hey guys just finishing my disc conversion on my 70 malibu and I'm putting the sway bar back together, I bought a new end link kit from the parts store and when i install the bolt up through the lower control arm and begin to tighten it to hold it in place it hits the upper ball joint stud. I didnt even crank it down cause I know you cant tighten it until the car is lowered. would it be o.k to run the bolt from the top down through the lower arm. so when i tighten it the bolt goes away from the stud. I'm a rookie at this and I'm pretty sure I have the sway bar on right and can't remember how it originally bolted up. Any help would be great and any pics to see how it should look would be great. Thanks alot!!!! graemlins/clonk.gif

You can put the bolt in from the top. If the bolt hangs to low cut the excess off. The end links in some cases need to be installed and tightened with the wheels on the ground.

I did this to my 70 Malibu a couple of years ago and I had to get shorter bolts because the ones that came with the end link kit were too long. I don't remember the size off the top of my head, but I do know I had to get shorter ones to make it fit right. I also remember tightening everything back up with the tires back on the ground.

Good luck!

How tight should the bolts be: Snug, but no real pressure on the bushings; tightened until the bushings bulge a little; or tightened as far as possible?

Thanks!

Andy

according to the torque specs:
Bracket to frame 24 ft. lbs.
Link bolts to lower control arm 15 ft. lbs.
I just installed a new 1.25 stabilizer bar yesterday. I torqued the bolts/nuts with wheels on the ground. I've got 1.5 inch space between upper ball joint stud and stabilizer bolt. The bushing didn't compress as much as I thought.
hope this helps. smile.gif bruce

Thanks for the help, ill just go through from the top and cut the excess off, another thing on the torque specs, I have a Hanes manual and for a 70 it says to torque the end link to the lower arm at 156 ft. lbs. Your says 15, that seems pretty loose, any help on the proper torque would be great thanks!!!

156 lbs??!! :eek: No way will those bolts take that much torque without snapping off. 15 is about right, any tighter and the rubber will be smashed flat. Maybe 156 Inch lbs.
Ron