I am ready to change out my FE1 sway bars for some z06 bars (O-yeah!). I've been doing my research on the procedure and have read some conflicting things. I've been under the car and looked at every thing and I'm formulating my game plan but want to see if you guys can see any problems with the way I see things.

It looks like the swap can not be easily done with the wheels hanging down, as if the car is supported at the front and rear cross members.

In order to keep the car's rear alignment correct, the car needs to be supported by its rear wheels because the rear bar's lower bracket bolt attaches the lower control arm to the cross member. Loosening the lower nut with the suspension in an un-natural position may throw off the rear alignment, correct?

In the front, it looks like the sway bar removal will not affect the front alignment, correct? But I will need to raise the wheels up in a more natural position to ease the sway bar swap.

Do you have any recommendations or better ways to do it? I'd rather not need to get an alignment after the swap. Thanks.

 

sway bars will not affect your alinement. The tie rods will but you will not touch those. The sway bar end links will allow you to ajust the bar to fit your car if the wheels are in full droop. You can twist the links left or right to match up to the mounting holes. Hope this helps

 

i have done this swap on a friends car and on my car.first changing sway bars should not change your alignment , and it is much easier to access everything if you remove the wheels, it can be done with wheels on but is easier with wheels off. i didnt see what year you had but if you have plastic end links you will want to change to the metal links it is a straightforward swap and a nice mod
john

 

The install/removal is very easy even if the suspension is free-hanging (i.e. car supported by crossmember). It may not appear so by looking, but it is - the bars rotate to adjust. If you were doing adjustable links with much stiffer bars the story would be different, but Z06 bars are no issue. Removing the wheels will make things easier (access wise).

There are no changes to alignment and nothing you have to do to alignment.

This really is a simple in and out. Only advice I can give is pull the bar that's on there and keep it correctly oriented with the car, then match the orientation of the new bar.

in other words, note the correct orientation of the bar for install, and it's easier if you compare to the old one before you set it aside.

Get everything threaded, then tighten the link attachements then the mounts to the crossmember. This will allow for easier alignment of the bar.

 

Thanks for the replies.

if the rear lower control arms shift while the nut is off, won't that affect the camber (alignment) of the wheel?

 

I dont care what everyone else says, you are correct in assuming that if the lower rear control arm bolt is loosened and the arm does move, it will screw up the alignment. I just installed my z06 bars and used a quick lift to keep the weight on the wheels. You do not need to pull the rims. Its pretty easy to get to the nuts. You will need a metric set of allen wrenches to install the aluminum end links and a set of torx to remove the stock . At least it will may it a lot easier.

the front is real simple, you cannot screw up the alignement as you dont remove or loosen anything that could change any settings. Just remove old and install new.
Just look and make sure the new sway bar bushings are in place correctly before tightening up the bolts.

If it were me, I would take a fine tip silver marker and make a line on the exposed rubber bushing (seen from the rear of the car) to make a reference mark against the alum cradle that the control arm bolts to, this way you can see of the arm slips in or out when you loosen the bottom bolt of the bar clamp (which is the control arm bolt)...I used a ratchet strap to pull mine back into position , not hard, but if I had not, the alignment would have been toast....

Its a easy job,, just be sure on the rear that the weight is on the tires so the bushing rubber in the control arm pivot isnt in a unnatural position when you tighten the bolt and back in its orginal position


uhh,,, forgot, there is a flat on the links you can get a wrench on,,,,never tried it that way. It may be a little tight for a thicker wrench......

 

throw some poly bushings in from VBP on the bars

 

What will the poly bushings provide? I've read it MAY eliminate squeeks.

 

You don't need a allen wrench to loosen the bolts on newer C5's. There is a "flat" on the bolt that you can put an adjustable wrench on to hold it while you turn the nut. Mine is a 04 so I am not sure if all C5's with Aluminum end links have the flat. I seem to recall that all with aluminum end links have the flat. Plastic end links require an allen or torx wrench to hold the bolt.

 

Okay, let's see if I can get this all down:

1. Going by your mod list, you've either installed or are going to install Z06 end links: therefore you won't need to use a hex key, you can instead use an open end wrench to keep the stud from turning while you tighten it up (52 lb-ft)

2. Yes, you can lose the alignment on the rear if the camber bolt slips. I haven't had that happen to me on the half-dozen or so C5s I've had to disconnect the rear sway bar on. You run this risk whether the tires are supported or not. Maybe even more if the tires have some kind of side load on them as you drive them up on ramps or whatever. The suggestion of marking the lower control arm and the cross member is excellent to show you if it's moved.

3. Removing the wheels will make the job much easier on the fronts. It might not be as big a deal on the rear, but I've never tried it with the wheels on.

4. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE END LINKS TORQUED DOWN PROPERLY. 52 lb-ft, IIRC, will do the job. Any less and you'll start having problems with clicking/clunking noises from the sways whenever you go over any kind of cambered road surface.

5. When installing the rear sway bar, there are two bolts that screw directly into the aluminum cross member. About 50% of the time I've had one of these bolts start binding up going back in. You can fix this three ways, either by running the bolt in until it binds, go 1/4 turn further, back it out, clean the threads, repeat until the bolt goes in the whole way. Or, you can clean the threads up with a thread chaser or tap (sorry, don't remember the exact size/pitch). Or, you can Mongo it in, kill the threads, then drill it out and helicoil repair it. (I advise against option 3 if at all possible).

6. Especially in winter, apply some chapstick or other lip balm before driving on the Z06 sways the first time. Otherwise you'll crack your lips from the ear-to-ear grin!

Finally, one other thing: when was the last time you had your car aligned? Might be a good investment.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

I will be installing the new links with the bars SOON.

I will do that...with the car sitting flat.

Will I be able to get a torq wrench in there to tighten the bolts? Maybe with the wheels off? What the hell is IIRC???

Thats the first I've heard of this issue...why would it bind?

I will likely do that in May when I take the car in for "track-worthy" service (new brake fluid, pads, replace rusty tie rods, general inspection). Thanks for your input.

 

VetteDrmr is correct trhat is will make the job easier with the front wheels off.....

as for torque,,,,,I didnt torque them, but I can say they are tight. 52 ft lbs is not that much , but it does require a good snuggin....I might go home tonoght and torque mine to be sure...

I think a deep well and a torque wrench can get in there.....

as for the alum on the cradle stripping. I had a little binding so i removed the bolts, cleaned the threads and added a little anti seize to teh bolts and made sure they screwed in easily . The new bar bushings will not allow the holders to set flat like against the cradle so there is a chance of binding if you dont tighten evenly ...

 

With the wheels off, no problem. Just about impossible on the fronts with the wheels on, and I can't tell you about the rears.

IIRC = If I Remember Correctly

I've heard that it was some kind of assembly problem. I've had it happen on both left and right sides, and it seems to be more of a non-issue in the later C5s. Mine is a '00 FRC, and it was on the left. Good news is once I got it in cleanly it's not been a problem since.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

Great upgrade while you are in there. I also have VBP's heavy duty outer tie rods.

 

I got the bars on without problem. I haven't test driven it yet, though. The rear bushings had a pink lube inside of them, but the front bushings were dry. I don't know what to think of that. I'll see what happens during the test drive (Sunday probably)

 

Wait a minute....

You got those powder coated already?

I'm glad you started this thread, I'll have to book mark it.

I have mine ready to send out for chroming but I might hold up and get new clamps to send with them.

 

No, I didn't paint or powdercoat them yet. I thought I'd get them on first and make sure everything would be OK (as if it wouldn't ). It would be pretty easy to pull them off and paint them later.

I think it would be a good idea to chrome the bushing clamps also

 

....You read right....

If you have any problems the poly and lube that comes with the bushings will do the trick.....Good luck.....

 

Great thread guys. I'm looking to do this in the coming weeks and just added this thread to my favorites! Gotta love this forum.

Thanks everyone!

 

I took it for a drive today. No squeeks . I like how they have tightened up the cornering.