I noticed that my 5 month old sway bar links are looking rugged. It looks like there is too much pressure being placed on them. Could it be the way the Total Chaos links are set up? The King shocks too long? The shop that did the lift initially had limit straps on the suspension that were comically short. Those are gone, but there must still be an issue...

Any ideas?

Attached Images

 

I don’t play around with lots of lift on these, but it seems to me that you can’t just add longer links. You need to lift the sway bar up off the axle as well otherwise it seems to bind up the sway bar when drooped.

You're running good shocks, take the sway bars off and throw em in the trash.

Sent from my JSN-L23 using Tapatalk

Humm.. I ran 2nd gen rear sway bar links for a long time with no issues. eventually when I went with Rokmen rear lower links (control arms) the longer sway bar links were making contact so I just removed the entire rear sway bar. I have not looked back after removing them. The new lower links with firmer suspension and I'm happy with the amount of body roll. Everyone has different onions on this topic though.

have you tried longer sway bar links?

Amazon.com: Proforged 113-10144 Rear Sway Bar End Link: Automotive

I think you just overtorqued them too much. It's really difficult to get the torque right on any swaybar bushing because of the way elastomer compresses. Best bet is to get these tight enough so they don't clank around, but not so tight such that you're over-stressing the material. I used some Moog links on another vehicle and I believe the instructions they gave was to tighten enough such that just as you start to see the bushing become deformed (starts expanding), you stop.

Seems like they're really tight that nut is far down. Go to advance auto and buy some energy suspension bushings they sell them there for like 10 bucks. They are the same bushings you get in the kit from energy suspension but local and comes with like 8 of them, polyurethane. Then they wont crack like that rubber did

Maybe it's just your photo, but I think you have bigger issues than overcompressing the rubber.

The threaded portion is bent from the end link body, which is why the rubber is collapsed at an angle. And it also looks like the end link body is at a large angle relative to the horizontal portion of the body U-bracket that it goes through. That angle should be close to 90 deg, as shown below (not fully tightened, but you get the idea):



With your severe angle, it can be expected that torquing the nut will bend the threaded portion of the end link.

I think you need to step back and look at the geometry, and figure out how to make the end link body be close to 90 deg relative to the bracket. I'm guessing you need much longer end links with your 3" lift. Do both sided look the same?

I see the bend now. The driver side is bent, but not as severely.

I may give that a shot. Thank you.

You have an extra sway bar washer in there, you know that right? Should be washer/bushing-FRAME-bushing/washer.

And correct, If I had to guess, I would say the links are too short on the OP's rig.

Yes, the link is too short. You have plenty of stud on the top of the link, so I would remove all hardeware from the upper link, run a hex nut all the way down to where the stud meets the link body, then put the washers/bushings back on. Should get at least a 1/2" longer just doing that.

just buy mstudts aftermarket sway end links. sure they are probably the most expensive option out there, but it totally fixed my front and rear sway bar angles.

i know some people like to complain about how 'expensive' they are, but really ive seen other aftermarket end links for different chassis command 500 bones for all 4 corners.

No, the correct factory installation is two rubber bushings and three washers (retainers). The middle washer has a boss on it that properly centers the end link in the oversized hole in the upper U-bracket.

Huh, ok. Its been so long since I took mine apart I don't remember anymore.

I bought Mike Studt links. I'm concerned that the additional length will cause full droop issues with the shocks I bought, but maybe I'm wrong. Wish me luck.
For the record I had no idea what I was doing when I 1. bought the truck, 2. had it modified. I should have done a lot more research... *shakes fist at the next dude who rushes into a mod.

I've learned to be grossly specific with any shop doing work on my rig.

I hope you all have better luck than I did.