just tried installing a front tanabe sway bars for my 1996 accord, end links line up just fine but the two bushings in the middle are a half an inch off. what to do what to do???

 

Aren't you supposed to drill in new ones?

 

ive never heard of that, pretty sure tanabe says that all will fit into pre existing holes, if i drilled in new ones anyways the one side of the clamp wouldnt have anything to drill into.

 

Ah, apparently not an issue for the Tanabe

"Bolt On, Stock Mounting
The Sustec Stabilizer bolts onto stock mounting locations and uses the factory endlinks and fitment for trouble free useage. Many other swaybars need special hardware that can change mounting location, and can interfere with fitment and clearance with other components on the vehicle, such as the exhaust, or suspension arms if the vehicle is aggressively lowered."

Dunno what to tell you but make it work?

 

yeah i hear ya, ive thought of some ways to make it work, i wonder if the fact my car has been lowered at all has anything at all to effect that, i would like to see the car lowered how it aligns up.

 

By off by "half an inch" do you mean it's an inch too high or low? Or it's an inch over or something?

If it's high/low I might suggest mounting that part first THEN bending/forcing it to bolt in the ends.

 

Its an inch to far pushed back towards the rear of the car. I dont know if the fact the suspension being lowered and being up in the air would affect that, i dont think it would but im not too sure, i guess the only way to find out is build a ramp out of wood, drive it up and see if it happens to line up, unless you have any other sugestions

 

AHHHH gotca, so it's a front/back wrong problem.

Is the bar connected the right way? What happens if you spin it around (I'm kinda suggesting blindly, I haven't messed with sways yet)

 

Put in the endlink bolts loosely, then pull on the bar to get the bushing bolts to line up. Finally, tighten everything up.

 

yeah i have that diagram already but theres only one way to install them. does anyone know if the fact the suspension has been lowered, or the fact its in the air would affect the alignment up

 

Yes, it will make a difference. Which way, I don't know. I still say, with everything loose, pull on it until it lines up.

 

yeah i already tried that, it still doesnt line up right, you can get the bolts all together but the way the end links fit together doesnt look safe or like they will hold. im going to build a ramp and drive it up and see if that changes the alignment

 

and the bar is way to beefy and strong to just bend

 

hmmm ill let you know once i attempt to put mine on this weekend

 

what brand are you installing?

 

ok so heres the thing after watching the bushings and the alignment of the bolt while i slowly raised the car up and down, it does at one point line up with the pre drilled bolts, question is with that kind of weight on the suspension you cant push it up to bolt it in any suggestions. Other then getting a longer bolt and trying to bring it closer and undoing my springs i dont see anyway. any help?

 

so are you saying that with the cars weight on the suspension it looks like it all lines up better? If so, just get on some ramps and assemble it that way. you should have the cars full weight on the suspension before you torque any bolt/nut that is on a rubber bushing in the suspension anyway.

I recall having a little trouble getting a new stock sway bar in on my 95 EX. I don't exactly recall what it was exactly because that was about 5 years ago but I want to say something didn't quite line up and we had to sorta muscle it into position and then once the suspension had the cars weight on it and I torqued the endlinks there wasn't a problem.

 

You should start from the center and work your way out when doing the sway bar.. ie bolt the two center bushings into the cross member before doing the sway bar end links.

Here is a quick and easy way to line up the sway bar and end links with your tires off. After the two center bushings are bolted on. do not tighten the center bushings leave them a bit loose until you have both end links in and tight.

1. Put your car up on jack stands / hoist...I am assuming that you already have your car up & supported.
2. Place your jack under the lower ball joint/LCA
3. Proceed to jack the entire hub assembly up to the hight that is required to get the sway bar end links bolted in place..... Good To Go!