Mod: Front Anti-Sway Bar (Front Stabilizers)

Modification Type:
Performance

Difficulty of Install/Modification:
Easy

Preparation And Install Time:
90 mins

Performing this modification is much easier when you have a partner working with you.  For the most part, you will be mostly working with a ratchet, a socket,  and a socket extension.  Actual installation time will be 90 mins.  I can go more into detail over its usage and purpose...but you can google that.  So keep reading.

Because I decided to paint over the original color of the bars from blue to grey/gunmetal, some preparation was done.  I lightly sanded down the paint.  Whiteline stabilizers didn't have a good paint finish...so being the dork I am...I refinished it.  Here are some of the pics below.

After lightly sanding and applying primer...

After applying actual gunmetal coat (partial angle)...

More gunmetal coat at a complete angle (the other bar below is the rear stabilizers/anti-sway with its own original color)

After drying the bar, I went right in to install it.  After raising the front  of the car using jacks on both sides I removed both wheels on both sides and began working on the end links as shown below...

Note: Do not remove anything else that is attached to your stock stabilizers without removing the end links unless you're willing to go through a great deal of pain.  The stabilizers are pretty heavy.  This is where having a partner helps a great deal.  By looking at the pic above...you notice that the bar is already free from the end link.  Do the same thing to the other side and then we will be ready to disengage the bar from the underside of the car.  Looking at the picture below, you should see two brackets/bushings that hold up the bar.

When disengaging the bushings/brackets, be careful of the bar banging right into your forehead.  When you finally get them off, they should be hanging or balancing like a teeter-totter on your exhaust flexpipe as shown below.

From this point, you will have to disengage the flexpipe from the from bottom.  You might have to look carefully to find it since it's usually covered with ash and grime.

From this point use this tool....

...So that you can reach those bolts that keep the flexpipe on (Shown below)

When you finally get the bolts off, get the other bolts off the other end of the exhaust pipe so that the bar is no longer trapped (i.e. see pic below)

You should be able to pull and carefully push down the flexpipe so that the stock stabilizer bars can snake their way out.  After this point, you're basically halfway.  Below is picture of the old vs. the new.  You probably can't see the difference in thickness and diameter but there's definitely a difference in weight.

Now that we have the Whitelines ready, we grease the bar and put on the bushings (the neat yellow rubber things).

Put the new bar over the flexpipe/exhaust and bolt all the piping back to its original state.  If you forgot how, see the pictures above.
From this point get the brackets and mount them into their spots (see below)...

Here is the driver side...

Here is the passenger side...

It is really important that the bar is well greased and that the brackets don't hold the bar and the bushing too tightly.  It should support the bar.  Not grip it.  An even amount of energy needs to transfer between the two struts and springs if one side of the car hits a bump or if the car leans on a turn (hence the anti-sway).  Anyway, we're almost there.  Go the sides of the car and bolt the endlinks on the bar.

You'll notice that you will have very little thread left over from the endlink.  From this point you can either lightly dremel/resurface the bar's ends to make it less thick.  Or continue.  I've had it this way for awhile...and it's relatively safe even in racing conditions.

Do the same thing on the other side...and you're pretty much done!  I recommend that you give the car a test drive around some places and try to get the car to lean in realistic conditions.  After that just enjoy your more stabilized car!

-End Of Article-