How to: Stock MS3 Front Sway Install on MZ3 , with lotsa pics...

[coondogg]

How to: Stock MS3 front sway install, with lotsa pics...

Tools needed:
Breaker bar (makes things easier)
14mm wrench
12mm socket
14mm socket + deep well
17mm socket
21mm socket
5mm allen wrench/socket
Ratchet extension
Long straight screwdriver

Step #1, lower your sub frame:

1. Chock your wheels and engage parking brake.
2. Raise the front of your car and place on jack stands. The pinch welds would be the best place to put them so they wont get in the way.
3. Remove your wheels.
4. Remove the end links by using the 14mm wrench and 5mm allen wrench/socket. Use the allen to keep the end link from spinning while you are removing the nut. Repeat on the other side.

5. Slide under your car from the front all the way to the back of the sub frame. Remove the first 6 bolts that attach the sub frame to the car. There is a bracket on each side with one 21mm bolt and two 12mm bolts.

6. Remove the 17mm bolt that holds your motor mount to the engine block.
7. Use the straight screwdriver to remove the two orange exhaust hangers. By inserting the screwdriver into the one hole of the hanger you can pry them over the studs.

8. Climb back out from under the car and go back into the front wheel wells to remove the last two 17mm bolts. At this point, your sub frame will be only be held up by your struts.

Step #2 removing the sway:

1. Once your sub frame is hanging, it will want to go towards the rear of the car, the wrong way for you to remove the sway. To help keep the sub frame to the front of the car, I used my jack against the floor bracing and the sub frame. This way, I was able to keep the sub frame forward enough to gain access to the sway mounting bolts.

2. Remove the four 14mm bolts.

3. From the passenger side push the sway towards the back of the car towards the exhaust hangers. Rotate the sway bar down towards the front of the car.
4. Now wiggle it out.

Step #3, MS3 sway install:

1. Grease the bushings on the MS3 sway before installing under the car.
2. After removing the old sway, it is a cakewalk to wiggle the new MS3 sway into place.

3. Reinstall the four 14mm bolts.

Step #4, reinstall the sub frame:

1. Start by jacking it up under the middle while shaking it back and forth to line up the holes.
2. I started the two 17mm bolts in the wheel well first to help with alignment of the sub frame back into place.
3. Reinstall the four 12mm bolts that hold the brackets in place then the two 21mm bolts.
4. Wiggle the sub frame around to realign it into the same spot before you tighten all of the bolts.
5. Reinstall the 17mm bolt on your motor mount.
6. Reinstall the end links.
7. Reinstall wheels.

 

[Rotus8]

Great write-up! I wonder if this method would work for putting the aftermarket larger sways in the MS3. When I did mine I disconnected the struts and dropped the sub-frame down quite a lot and still had trouble snaking the bars in and out. Maybe your "jack the sub-frame forward" method would have made it easier.

 

[bbrich57]

Great write-up, Coon!! It makes it seem so much easier than I would've thought it was based on the horror stories I've heard.
Who woulda' thunk it coming from someone w/a dog sporting a '60's-'70's afro as his avatar? (lol2)
Are you compensating for the new front bar w/a thicker rear bar also? If not, the understeer must be incredible!!
Thanks!

 

[lowpro35]

good write up, it's actually very easy, providing you have the right tools and all. oh also, i did it without removing the front wheels....just a thought.

 

[coondogg]

Are you compensating for the new front bar w/a thicker rear bar also?

Yeah, I installed both stock MS3 sways... I did the rear sway and koni's a week before I did the fronts.

Who said that a fwd can't have oversteer?

 

[ukrkoz]

Great write up. ten times easier than factory manual, which tells you to disconnect steering gear and steering links.

Anyhow. I just them on my son's 08 MS3.

1. done on lift, it's even easier, as crossmember does not pull backward.
2. I did not have to undo the last 2 bolts completely. I opened them maybe 1/4 inch, and that was enough to slide my - VERY LARGE - hands in along with regular socket wrench.
3. Bushings on our car are different from one on his. They do not have ridges on the top and are much smaller. Unfortunately, that's what NAPA sold me - ones that are made apparently for regular non-turbo vehicle. So, here I am, with car torn on the lift, and bad bushings - and no one having them in stock. PLus, lift is a courtesy from a neighbor that has to fix his daughter car today.

So, what do we do?

Fix bushings

HOW TO FIX BUSHINGS IF YOU ARE IN A PINCH:

I, basically, made sway bar and bushings larger, so that brackets squeezed them down to functional condition.

I wrapped 2 layers of metal tape around sway bar bushing seats.

My bushings had recess for bracket. I cut strip of 1mm metal, long enough to wrap around entire bushing outside, and shaped it to the bushing. Slid bushings back on, as I could not pull sway bar our, put those metal shims onto bushings, put brackets over the shimmed brackets, and tightened everything with bolts.

THAT SWAY BAR IS IN THERE now. Knock was gone instantly. I have no doubt it's just temp fix, but I bought time to look around and find right bushings, which should be for 26mm bar, 36 width and 38 height.