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I installed a set of '03 Aero anti-sway bars on my 2000 LPT sedan this weekend and wanted to share my experience for anyone considering this upgrade.
First of all I must say that the results are well worth the expense and hassle. The improvement in cornering is simply amazing and resulted in a far greater improvement to overall handling than I had anticipated.
I tackled the job in the carport with the car on jack stands with no special equipment beyond sockets, hand wrenches and a floor jack.
Thanks go to JCarpio for the very detailed instructions in reply to my post regarding front sway bar replacement (26 Aug). Having the full procedure spelled out was very helpful and served as a checklist on reassembly.
There are a few things I would add or amend to JCarpio's checklist for anyone who is planning to do the changeover themselves.
Rear
1. The rear replacement is straightforward and the only comment is that you will need to let the muffler system down off of the 3 rubber supports to gain clearance for the R&R operation.
Front
1. It is not necessary to completely remove the rear engine mount from the sub frame. Removing the rear mount's top retention nut and washer was sufficient in my case.
2. I used a scissors jack to support the engine from below rather than supporting it with an engine hoist from above as per the factory recommendation. A piece of 2x4 served as a pillow between the jack and the transmission case (my car is an automatic). There is very little weight on the jack as the bulk of the engine weight is supported by the other engine mounts attached to the chassis.
3. Make sure that you have 1-2 inches under the front tires when you set the car down on the jack stands (beginning the job). I had almost zero clearance under the tires and it proved to be an issue when I was wrestling the old sway bar out. In my case the curved section was hitting the ground and making it difficult to remove. The extra inch of height above the ground would have been welcomed.
Comments:
The job took me about 4 hours working slowly and carefully.
It was necessary to pry down the sub frame to gain a few extra millimeters of clearance to remove and install the sway bar. I had a helper during this part of the job and it was good to have a second set of eyes to see where the hang-ups were.
I also enlisted help during the removal and re-installation of the clamp brackets for the front sway bar bushings. I guided and placed the 10mm socket on the bolt head and my helper turned the socket wrench with about 18" of extensions and a universal from inside the engine compartment. The bolt removal can be done from the wheel well but it is tight quarters for a socket, especially for the rear bolt. You may want to spray these bolts with WD-40, as mine were dry and a little rusty, making the removal a tough.
Overall, I believe that this job can be easily done by anyone that has good mechanical aptitude. I highly recommend having a helper around during the R&R process of the front bar. If you are not sure of your mechanical abilities you should leave this job to a qualified mechanic.
Hopefully my experiences and comments will be useful to anyone considering doing this job themselves (or not).
Good luck,
Will
posted by 63.249.8...
, Mon, 1 Sep 2003 12:40:37
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