Removing a broken sway bar end-link?

[ShooterMcGavin]

One of my rear sway bar end-links was broken a while ago. I was able to undo the bolt from the LCA side. I could not undo the bolt from the bar itself, so I cut the end-link and let it be. When I have a window open and go over bumps, I can hear the end piece rattle. The nut is frozen on the bolt and the other side is a ball joint that just spins. How can I get it apart?

Hmmm, I'm thinking, take the rear wheel off, for some space to work, and use something to cut the bolt off? Is there a trick to separating the end-link ball joint, in order to access the stud end under it?

 

[snivilous]

Yea I was gonna say just use a cut off wheel.

 

[turbo8]

There isn't a Allen hole in the threaded end of the sway bar end link is there?

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

I haven't stuck my head in there to check yet. I will try looking for that before I cut it.

 

[csp]

Cut off wheel had mine off in a flash.

 

[gamefreakgc]

2. REMOVE BOTH STABILIZER BAR LINKS
(a) Remove the nuts and disconnect the stabilizer bar from
the stabilizer bar links.
Torque: 69 N·m (700 kgf·cm, 51 ft·lbf)

HINT:
If the ball joint stud turns together with the nut, use a hexagon
wrench to hold the stud.

(b) Hold the stabilizer bar link with a wrench and remove the
2 nuts, 2 retainers, 2 cushions and 2 links.
Torque: 20 N·m (200 kgf·cm, 14 ft·lbf)

(c) Remove the 4 retainers and 2 cushions from the stabilizer
bar links.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Oh, ok, so there is a hex in the end of the bolt? I will have to look. That will be much easier than taking the wheel off and cutting it.
Thanks!

 

[Chuckles89]

The hex nut is most likely rusted out and will strip out. I ground two flat spots on the shaft (non nut side) to get a good hold with vice grips. Then, I just used a ratchet to get the nut off.

 

[Frontier719]

I just did my front sway bar end links and bushings and there was a hex in the stud but like others said, it was rusty and stripped fast.

The piece near the ball joint that spins when you try to crank the nut has a flat side on it and I was able to leverage a large flat head screw driver in to hold it in place while i used a cheater bar to break the nut free.

soak it in wd40 for an hour before too

My bushings and end links were original (torn to shreds at 250k miles) so my sway bar clanked on the steering rack when i hit bumps. its amazing the difference in handling replacing the bushings made though!