Just replaced another sway bar link on my 1999 Explorer . I noticed that as I tighten the nut it never really gets locked down . Is this just due to the rubber bushings being compressed ? Should I keep on tightening ? The one I replaced last year has some play in it now but when I installed it I really cranked the nut tight.
Sway Bar Links
- Thread starter sleepery
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Do not over-tighten. You can cause the urethane to creep and relax, and rubber to get crushed and cracked over time. Just get a nice little bulge going and stop. If you need to, add a locknut or a jamb nut to make sure nothing works loose down the road (and avoid a mistake that I made once).
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Thanks for the info guys . I tried to tighten the nut on the one from last year and it was frozen . My old Jeep Commanche pickup had the links go and I never noticed anything but the Ford made clunking noises on turns and speed bumps so I looked and sure enough another one went .
Right.
They never tighten down to a 'stop'.
For sure, you don't want ANY play.
So how much to tighten them?
Rubber bushings are forgiving. Squish them 1/3 or so- maybe up to half if you want to stiffen things up.
With urethane, you should not go so far. They are hard and don't compress as easily as rubber.
With new parts, check them in a month.
They never tighten down to a 'stop'.
For sure, you don't want ANY play.
So how much to tighten them?
Rubber bushings are forgiving. Squish them 1/3 or so- maybe up to half if you want to stiffen things up.
With urethane, you should not go so far. They are hard and don't compress as easily as rubber.
With new parts, check them in a month.
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