The lower nuts on the old links were giving me some trouble. They wouldn't budge and I noticed that part of the problem was the flex in the sway bar was robbing me of precious torque. I wedged a socket in between the bushing and the control arm to keep things still and the nut came right off when I cranked on it again. I just happened to use a socket since it was there in the heat of battle, but any solid inanimate object the right size would do. Relief set in!
The sway bar links that I bought were a cheaper aftermarket set that left a little to be desired in the quality department. I guess my judgement was clouded by the sweet price!
They seemed stout enough but I noticed that they lacked the flat spots on the head of the bushing that fit a wrench. This helps keep the bushing from spinning when the nut is being tightened and more importantly-loosened. I had to grind/file the flats onto my new links using my calipers to check the size until they fit a 5/8 wrench.After this, install was a snap and I'm glad I went through the extra headache. Now I know htat if I have to take them off again in the future, it will be a lot easier.
I hope this helps somebody! Now, I'm off to tackle my next chore-rooting out that nasty rattle in my wagon!
