[Shlamden]

Is there a specific way to put the rear sway bar end links on after putting on lowering springs? I have the shorter links but they just dont seem to line up and i cant tell what im doing wrong.

 

[Shlamden]

not sure how but i have bent the absolute shiiiiiittt out of my sway bar end link haha. Can I drive with no rear sway bar if i had to?? I dont want to but i definitely have to order new short links.

 

[XR7-4.6]

Aftermarket endlinks (bushings on both ends) aren’t happy when the suspension is at full droop so they tend to bend. It’s easy to unbend them though, I periodically knock my energy suspension links straight with a BFH, I’ll replace them when they fracture.

you can drive the car fine without the sway bar hooked up, just won’t be quite the corner carving machine it was with it!

 

[Paulyrats]

Yea those shorter end links don’t like when the suspension is fully extended, I didn’t trust them once bent so I went with some sphon end links.

 

[rampagingsloth]

Yea those shorter end links don’t like when the suspension is fully extended, I didn’t trust them once bent so I went with some sphon end links. View attachment 52805

Oh, nice. How do those work compared to the stock design links? I mean the shorter ones that are just bushing. Is there a specific part number associated with those, or a recommended length that works with a lowered Thunderbird?

 

[Rodeo Joe]

Someone else bought those end links a while ago, but I thought they were mounted the other way around like the factory stock design.

Spohn end links

There are different lengths also.

Joe

 

[Paulyrats]

Oh, nice. How do those work compared to the stock design links? I mean the shorter ones that are just bushing. Is there a specific part number associated with those, or a recommended length that works with a lowered Thunderbird?

Here are the ones I got, they are the perfect length. My cars not driven all that much but so far I’ve had no trouble with them. Bar is perfectly parallel to the ground.
www.amazon.com/dp/B07R18B77F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TSNEQTXN600NVZBF88AV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Paulyrats]

Someone else bought those end links a while ago, but I thought they were mounted the other way around like the factory stock design.

Spohn end links

There are different lengths also.

Joe

I’ve been told I have mine upside down, thing is I didn’t want to drill out the hole in my new sway bar when it fits perfect like this. Someone once mentioned premature bushing wear… I figured since the shorter links we are offered have bushings on both sides I fail to see why it would really matter? They seem to be working just fine for me so far.

 

[Rodeo Joe]

What are running for a sway bar, ADDCO? If it works for you, leave it.

Joe

 

[Paulyrats]

Yup got the addco 1 1/4” front and rear, car handles beautifully now!

 

[MadMikeyL]

Those links are definitely upside down, and leaving it that way defeats the purpose of the swivel joint on the one side. Drill out the hole as needed and flip them the other way.

 

[XR7-4.6]

I’ve been told I have mine upside down, thing is I didn’t want to drill out the hole in my new sway bar when it fits perfect like this. Someone once mentioned premature bushing wear… I figured since the shorter links we are offered have bushings on both sides I fail to see why it would really matter? They seem to be working just fine for me so far.

FWIW I have had the energy suspension red poly endlinks for a very long time, the bushings themselves haven’t worn out, the only issue with them is the bending of the link bolt with the suspension at full droop, and that’s exactly what having the pivot style endlinks with the pivot on the bar end are there to prevent.

The way you have it set up I don’t expect the bushings to wear out, I expect you’ll eventually end up bending the metal link in the same manner, defeating all purpose of them, right now your endlinks aren’t doing anything better than the much cheaper much simpler energy suspension ones.

 

[Paulyrats]

Ahhh now I see it, can’t believe I missed that. Thank you for elaborating on why they wrong! I will definitely get them flipped around. 😉

 

[rampagingsloth]

Those links are definitely upside down, and leaving it that way defeats the purpose of the swivel joint on the one side. Drill out the hole as needed and flip them the other way.

That's so weird that each link end is a different size, you would think that they would be the same. I was thinking that making them different sizes might work in order to make sure they can only be installed one way but obviously the "one way" is the incorrect way, so that can't be the reason.

There's no danger of compromising or weakening the sway bar by drilling it out to fit that link, is there? I don't suppose those links come in different diameters.

 

[Noser7mil]

I think a double heim would be the best, but being lowered is really hard to get it to work.

here’s a guy on the TCCOA Facebook group Zachary Louis
Talk about a tight squeeze

 

[Kenz]

I recently replaced the Energy Sus. rear links. They were installed maybe 5 years ago, only a few thousand miles on them. You can see in the picture how they are starting to bend. I doubt they would fail but I decided to go back to the stock setup with poly bushings. I painted them for extra HP

Here is the kit I used -

https://www.prothanesuspensionparts.com/61148

 

[97 30th]

One thing with the poly for the factory links is they come in 2 widths so you need to check your factory links to see what you have.

 

[Kidd-7]

I painted them for extra HP

Now that you painted them, you really need to thoroughly wax them to limit wind resistance.