Sway Bar Link Mod

[Mektek]

I've been restoring my 02 TB for the past year and now am installing new Chinese sway bar links. I hear a common complaint - they loosen up after a few days. It looks like the problem (at least in mine) is that the bolt fits loosely through the mounting hole. I cut a shim out of thin sheet metal and formed it to fit around the bolt so that you have to tap it in to fit. I don't know if the loose fit is normal or results from wear and tear, but adding a shim to both bolts eliminates the play and should keep the "clunk" from coming back.
And the Chinese links are not sealed - there's just a dust cover over them. I plan to put a plastic sandwich bag around each joint and duct tape it closed. Yeah, it's a ghetto solution but if you don't want to spend the money for properly sealed moog or GM parts it should work.

 

[Mike534x]

If you don't mind me asking, why buy cheap Chinese sway bar links? Eventually you'll be spending about the same amount on the replacements that could have gotten you the Moog or AC Delco links. They aren't too expensive, even if you did one set up front, and did the rears later on. Amazon (the warehouse section) usually has them in "like-new" condition so you save a few bucks along the way.

If the old links weren't loose in the mounting hole, then the the issue lies with the Chinese link not being properly made for the application. Even with the shim, that doesn't sound like its exactly "safe".

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Why not build your own for the price of Chinese and have them fit right and be simple to tighten if ever needed?

 

[Mektek]

$16.50 a pair from ebay - can't beat that........
looking at the single ACDELCO ADVANTAGE MS50804 it appears mechanically identical, except it does have a properly sealed boot. But costs 4 times as much........
I didn't check how the old ones fit but they were the original 15 year old parts and worn out
It's perfectly safe to shim the bolt so as not to rely on the extreme tightnness of the nut. The factory don't always do a perfect job