoms
– creaking, groaning, crack on loading the front end. I would occasionally get a crack so loud that heads would turn.
Block, jack and stand,
Front wheels off.
You can probably do this with the wheels on, but I already had to
Tools I used
- 14, 15 mm wrench, sockets, handle
- *** Note my stock link nuts were 14mm hex, the replacement (VOLVO OEM) were 15mm hex
- T30 Torx bit for holding the link ball thread while tightening. Good luck loosening with this – its probably toasted
- Hammer, chisel for bad nut.
- Cutoff grinder with air compressor for bad nut
- Needle nose vise grip
- Fat Vice grip
- Wire brush
- PB Blaster
- Dental pick for cleaning out Torx 30 hole
- Electrical tape – I wrapped the nuts to try and keep them from corroding.
Here is the job
The vertical rod with two ball joints links the sway bar to the strut. The ball joint has a 14 or 15mm nut and an internal TORX 30 screw so you can hold it while unscrewing the nut. All of my Torx stripped out, so I ground one off, and used vice grips on the other three, shown later.
I had to cut the top left link nut with a grinder and finally got it to free from the strut, but it was still frozen on the link ball shaft. I got a needle nose vice grip on the ball area, and then turned the damaged nut off with a fat vice grip.
1999 V70 T5 Sway bar Link Replacement with Pix
