We moved backward in time when we needed a new car and got an early 2000s Toyota.
Mainly was for ease of repair, due to what electronics and dealer costs are these days. But also the new vehicles all have telemetry and sell your data to advertisers and insurers.

Anyhow, good mechanically sound car and mint condition inside and out, but wear parts wear. And this rusted link popped its top.

Easy fix though.

Many online videos suggest putting cat on jack stands and using a jack under the control arm to get the new link in place.

I found you can just use the jack point and lower the car till its just close enough to connect back in, and use a 4 inch c clamp to bring the sway bar down once you have the link inserted. A very easy repair that the dealer wants $220 an hour to do.

Sway Link Stabilizer with upper washer and grommet missing

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[–] 21 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Nice! It’s a good day when suspension work doesn’t turn into a whole weekend of swearing at one stuck and rusted bolt

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  • [–] [S] 9 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    😀 I have been there...with a drill and bolt extractor.

    The hardest part was taking the old nuts off, but I sprayed them the day before with WD40, so it wasn't too bad

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Might I suggest PB Blaster in the future for soak and WD40(or better yet anti seize) for reassembly?

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  • [–] [S] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

    For reassembly they have nylock inserts so I usually just leave it bare metal so as not to mess with the anti slip of the nylon.

    The original lasted 22 years, so I shouldn't need to replace them now :)

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago* (2 children)

    Unless you got genuine Toyota parts, I wouldn't bet the shop on 22 years unfortunately. And even then, sometimes the new parts are still shittier.

    Happy you got it fixed in an afternoon.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    A very easy repair that the dealer wants $220 an hour to do.

    Admittedly I'd be paying that to know what the problem is and how to fix it.

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  • [–] [S] 9 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    I mean thats totally valid.

    This was an easy one to diagnose. We hit a pot hole and then heard clunking right after, especially when turning one direction and not the orher. (As the body rolls and sway bar wants to hit axle) No noise when driving a steady rate and straight.

    So a quick visual inspection showed the problem. And I'm glad it was that and not a CV joint acting up :)

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago*

    Well, had one go in an almost brand new to me car over a set of tracks in the dead of winter as a naive kid and didn’t figure it out for quite a while. 😛

    Even went autocrossing with it like that and couldn’t figure out why the hell I was sliding into every corner. Was probably losing about 3 seconds over each run it was so bad.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago* (1 child)

    I took off the valve cover of an old Toyota the other day while chasing down a slow oil leak. All I found was a bunch of loose bolts ruining engine compression (the search for the leak continues).

    I've never fixed a sway bar, so I guess I'll have to locate it and check in on it now. Thanks!

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Nicely done.

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