sway bar links
12-26-07, 01:53 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
sway bar links
I bought a set of sway bar link installed them.
What is the best way to adjust these.
I found some info on mazdatrix.com, something about pre-load.
What is the best way to adjust these.
I found some info on mazdatrix.com, something about pre-load.
12-26-07, 02:04 PM
#2
Pre-load is simple.
All you do is either sit in the car and have your friend to the rest, or put a representative weight that equals your own and do the rest yourself.
A lift or an underground work area below your car would be the ideal.
You could do it with jacks and/or cinder blocks, but I'm not sure how.
Basically, as you load the car with your weight, the swar bay attachment points change. This causes tension on the bar, normally known as pre-load. Because the links are adjustable length, you can adjust the length and change the attachment points to compensate for the load, known as zeroing the pre-load. Optimally, you want the bar to be parallel with the ground.
Bolt the sway bar to both endlinks. You shouldn't have to use too much force to fit the endlink onto the bar, if you do, bolt the bar to the second endlink, and then slowly unbolt it. If you feel the tension, you have confirmed pre-load on the bar. Look to see which is the shorter of the two endlinks and adjust that one to the length that, when the sway bars are bolted, there is no tension on the bar.
All you do is either sit in the car and have your friend to the rest, or put a representative weight that equals your own and do the rest yourself.
A lift or an underground work area below your car would be the ideal.
You could do it with jacks and/or cinder blocks, but I'm not sure how.
Basically, as you load the car with your weight, the swar bay attachment points change. This causes tension on the bar, normally known as pre-load. Because the links are adjustable length, you can adjust the length and change the attachment points to compensate for the load, known as zeroing the pre-load. Optimally, you want the bar to be parallel with the ground.
Bolt the sway bar to both endlinks. You shouldn't have to use too much force to fit the endlink onto the bar, if you do, bolt the bar to the second endlink, and then slowly unbolt it. If you feel the tension, you have confirmed pre-load on the bar. Look to see which is the shorter of the two endlinks and adjust that one to the length that, when the sway bars are bolted, there is no tension on the bar.