Upside Down Front Stabilizer Bar
Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2023 12:37 pm
Oops. You ever make what turns out to be an obvious mistake. I have.
Last summer/fall, when I did a ton of work to the car, I also had the front stabilizer bar (sway bar) off the car. I cleaned it up and painted it. Pretty. When I put everything back together, I installed the stabilizer bar upside down. Didn't realize it until this morning.
I jacked up the car and realized my tie rods were hitting the stabilizer bar. In these photos the car's weight is on its wheels (sitting on ramps). When the wheels were hanging at full extension, the tie rods hit the wrongly-oriented stabilizer bar enough to bend the tie rods. The mini-level is the smallest straight edge I have - pay no mind to the bubble.
After some persuasion with the BFH and a pry bar, they're way better. I feel new tie rods are in my future. You can see "witness marks" where the blue paint is chipped on the stabilizer bar. That's where it was hitting the tie rods.
My point, it's easy to make a mistake, or to overlook something simple.
I wanted to convince myself that the stabilizer was oriented correctly prior to doing all the work last summer/fall. It was.
Last summer/fall, when I did a ton of work to the car, I also had the front stabilizer bar (sway bar) off the car. I cleaned it up and painted it. Pretty. When I put everything back together, I installed the stabilizer bar upside down. Didn't realize it until this morning.
I jacked up the car and realized my tie rods were hitting the stabilizer bar. In these photos the car's weight is on its wheels (sitting on ramps). When the wheels were hanging at full extension, the tie rods hit the wrongly-oriented stabilizer bar enough to bend the tie rods. The mini-level is the smallest straight edge I have - pay no mind to the bubble.
- PXL_20230815_164221765.jpg (129.85 KiB) Viewed 656 times
- PXL_20230815_172722173.jpg (102.99 KiB) Viewed 656 times
- PXL_20230815_170111598.jpg (106.46 KiB) Viewed 656 times
After some persuasion with the BFH and a pry bar, they're way better. I feel new tie rods are in my future. You can see "witness marks" where the blue paint is chipped on the stabilizer bar. That's where it was hitting the tie rods.
- PXL_20230815_184558939.jpg (183.53 KiB) Viewed 656 times
- PXL_20230815_184720519.jpg (131.43 KiB) Viewed 656 times
- PXL_20230815_184716154.jpg (101.37 KiB) Viewed 656 times
My point, it's easy to make a mistake, or to overlook something simple.
I wanted to convince myself that the stabilizer was oriented correctly prior to doing all the work last summer/fall. It was.
- PXL_20220819_213828435.jpg (146.45 KiB) Viewed 652 times
Given your work ethic and energy, I'm sure you'll have it all straight and like new in no time. 
