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Hi all, new c3 owner here.
I’ve been hearing a “clunk” under my drivers side front end whenever I go over bumps, and found my sway bar link was pretty loose.
Loose
I
Ive tightened it about as far as it’ll go and I feel like it might snap if I go any tighter, but there’s still some play with the sway bar and the rubber doesn’t “smoosh” down. Should I look into new links? Or is it likely something else is going on? Am I missing something more obvious?
thabks
If those link kits were $100, I would say let it go the way it is. The rubber isn't horrible, but the metal hardware needs some help.
But the kits are so cheap, it's time for a full replacement.
Normally I would say do one side at a time, so you have a reference to look at for orientation of the washers.
But yours look so messed up, you need a drawing for the correct order of parts.
Somethings not right with the spacer / sleeve that separates the upper & lower portions.
A drop of Loctite Blue on the "new" threads is always a good idea.
Stick with rubber. Poly is over-rated.
I question if the bar is on correctly too. Notice the up-swing of the end. Makes for a bad angle on the link kit.
Rumor is some people have installed those bars up-side-down. If that is the case, simply swap right side to left side.
Maybe somebody else can verify yours is correct.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Jun 23, 2024 at 08:06 PM.
The lower of the three cushions that are visible in your photo is sitting on a washer, on top of the cup. The washer should be on top of the rubber cushion, between it and the sleeve. As you tighten the stack you are pressing the sleeve into the cushion rather than compressing the cushion. I double checked both my C2 and C3 that are in my attched garage and I believe you have the sway bar on correctly. The end angles up just as it does on my very original '72 which has never been apart.
Here are pictures of the underside of front of our car. You can see the sway bar in the first picture to compare it to what yours looks like the other two pictures of the bolt holding the sway bar to the car.
Note: the bolt is upside down in this older picture. I have since fixed that…
Had to use some of the old bushings, as the new ones were too large to work with exclusively. Will try to replace the rest of the black bushings next corvette season after the ones I’ve already installed have had time to compress more
Had to use some of the old bushings, as the new ones were too large to work with exclusively. Will try to replace the rest of the black bushings next corvette season after the ones I’ve already installed have had time to compress more
Let’s see if this got rid of the clunk…
With the frame weight sitting on a jack stand you raise the lower control arm to compress the 3 lower bushings and then install the upper bushing, washer and nut.
Sway bar link
