Just installed front lift, ran into a problem

[glock56534]

I just installed my front lift and one thing went wrong. I installed FJ TRD shocks with OME 884 coils. When removing the sway bar, the rear bolt on the passenger side (the part bolted to the frame) was seized and snapped off.

I was able to reattach the sway bar with the three bolts attached to the frame, but the one bolt is not going to go back on.

How serious of a problem is this? Will I be able to drive it normally until I get it fixed or should I fix it ASAP?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

I just installed my front lift and one thing went wrong. I installed FJ TRD shocks with OME 884 coils. When removing the sway bar, the rear bolt on the passenger side (the part bolted to the frame) was seized and snapped off.

I was able to reattach the sway bar with the three bolts attached to the frame, but the one bolt is not going to go back on.

How serious of a problem is this? Will I be able to drive it normally until I get it fixed or should I fix it ASAP?

Thanks in advance for your input.

I'd consider that an ASAP fix. If you can't fix it prior to driving it consider the following:

With the stiffness of the 884's I would take the bar off and drive easy until you can get it drilled/re-tapped. Who knows, you may even like it Avoid high speed swerving etc while the bar is off. I have driven mine without the front bar and it was pretty ok. I have the FJC springs and your 884's, I believe, are a touch stiffer which will help to keep the bodyroll safe and reasonable.


You don't want that bracket to let go and allow the swaybar to flop around. More than one guy has had to replace CV boots due to flopping swaybars.

 

[glock56534]

Thanks for your input, Chris. The mount is on there pretty tight with just the one bolt. We put a good amount of downward pressure on the mount at both sides and it didn't move at all.

I'm probably going to get it re-drilled and tapped sometime this week. Do you think I will do any damage to the CV boots by just doing some light city driving over the next few days?

 

[Vantage85]

Taking off a sway bar is not bad at all for the vehicle, but driving with 1 bolt missing may be.

I would do as it states above. Leave it off until you can install it properly.

Also as stated, they do sway move but it will flex like crazy if your going wheeling.

 

[glock56534]

Taking off a sway bar is not bad at all for the vehicle, but driving with 1 bolt missing may be.

I would do as it states above. Leave it off until you can install it properly.

Also as stated, they do sway move but it will flex like crazy if your going wheeling.

The sway bar is currently on the vehicle, and I'm taking it to the shop to get fixed first thing in the morning (which is 5-6 miles from my house, all 30-40mph roads). If I drive slowly/carefully, do you think there is significant risk in driving it with just the three bolts? Or, should I take the time to take the front wheels off and remove the sway bar then take it to the shop?

 

[Vantage85]

Nono, that will be fine. Just go slow, dont treat the on/off ramps as race track corners.

 

[cali_axela]

If you put the bar through any serious loads (taking hard corners and wheeling, mainly) there's a good chance you will bend the bushing bracket on the size with only 1 bolt attached. But those brackets aren't very expensive, and you're not going to damage the swaybar itself, so it's not a big deal.

 

[glock56534]

Got this fixed today, and the shop did a great job at a decent price. They re-torqued everything that I worked on, drilled and tapped the sway bar mount and installed a new bolt, and drilled and tapped a busted bolt for my front skid plate.

Now I have to wait until the end of the week for my new tires and alignment...

 

[Presta24]

Bolt extractor

Go to sears/homedepot.ace hardware, get a easyout kit. drill a hole in the bolt that broke off, tap your easy out in firmly with a hammer, then back it out with an adjustable wrench. if you can, get a hold of a can of KROIL, spray can like wd40 will work best. Easy way to DIY and save a buck

Sorry! just saw you got it fixed, maybe next time what did they charge you?