Extended sway bar end links question
 

I know this has been covered a lot, and I know that once you get past about 2" of lift, you'll want to extend your sway bar end links.

I know we can run 3rd gen front links in the back, and 2rd gen rear links (PN 4883035010) up front. I also know the ultimate solution would be to get the awesome beefy adjustable links that @MStudt makes.

I've got Bilstein 5100s all around with OME 880/906, and I've already put 3rd gen front end links in the rear.

My question:

Given that I'm running OME 880s with Bilstein 5100s on the lowest perch up front (maybe about 1.5" of lift), should I put 2nd gen rear links up front? Or is the amount of lift small enough that I can leave stock 3rd gen front links up front?

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

I would leave it. I have MStudt links front & rear with the heim joints. I like them fine but generally not a fan of the heim joints. I have to lube them with triflow regularly to prevent squeaking & they seem to wear faster than the OEM ball joints. He recently started selling a ball joint option which I'm considering getting but probably going to just put my old OEM links back on. His links are well made but other than the increased strength from the thicker links, I didn't notice much difference in handling having 1" longer links front & rear. I do think they are a great aftermarket option for lifted vehicles since they are cheaper than OEM links & if your driving conditions have resulted in breaking OEM links then I think MStudt would be a great choice. Last I checked, new OEM links were about 80$ a piece & this is not including bushings or hardware. To your original question regarding longer OEM links, since you're only lifted 1.5" up front, I wouldn't go through the trouble of getting longer links because I don't think you'll notice much difference.

For reference, my center hub to fender measurements (without the 2" body lift) are 22" front & 23" rear.

thanks for the honest post @fourfive . Like the OP, I was also contemplating whether or not I should buy some extended links, or just replace the bushings on my OEMs. I'm not lifted yet, but I may be ordering my lift within the next few days.. I don't plan on doing an extreme lift.. most likely going with the Eibach lift (2.5" front and 1" rear) + jba ucas

x2. I got so damn tired of those heim joints squeaking I tossed them in the trash after a couple months after I sheared one of the bolts on a mild forest service road. Went back to normal Moog links after that and eventually no links in front. I'm sure his ball joint design is much better (only other complaint was rust) but still a little pricey, especially for what they are. I also see such little reason for them to be so heavy duty aside from overkill appeal
After messing about with the sway bar and having such a headache for so long I can assure you it's best to keep it simple; use some regular links, wait till you hear clunking/popping them change them out.

I believe the front end will be more likely to bind (swaying) with factory links on a lifted vehicle. It will slightly lower the amount of travel you have + make the vehicle sway a tiny bit less on the road. With factory end links, my sway bar lightly contacts my steering rack on the driver's side with 3.5 inches of lift when I flex the rig out.

If you guys really want to swap the links out before they are worn out/destroyed, I would go with adjustable quick disconnect ones (purely for offroad gains).

My experience is this. I have Mike's gen 1 heim links I believe. It took me a long time and communicating with him to get them dialed in. This included length of each for my lift and jam nut torquing non sense. I do have to lube constantly with Triflow as well. You wash the rig, go through a mud pit, hell hit a puddle on the way home they'll start creaking and beg for more lube. I did get tired of it. I pulled them and did the 2nd gen upfront and 3rd gen fronts in rear. My sway bars binded on normal trails that weren't technical. I ended up going back to the sways Mike makes. I now deal with the lubricating situation as needed. I wash the rig I lube. I go through muddy trails...I wash and lube. It rains...I deal with creaks till the storm passes and lube. It's not that bad. Its 30 seconds under the rig and you're done. My sway bars don't bind with Mikes links. The positive and negative to the situation for me is Mike does have well built sturdy links (positive) and all I want to do is snap them to justify spending money on his new ball joint links as I suspect they require less maintenance then the older heim style( which I can't snap them, so the negative is I'll likely not get to experience the new links).

Please note I'm running 3 inches of lift so my experience likely won't mirror yours on either route you choose as you aren't lifted as much.

Update: I ended up sticking with 3rd gen front links in both front and back (but with poly bushings). So far so good.