Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Sway bar link

[jheath]

Is the only place to get the front sway bar link at a dealership? they want $60 apiece at the local dealership and both of mine are wore slap out. Is there a Lukes Link for this?

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Sadly I think its the stealers... energy suspension and the others I tried have the clamp saddles, not the link. If you have the courage or wisdom to convert somehow to a straight link instead of ball-stud I think the sky's the limit.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Saw these advertised in the new issue of the TDR..

Leveling kit, Lift Kit, Suspension,MAXX, Leveling Kits,Helper Springs for Chevy, Z71, Dodge, Ram, Ford, F150, Toyota, Truck, 4x4





They make these for lifted, leveled & stock height trucks. Maybe this could be the a fix the the cock-eyed & crooked endlinks on the OE front swaybar. No info on the web yet. I emailed them for more info.

 

[McLaughlin]

Carli Suspension or Defiant Suspension used to have them.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Hoping the MaXX Links will correct the awkward angle the sway bar endlinks sit at. Leveling springs & ½" forward upper & lower control arms made little difference. I'm surprised the frame endlink mounts have not busted yet. The polyurethane bushing are almost flat. The pressure on them must be very high. The bushing underneath is worse.

 

[QWaller]

Mine are bad too. Not to sound too stupid, but what will replacing them help?
Will it ride any better?

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Mine are bad too. Not to sound too stupid, but what will replacing them help?

Will it ride any better?

I am pretty sure your sway bar has the upgraded design vs. the '94. Does it look like my pic? Or are your endlinks more vertical? See pic.



If your rubber(probably) bushing are shot, the polyurethane bushings should "tighten" up your handling. Noticeably? Maybe.



Anyways, I ordered a pair from the link below. Salesman said the stock & leveled (2") are the same. He said they have adjustment built into them.



I sort of have my doubts they will correct the lousy geometry in the '94 bar, but it's worth a try. EDIT: if they are shorter than the OEM, this may help.

$69. 95 + shipping. Lifetime Warranty.



I'll take pics when I install them.



Got them form here:



http://www.stempf.com/pdf/stempf_707_catalog.pdf

 

[AFellows]

Is the only place to get the front sway bar link at a dealership? they want $60 apiece at the local dealership and both of mine are wore slap out.

Try Rock Auto they have a few different options that are less than $60. Use TURBODIESEL for the discount code

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Try Rock Auto they have a few different options that are less than $60. Use TURBODIESEL for the discount code

I didn't see anything at Rock Auto but the OE JUNK for the older style sway bar.

 

[Glen Pratt]

For that kind of money you could order these:
SDHQ Offroad the premier Off Road Shop for all your Carli, Carli Suspension, Performance Suspension - 'Cuz Stock Sucks! . 4th item down. I purchased Moogs for my truck a few years ago and remember them being expensive.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

For that kind of money you could order these:

SDHQ Offroad the premier Off Road Shop for all your Carli, Carli Suspension, Performance Suspension - 'Cuz Stock Sucks! . 4th item down. I purchased Moogs for my truck a few years ago and remember them being expensive.

I'd buy them in a minute Glen, But I have a '94. Won't work.

 

[Hammer]

Bill...

EGADS!!!!...

What is all that funny looking discolored metal under there and dirt???... LOL.



I have both of my rear sway bar end links bent for some reason. I am thinking that it happened in the pre-traction bar era on my truck when it was rolling the springs so bad it took the spring clamps out. So I have been looking at the end links myself for repacement and the sway bar bushings also. Thanks for the link oh brother of Hemi's... ..... Andy

 

[MAllen]

by the way, what does the sway bar do? May sound like a stupid questions but I never understood it.



thanks

 

[HEMI®Dart]

by the way, what does the sway bar do? May sound like a stupid questions but I never understood it.



thanks

It tightens up the handling on the truck. They help stop the truck from leaning during turns.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Update in the Maxx Links....

Bill...

EGADS!!!!...

What is all that funny looking discolored metal under there and dirt???... LOL.

Hammer,



Rust. I painted the entire front suspension (and the axle sway bar mounts) 5 years ago w/ POR-15. Followed the directions to the letter. Eched it ect. 90%off it flaked off in 2 years. Eastwoods Rust Encapsulator was not out yet. It's a way better product the POR-15.



I got the Maxx links. It appears I have the very early model sway bars that does not have a taper on the sway bar. Called Larry @ Suspension MaXX. I was on the blower w/ him for an hour. also sent 20+ pictures to his email address. He's making a new pair straight pair of link eyelets (as I write this) going to add different length bolts & spacers, & shims to move the eyelet in or out. When the new kit gets here it will have a pre-paid return sticker in it to send the first kit back.



Now that's Top Notch customer service!



I attached a few pics. Note the orietation of the link retaining bolt vs the hole in the sway bay. See what a nightmare this thing is to try to get the endlinks near vertical.



PS If anybody has an early sway bar set-up like I have, I'll ask Larry to make up more kits to correct the horrible angle.



Note the concave design on the lower link eyelet.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I am giving it my best shot to fix this...

This is the bar back from the machine shop. I am going to try the MaXX links today to see how everything lines up.

 

[torquechop]

I upgraded my '01 4x4 to the maxx links and think they are great. I noticed a good difference in daily driving and think they are worth the money, plus the staff was real niceand helpful.

 

[TSPowell]

This is the bar back from the machine shop. I am going to try the MaXX links today to see how everything lines up.

Did this fix work. I just attempted to replace the links on my truck and have been fighting it for almost 2 days now. I install the links to the axle brackets first so the would compress the bushings in a vertical line. This made aligning the links and bar IMPOSSIBLE. I tried loosening the bar at the frame to give me some play but that didn't work either. So I removed everything, attached the links to the bar then installed to the axle brackets. The angle is horrendous!!. I tightened the nuts and it smashed the rubber bushings at an angle that pretty much makes them ineffective. It also bend my new links because it was trying to straighten itself as i tightened the nut. It looks like the sway bar wasn't made for this truck, but everybody else seems to have the same problem so i know its the right one. I'm thinking about making new hole so the links are vertical.

Has anyone tried this with success???

 

[Hammer]

I did mine right after Bill did his.

When we did mine my truck was on the lift at East Coast Diesel having a new clutch installed so it was very easy. We used the lift to control the sway bar as we lowered the truck to the ground. Mounted the Maxx Links on the axle first then lowered the truck body down with the sway bar and tightened them up as we came down. They have been on now for a year and they still look as they did when we brought them down off the lift.



When I did mine I got the ones for the lifted suspension could it possibly be that you have them and your front suspension is stock?. It would be a good reason for the misalignment.



Here was my original thread on them... ... Andy



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ssions/196523-maxx-links-installed-today.html

 

[TSPowell]

Andy,

I see that you have the new setup, Bill has the older one like mine. I still haven't found a solution. I was wondering how Bill's turned out after modifying the sway bar. If you have any pictures or results let us know Bill.