Built New Swaybar Endlinks for my Runner

[trailmix]

So i was at autozone one day and noticed they stocked energy suspension sway bar end links in a variety of sizes and it got me thinking that i could possibly use them on my truck so i wouldnt pop the stock ones when the axle droops. The only problem was that they have a stud on the end thats straight down. I figured an eye bolt sandwiched at the bottom would probably work just fine so went to lowes and picked some up along with a metal spacer and got to work piecing them together. Heres the parts list:

1 Energy Suspension performance Sway Bar Complete End Link Set 4-1/4" Long-$19.99
2 3/8"x4-1/2" Eyebolts SWL 1200lb - $3.96 each
1 3/8x1/2x1-1/2" Steel Spacer -$1.39

I cut down the spacer and pressed the cut piece into the sway bar so that the bolt would be tight in it and not make noise. Then i put the eye bolt in between the poly bushings on the bottom and slipped it through the spacer in the sway bar and pushed the top up through the sway bar link mount on the frame. I used the old sway bar link bushings and washers on the eye bolt to sandwich the swaybar. Then i double nutted it to make sure the nuts don't back off and cut off the excess bolt. Heres the pics.

Here you can see the spacer inserted into the swaybar.

The link bolted in place.

Before i cut off the excess bolt.

After it was all done.

And a comparison of the old and new.

And the package the links come in.

 

[chris360hawks]

Damn that is a nice mod! Looks like a great idea. I'm gonna do it too.

 

[Baja Runner]

Nice! Now there's usin' your noodle!!

 

[trailmix]

It was just as cheap as going with used 2nd gen links and these are brand new and way beefier, for 30 bucks its a great cheap mod.

 

[Gerdo]

Nice.
Just a heads up. When you lift the rear of our 4runners and use longer shocks that allow more wheel droop, the links should be lengthened. The stock length is too short and will limit droop. If you make them too long, they will contact the lower control arm upon compression. The magic length is somewhere around 1/2" - 3/4" longer than stock. I just lengthened mine by 1" and they make contact on my LCAs.

Another option is to get a used set of front links. They are thicker and longer, I think it was about 3/4 inch longer or so. Someone that I know did this and said that I worked great.

 

[trailmix]

i Havent flexed it with the new ones but i measure before i pulled the old ones off and it looks like i should have clearance when its stuffed but ill see for sure tomorrow. And thats the reason i put these together, im running 9 wraps and lc shocks out back and the sway bar was limiting my droop.

 

[RunninOnBlue]

Great idea. Looks beefy. I may have to do this. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tmaxx13]

sorry but what does this completely allow for, better flex? or.....?

 

[scottyb]

sorry but what does this completely allow for, better flex? or.....?

It allows for more 'droop' or 'down-travel' of the rear axle. The rear sway bar limits rear axle down-travel after adding a lift by an inch or two.


I saw these at auto zone recently and was thinking of how I could use them. Good call with the eye bolt! I'm definitely doing this.

 

[TN22Corps]

AWESOME, so glad to have found this. I broke both my front sway bar links when installing new shocks. I assume this can be done just as easily for the fronts too. Sure would save me a nice little chunk vs buying OEM, Wab-Fab, or even Napa.

Thanks!!

 

[trailmix]

Alright i flexed the truck out in my culdesac and got the passenger tire rubbing the inside of the fender and it looked like i had about 3/4 of an inch space between the bottom of the link and the control arm so i think i should be just fine with the 4-1/4" links for anyone who is thinking about doing this. Also it seemed to droop quite a bit more and the links were not stretched out like the stock ones.

 

[TN22Corps]

What size are the front ones?

 

[Nelsonmd]

Anyone want to place a bet on how long these things last? I got my money on "not long"

Good idea, but that eye bolt is not designed for bending force. It is designed for tension. It is not going to last long, especially off road.

I give it a week of daily driving in the city. Every turn you make is going to cantilever that eye bolt.

 

[Singtoe]

It is creative idea. Might have to do this one myself.

I think the rubber busing on the eye bolt might be overkill. It might offer to much flex at the connection making your ride a little loose. Just mount it with washers nice and tight and let the red bushings do the twisting.

You also need to use a forged eye bolt verses a cold rolled eye bolt for strength.

 

[StreetKill831]

Any idea what grade the eyebolts are? The SWL of 1200lbs doesn't mean much considering the direction of force is completely different. The SWL would have been rated with the load completely inline with the bolt.

Something like this would work much better:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#solid-rod-ends/=e2pzqc

use these specs:
Rod End Type Solid Rod Ends
Solid Rod End Type Fully Threaded Solid Rod Ends
Shank Type Male Shank
Shank Thread Type Right Hand Thread
Rod End Material Steel
Steel Type Alloy 4140
Finish Black Oxide
Tensile Strength 125,000 psi
Specifications Met American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Specifications ASTM A193-B7

Then obviously high grade hardware to match.

 

[Nelsonmd]

It is creative idea. Might have to do this one myself.

I think the rubber busing on the eye bolt might be overkill. It might offer to much flex at the connection making your ride a little loose. Just mount it with washers nice and tight and let the red bushings do the twisting.

You also need to use a forged eye bolt verses a cold rolled eye bolt for strength.

That would certainly be better, but I think you would be better off using something more rigid in order to put the eye in direct shear rather than bending. That is why the stock link has a ball joint in there, so the threaded portion remains in tension and direct shear. It doesn't bend.

Why don't you try bolting or welding on an angled piece of metal to the frame-side link mount. Then you could just mount the autozone sway bar link as it is intended to be mounted, and you wouldn't be putting a threaded bolt in bending. Might require a little fab work, but it will certainly be more robust than a home depot eye bolt and it should be pretty cheap too.

 

[trailmix]

There is not as much tension on the sway bar as you guys think, the link is bolted right against the eye so there is not much lateral tension on the actual bolt. Ive flexed it out a bunch on and off road the last 2 days and put about 200 miles on the truck and they look perfect. My bet is they last way longer then nelson thinks they will. If the crappy stock ones lasted as long as they did being stretched to their limit these should do just fine. Also there is barely any tension on them when drooped now since they are in fact longer, the eye bolt is not moving or bending those poly bushings at all when flexed.

Also i noticed absolutely no change in the ride and they dont make any noise at all.

 

[cj80cruiser]

I just wanted to thank you for this idea trailmix. I did a set for the front and used the 4.5" version 9.8121 energy suspension swaybar end link set. I went longer because after the polyurethane around the eyebolt smashes down it will be exactly the same length as my stock ones.

 

[Clownmeat]

Hmm...I threw my swaybars in the garbage.

 

[cj80cruiser]

Hmm...I threw my swaybars in the garbage.

Lol, well mine have been broken since the day I bought my truck and been handling it just fine. I wanted to add a little stability back to the truck since the fiance will be driving it some.