Cant get the Rear Sway bar off!

[MP3Night]

So I just got my AXR Clunk kit in today and tried taking of the sway bar so I could slide on the greasable bushings but the bolts on the end-links connecting the sway bay would not come off. is there a way of taking them off without killing my self...could I use a breaker bar? Should I have left the tires on?

 

[Keno1542]

those seize up pretty easily...you could try hitting the bolts with a penetrating lube and let it sit over over night and try it out tomorrow...or try heat

 

[MP3Night]

those seize up pretty easily...you could try hitting the bolts with a penetrating lube and let it sit over over night and try it out tomorrow...or try heat

What you mean try heat?...Like heat the bolts up? there's rubber on the back

 

[Keno1542]

try the penetrating lube first...heat is a last resort...i would try heat right before resorting to cutting them off, in which case you will need replacements...but if i remember correctly, you dont need to take the end links off to get the bushings on, there should be a slit in the bushing to push them over the bar

edit: now that i think about it, you for sure do NOT have to take off the end links, the bushings will spread apart at the cut and slide over the bar

 

[martispeed]

Just to add to what Keno said... you might have the problem where the nuts inside the subframe breaking loose from the subframe itself when you wrench on them. Mazda did some bad tack welding in there and they dont hold well at all!!!

 

[MP3Night]

try the penetrating lube first...heat is a last resort...i would try heat right before resorting to cutting them off, in which case you will need replacements...but if i remember correctly, you dont need to take the end links off to get the bushings on, there should be a slit in the bushing to push them over the bar

edit: now that i think about it, you for sure do NOT have to take off the end links, the bushings will spread apart at the cut and slide over the bar

Okay I just found the slit in them!! Dude thank you. Here is a pic: ( dosent even look like it has a cut in it)

Just to add to what Keno said... you might have the problem where the nuts inside the subframe breaking loose from the sub-frame itself when you wrench on them. Mazda did some bad tack welding in there and they don't hold well at all!!!

I haven't tried unscrewing from the sub frame to mount the brackets yet

 

[KrayzieFox]

The stock endlinks are a b****, but I managed to take mine off last week when installing the AXR kit off the P5. What I did was find an allen wrench that fits inside the endlink perfectly, and use a gear wrench on the nut. The allen wrench would always have something to get stuck on, so it would keep the center bolt from spinning.

But as mentioned you don't really need to take off the swaybar to install the AXR bushings. It would be a lot easier, but it's doable without taking it off.

 

[MP3Night]

Just letting y'all know, I got the AXR Kit on and it works great. I went out and bought a grease gun So now greasing them is sooo easy

 

[MP3Night]

Should I have the collar clamps spaced a little from the bushings or Right next to the bushings?

 

[Mustang Matt]

I recently asked AXR that question and the answer was that they should be right up against the bushing.

I had to destroy the end links to get them off. If you use a torch you will destroy them as they have a greasable bearing in the ends.

I replaced them with aftermarket ones that have a nut and bolt. The front ones have a small clunk though.