Topic: Changing the sway bar

[lil goat]

First off no I didn't take any pictures, not putting my camera under there it's dirty. It is fairly simple, there are only 6 bolts, 4 15mm and 2 19mm, you will also need a T-30 Torx bit, a good one not a cheap one.

Get a T030 Torx on a small ratchet, makes it much easier and a 19 mm box end, you will see the end of the sway bar right behind the tire once the car is in the air. Spray the bolt with penetrating lube. Put the box end on the 19 mm nut, there is a Torx fitting in the top of the bolt, you will need to put the T-30 in the top of the bolt. Now while holding the ratchet with the Torx bit in one hand turn the nut with the wrench then lift the wrench get a new bite and crank some more, once it loosens a bit you will reverse this and hold the wrench and turn the ratchet, this takes for ever and you must be double jointed to do it but eventually the nut comes off. Now go do the same thing on the other side. There are 2 U clamps with bushing's in the back on the sway bar, these come out very easily with a 15 mm ratchet. OK now for the fun part, every exhaust will be different as to what you have to do to get the sway bar out, but I had to drop mine and remove all the rubber hangers. I left it all connected just dropped it on my chest. Push the sway bar back until one side come loose, at this point I used a rubber mallet and the sway bar popped right out and down, it will give some it's spring steel. Now you get to put the new one up, my son helped me. You get one side in then the other, this is just trial and error, after we got one side in the other side wouldn't go because of the tie rod. I put a small jack under the tire and jacked it up and it slipped right in. We reconnected the the weird Torx bolts on the ends and I replaced the bushings with urethane ones with grease fittings, I lubed them by hand before I put them on and that's it. If you just want to upgrade to better bushings it would be sooooo easy, might take 15 minutes total. The bushings are very easy to get to and change.

On the new Z0K sway bar, it is the exact same diameter as the stock one, but weighs it seems like twice as much and the ends are much larger, you can see the difference very easily. This whole project with shipping, new urethane bushings and synthetic grease cost me about $150. I drove the car a little and went and did some slow donuts, the car stays flatter and seems to be a little lighter in the front and less oversteer, rear sway bar effects front of car and vice versa. My stock front bar is 33 mm as opposed to the 27 mm rear. I intend to upgrade the bushings very soon on the front and will most likely keep the stock bar.

[Sly Bob]

Now it's ANOTHER thing that I have to do. Good thing that I plan on keeping this car forever so I will have the time to do everything that I want to. 

I have added this thread to Joe's "index of threads"

http://kappaperformance.com/forum/index.php?topic=458.msg4541#msg4541

[snaponbob]

Okay Goat, where did you get the poly bushings?

[lil goat]

Jegs, they were under $20 and have grease fittings, they have a listing for the Solstice, just get the 27mm for the back, 33 mm for the front I think (looks bigger). Make sure and use synthetic grease, petroleum will dry out the urethane or rubber for that matter. I bought Super Lube, it's synthetic, they have it at Ace Hardware. I got it on line at Amazon but it still came from Ace Hardware, it was like $4.

[jonymac]

Can't wait!

[lil goat]

I did a morning drive with the new heavier sway bar, I can feel a difference, a big one. It is strange but it seems that power gets to the road more evenly, not at all what I expected. Road feel is increased and the front is lighter. I like it. I have a LOT of suspension mods, not sure there are many more I can do and this seemed to tie them all together. It is hard to explain what I feel but it's a very good thing easily worth the rather meager investment. I am very curious to hear what someone with a more stock suspension thinks of this mod.

[Uranium-238]

I am very curious to hear what someone with a more stock suspension thinks of this mod.

Is that a hint? 

I should have the funds available for this in another week or so, maybe I'll give it a shot.

[lil goat]

You would be a perfect test, and it's only $150 complete fairly easy to do, except for that very stupid Torx bolt thing. I just can't really explain the difference, car just feels better, a lot better certainly less body roll. I would also be curious how much just the urethane bushings would do withe the stock bar, that's only about $20 and 15 minutes.

[Uranium-238]

If I go under the car to do work, I'd rather install $150 worth of parts instead of $20, lol.

I've encountered bolts like that before. I think the clutch adjustment/bleed bolt on the Ford I used to drive was like that. No matter how you do it you really need three hands.

[snaponbob]

A stiffer rear bar and poly bushings may be handling some of the engine torques twisting load on the whole car by spreading the power more equally across the rear ...... maybe. The front is "lighter" because the car's handling is now more neutral. And a more neutral handling car is just going to feel more responsive ---  because it is.

[lil goat]

Thanks Bob, sounds about right, I just wonder about the bushings because they are so easy to change, just 4 15 mm bolts, not sure you would even have to jack up the car, be easier. But the bushings are REALLY easy. I got the energy suspension 27mm sway bar bushings, looks like the stock bar on the NA may be 24mm on the rear. The GXP front is bigger, in search of new bushings.

[Uranium-238]

These the ones?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-9-5162G/Application/?prefilter=0

[lil goat]

Those are the ones I got for the back from Jegs, the front ones are bigger 33 mm I think, Jegs has them just can't verify the size that fits our car, front bar is larger I can see that. I would also like to replace the end links with urethane bushings. I don't think the universal ones will work like the sway bar bushings do. These parts are at least cheap.

[snaponbob]

I would also like to replace the end links with urethane bushings.

HUH ?????  End links are swivels. I have hiem jointed adjustable endlinks on my big front sway bar. They are NOISY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not a problem for the moment as I have put the FE3 front bar back on (changed to heavier front springs) and the silence from the front end was a REAL surprise and quite a pleasure. Will not know if I have made a mistake until Saturday at my next event (two day Divisional), so I will take the big bar with me if Saturday is a mess. Also, I'll have my 9" OZs and will have 295s on the front and 315s on the back to try to contain the power on oversteer. If the back end is really screwed down tight with the 315's I may have a fire sale on some 295s to buy some new 315s for Nationals.

[Uranium-238]

OK, just took a quick look under my car. Anyone with the tools would be able to change out the rear bushings in a matter of minutes. Very simple fix for the squeaky sway bar problem we're always hearing about.

As for removing/installing the ZOK sway bar, that should be pretty straight forward as well. Jack up the rear end of the car, remove tires, remove sway bar, then reverse the process to install the new one. Not sure if I'll have to drop the stock exhaust yet.

[lil goat]

I didn't take the tires off, you have to drop the exhaust so you can pull the sway bar back it is actually the rubber hangers that get in the way, pull them off from the top to get them out of the way.

The rear end links have rubber bushings, I want urethane. I haven't even looked up front yet except at the bar.

[snaponbob]

The rear end links have rubber bushings, I want urethane. I haven't even looked up front yet except at the bar.

The end links are hard mounted into the ends of the sway bar and holes in the control arms. The pivot points are like tie rod ends or ball joints, just smaller. The sway bars "float" in the bushing that are secured to the chassis. There can be no poly end links on our type of set ups, either the style that comes on the car or heim joint style.

[lil goat]

That's odd GM makes this kit that includes new end links. Just no separate part number:


Off Road Stabilizer Shaft
Lowers the ride height of the vehicle for maximum handling performance. Engineered and tested by GM Performance Parts. Increased diameter front and rear stabilizer bars with bushing and end links.

[noembed]http://www.gmaccessorieszone.com/Pontiac/2008/Solstice/Off%20Road%20Stabilizer%20Shaft/?tx_gmshopb2b_pi1[type]=gm[/noembed]

[Sly Bob]

The URL above wasn't working because of the square brackets at the end.  I have added a "no embed" tag so you will have to cut and paste the URL into your browser.

[lil goat]

Not really much info there but a list of all the factory stuff with some part numbers and prices. Solstice-Sport is looking into the end links, if people want better ones they might make them.

[Ben L]

If they are doing that, they should use spherical bearings, not poly bushings.  They'll know what to do. 

I'd buy a set for front and rear, although I am very happy with the rates on my current bars with the BC coilovers.

[lil goat]

I will try 211 with the new Z0K bar soon, maybe even next weekend if I go to Carlisle for the GM Nationals, it seemed to wake up the coilovers, car is much flatter in the corners, notice the same type of change as when I put in the backbone, just less flex better feel.

[Uranium-238]

Just ordered the parts! Now I just have to wait patiently for them to show up. 

[lil goat]

Did you order a T30 Torx bit too, if you can find a T30 Torx with a 3/8 drive it will work better that the 1/4 drive one I used, you'll need one if you are doing the bar. More test data I love test data an another opinion!

[Uranium-238]

Already have one.