Front sway bar link - mounting points on Control Arm question
 

Hey All,

I am in the process of reinstalling my front suspension and I have hit an issue with the Super Now sway bar links

One side installed fine, the other wont fit. Turns out the issue is that the super now links are approx 1-2mm wider than stock. So where the link bolts to the lower control arm it needs a little more room. One side had it, the other does not.

I have four lower control arms here, and the width varies from 36mm up to 38mm. It seems that the width depends on how far the hardened sleeve on the rear side is pressed in (left side of the attached photo).

So my questions are:

1) Has anyone else noticed this varying width? Is it a model year thing or just a tolerance?
2) Can I get a shop to press the sleeve in a fraction more, or should I just grind it down?
3) Am i missing something obvious/should I be worried about this gapping issue?

Thanks, Tom

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...035fa856f4.jpg

Sway Bar Link Gap

The steel sleeves in the aluminum control arm are, by design, able to move in and out. You will need to press the sleeve out a bit (not all the way out) to get the new part in there.

When you install, the sleeve presses in as you tighten the bolt to make a snug fit without any slop.

Typically with a socket and a bolt/nut you can push the sleeve out enough so it has enough room to drop in. This also holds true when using stock parts, this isn't a fault of the aftermarket part.

Dale

Thank you, that makes sense!

I will try nut/bolt to pull it a little further out and hopefully avoid a trip to a shop.

Dale - One more question if you are still there:

The ball joint pin for the UCA - when I slide it into the hole on the steering knuckle it seems to be obstructing me from sliding in the bolt that holds it in place........if I look through the bolt hole i can see the side of the pin ever so slightly obstructing the hole. Is there a trick I am missing?

Thanks!


EDIT - I see the issue, the pin is not far enough in yet to align the notch with the bolt hole. Looks like i need to use a little pressure with a puller or something.....

Cool, that sounds right.

Most every time I do suspension work I have to rig up something to push that sleeve back. It should be pretty easy to move back but it will require a bolt/nut/socket type setup. You can't push it by hand or get it moving with a hammer or something.

FYI the alternator has a similar setup, the nut in the back presses against a sliding sleeve.

Dale