2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Rear sway bar link help

[RHulette]

My 99 2wd Quadcab needed new rear sway bar links and bushings, so this past weekend I found the time to do it.



No problems until I got to the driver side link. The upper bolt that attaches the link is right up next to the fuel tank and the bolt head is right next to the tank, so there's no possibility of pulling the bolt out without dropping the fuel tank.



The only other option I could see would be to take out the 2 bolts that hold the link mount to the frame. I can get a closed-end wrench on the nut side, but I'm not sure I can get to the bolt-heads

on the frame side.



Has anyone sucessfully done this or do I just suck it up and drop the tank?



Thanks!

Randy

 

[LHastings]

I just did that last weekend. My Problem was that the abs cable and emergency brake cable went on both sides of the link and clamped together. Which was causing the link arm to rub a holes in my brake cable and abs cable, this is how it came from the factory. I disconnected the bolt and push it back up against the fuel tank as much possible. I then used a wrench and loosen the frame bolts 1/8 turn at a time. The nuts are connected to the frame so you don't have to weary about them. After I got the frame bolts loose I turned the link arm just enough to spread the frame mount so I could get socket on the bolts to take the bracket off. When I went to put it back together I ran the bolt from the other direction.