I hate fasteners...

[Plays_with_Toys]

Finally got my "outback" rear sway bar, so despite it being only 20* and dark outside, I park the car on the driveway and get wrenching. Stock bar comes out with no problems. then I go to put the legacy SS sway bar in. I was worried because it was shaped a little different than every other bar I've seen for an outback. But it goes in fine, everything lines up. The only problem? Where it bolts to the end links it is thicker. Alot thicker. So the stock bolts don't fit all the way through. No problem, a trip to the hardware store and I'm back under the car. One side goes in great. Then I try the other side. But the stock bolt won't come out... WTF? So I pull the end link out. The bolt that holds the sway bar is fused to the endlink from everything I can tell. So I sprayed it liberally with liquid wrench, and tried a few hours later to get it out. Still no dice. I've tried hammering it out, I tried various vice clamp tricks. I even tried clamping it in, then backing a nut off so the nut pushing on the bolt. Everything hasn't worked.

Right now I've got the thing sitting in warm water, in the hopes that maybe some water and snow got in there and then froze. Otherwise I'm out of options.

I can't imagine it's a good idea to drive with no rear sway bar. I'm wondering if I push th bolt into where the sway bar connects on that side if I'll be ok to drive to work (1.7 miles away on a straight road). I should be, but then I'll have to take the SS bar, and put my stock one back on tomorrow night after work (oh joy!)

:roll: :roll: :roll: :evil:

[AussieDan]

If it's that stuck then it's time to sacrifice the bolt. Just drill it out.

That said, I'd drive with no swaybar vs a cobbled together setup. Your handling will be strange, but at least it's not likely to do something weird if you have the swaybar loaded and it pops loose.

[OutbackGT]

Ah, that sucks. Buy new endlinks?

[Plays_with_Toys]

if at first you don't succeed hit harder.

I realized that the bolt was siezed to the split lock washer, and to the larger washer below that. So I decided to see if I could split them up. I put it in the vice with the jaws spread a little wider than the head of the bolt so the washer was resting on the jaws then hammered with all my might. Took quite a bit since my rubber mallet isn't that heavy, but dang it, it started moving. I hammered it till it was flush with the end link but it still wouldn't budge. So I took some hardware that was smaller than the hole, and clamped it up in a vice and pushed it another .25" of an inch and then pulled it out with my hand. HAZAHH!

So tomorrow morning before work, I'll pop under the car and tighten everything up. That bolt was so incredibly corroded. Which is odd because all the other ones were fine. anyway, I'll bolt it up for now, and when I get some warmer weather I'll loosen them back up and spray them with WD-40.

EDIT: BTW, drilling out the bolt would have been nuts. These bolts are grade 9 bolts.

[AussieDan]

nice work, it's all about applying the proper persuasion!

It does sound like you need to invest in a proper hammer, a 3 or 4lb mini sledge is invaluable for dealing with uncooperative parts. A rubber mallet just can't deliver the shock to break that stuff loose.

[Wiscon_Mark]

+1 on the sledge

Percussive matinence FTW!

[JPaul99GT]

the techs at work always use their lead hammers, seems to get the job done.