DIY: Sway Bar End Link replacment
 

Eventually, most Hondas end up with clunking and knocking suspension noises resulting from worn end-links on the sway bar (anti-roll bar). You usually cannot feel any slop or movement in the end of the links...you can only hear it, most often at slow speeds.

Our 2007 Fit Sport developed the knocking after 71,000 miles and four years. Inspection of the front end revealed split end boots on both of the sway bar end links.

Attachment 26727

Factory parts in spring 2012 were ~$35 USD each side; aftermarket parts from a reputable manufacturer (MOOG) were ~$22 a side. So that is what we went with.


The following procedure took about 90 minutes for both sides (even allowing time-out to take some pictures). :p

Things you will need:

Attachment 26728

Two new end links
PB Blaster, Kroil, or other penetrating oil
small wire brush
5 MM allen (hex) wrench
14 MM box wrench
18 MM (or 11/16") open end wrench
3/8" open end wrench
Vice-Grips (mine are thin-jawed)
15 MM socket and ratchet
Oiler
Grease Gun

Optional: Dremel tool with cut-off wheel


+++++++++++++

Tire and safety tools:

19 MM socket
Breaker Bar
Torque Wrench
Jack (floor jack is handy)
Jack Stands with rubber pads (I use hockey pucks) :D
Anti-seize


Let's Begin!

First item of business is to get both front wheels off the ground. That way the sway bar is not fighting you with tension.

SAFETY FIRST! Make Sure you have the rear wheels chocked and the front resting on sturdy jack stands! You WILL be struggling...you don't want the car falling on you in mid-grunt.

Attachment 26719

For the purposes of this DIY I performed the repair in the garage, on my four-post parking lift. If the weather had been warmer, I would have been just as happy to do it sitting in the driveway. Whatever, tuck the road wheels under the car after you remove them...that way, if the car falls, the wheels will save your bacon so you can live to drive another day.


Hopefully you have been soaking the top and bottom mounting bolts in penetrant (PB Blaster) especially if your car lives in an environment where road salt is used.

Remove the front wheels and store them under the car. Use the small wire brush to clean the threads sticking out of the mounts, top and bottom. This reduces resistance as the nuts are released.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/P4290007.jpg

Now comes the hard part: Insert the 5 MM allen wrench into the hole at the end of the link-bolt. Hammering it in reduces the tendency of it to slip. :mad:

First give the exposed threads a coating of oil from the oiler, and a last blast of penetrant. Using the Box (closed) end of the wrench, unscrew the nut, using the hex to prevent the bolt from turning. (Easy to say, not to do.)

If the bolt starts to turn, grasp the backside of the link with the vice grip. Try to grab the shoulder (between the rubber boot and the sway bar, in the picture below) with the jaws. Don't worry about damaging the boot.

Attachment 26720

The worst case is that the nuts are totally seized. In that case, cut them off with the cutting wheel on the Dremel. Don't let the parts get the best of you!

The lower ends (down in the road salt) will be the worst.


Repeat three more times,for each end of the old sway bar links.

Now we turn out attention to the new links. The Moog parts come with grease fittings for each end. These need to be inserted into the back-side of the ball joint. Get the fittings started, then tighten a bit with the 3/8" wrench, but not too tight, as you will be turning them after installation.

This is a good time to pump a squirt or two of grease into them.

Attachment 26717
Admire the extra heft of the new parts (on right). Look at the large six sided nuts as opposed to the small hex in the end of the OE piece.

Attachment 26718

Now you are almost home free. Bolt in each end, preventing the bolt from turning by holding the backside with the 18 MM (or 11/16") wrench while you tighten the 15 MM nut on the front.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/P4290016.jpg

The Moog instructions say to tighten the top to 22 ft lbs of torque, and the bottom to 28 ft lbs. Don't know why...the parts are identical on each end and are NOT marked top or bottom. I just used my calibrated arm. :rolleyes:

Now, use the 3/8 wrench to turn the grease fitting to a position where they can easily be accessed with the grease gun. You will give them a squirt every oil change.


The final step for me was to coat the exposed threads with grease to prevent corrosion.



http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/P4290017.jpg

Finally, put a little anti-seize on the lug bolts and reinstall the wheels. Use the torque wrench set at 80 ft lbs...consistent torque reduces the chance of brake vibration.



Job Done!

Very awesome DIY! Thank you! Was about to have to tackle this repair on the civic!

I was getting ready to do one of these in the next week or so. Looks like you beat me to it and did a great job!

Mine finally started doing the low speed knocking sound at around 100040 miles. luckily! I have that 105,000 warranty so I'm getting mine replaced free of charge. (along with my two busted rear seat buckles)

I am a little bummed because I thought it was my struts thumping and I was going to get to replace my shocks and struts with something a little more exotic.

At least the color was correct for you! :rotfl:

That is very true. BOM is for true bosses. :D

So...

Is it really necessary to grease the end links with every single oil change?

Greasable joints DO need to be greased periodically.

We change our oil every 8K to 10K miles (7 - 9 months). So, that's when we grease the fittings (two squirts each).

You could also do it at the time of a tire rotation...while everything is accessible.


The MOOG links are still working well 2 years and 40K miles later...

Hi, I just finished replacing the endlink for my 2007 Fit.
Here is some suggestions for others who maybe doing it in the future...

1. Start with the bottom endlink, don't do the top, it maybe easier to begin with the top, but chances are, the bottom one will be rusted and somewhat fused with the swaybar, happened to me. However, by that time, I've already detached the endlink at the top, which makes it difficult/impossible to hammer the bottom endlink out, because everything is loose. I end up tightening up the top all over again in order to get the bottom one out.
   
2. Second, when you are working on the bottom endlink, chances are you will have a hard time unscrewing it, because the swaybar would move and actually absorb the twisting force of your wrench. The solution for this, at least for me, was to put a plank of half inch plywood, stuck it between the swaybar and lower control arm. I lightly hammered the plywood in and it fit in nicely and the swaybar doesn't move anymore. After that I just use the double wrench extension trick and broke the bolt free.
   
3. Third, after you removed the bottom endlink bolt, the endlink itself will most likely stuck in the swaybar. In order to get this out, put the nut back on, and screw it in until the nut is flush with the balljoin bolt. Now take a hammer and hit the nut hard, after a few time it will pop out. It came out after 3 hit for me. The plywood will also need to be there to help keep the swaybar from moving.
   
4. If you can get the bottom one out, chances are you won't have much issues on top. However it can still be a hassle when you try to unbolt the nut and the allen key is moving all over the place. I end up using a small stick of 1x1 wood, and just stick it in between the endlink and the shock, this helps from preventing the allen key moving around and allow me to get the nut out much easier.

PS: I didn't use vice grip nor dremel, since not everyone have these. :P

I have a few pictures, but it doesn't look like I can upload any pictures in this forum. Hope this help.

Eric

dremel unbelievable
 

I did this today. Initially loosened the nuts with 14mm spanner and allen key, and thought it'd be alright, so I bought the replacement part for about £15. As I undid the nuts though they became too tough and the allen key started slipping.

So I went out and bought a dremel. Was skeptical but amazed it cut through the nuts and bolts really well. Used about 1.5 cutting disks overall. Thanks to OP for the advice about "don't let the parts beat you"!

Thanks all for the confidence - although I spent as much on the dremel as I saved on having the job done at the garage, I now have a new tool for "free" and DIY is about more than the money, hey?

I had some similar problem, the method i did was to bolt it back on, put some WD40, and unbolt it, then repeat a few times, eventually the nut will grind through the rust and come out. You could try that too next time.

Did you guys use a wire brush on the exposed threads before trying to undo them? That will remove some of the rust that resists removal.

:p

WD40 is neither a lubricant or a penetrant, but I guess that could work.

Nice tutorial.
I had to replace the right side due to an actual failure of the blue part having pulled right out of the metal (where the little "dots" poke out behind the joint) I was really disappointed in the oem part. I went with MOOG links as well, man, they are beefy. I still need to replace the left, but it is below zero, it will just have to wait for warmer weather.

I'm sooo glad you guys posted this. After months of jacking up the car and shaking everything, I found my answer here. Sure enough I found a bad sway bar link. The part is on order!

I removed the bad link and the noise went away. In fact I'd argue that this car doesn't need a sway bar at all. With stiff suspension and a low profile, I just don't think it's needed. I've been driving without one link, making the entire sway bar inopperative. It feels much better to me. I have the link on order and I'll put it back in but I like the ride without it.

Similar experience 2011 Fit Sport w/56K miles.
Thanks

Thanks so much for the info, had the front end noise for 6 months and couldn't determine the cause.

You are so right about not being able to tell if joint is bad until you take it off the car!