74 / 107 / 114

Best TQ setting for 2003 front sway links


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    6
  • Poll closed .

Reprise

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No, that's not the combination to my school locker... it's 3 separate torque settings for front swaybar links. For reference, I have a 2003 LWB.

74 - What I've found online in a few places (and I'm confident this is the 'correct' value, given the number of places I've seen it).

107 - What I found in the 2004 GM Service Manual (that I've been referencing on a continual basis during my repair projects)

114 - Referenced by @xavierny25 in a related post, and he was nice enough to explain that GM revised the setting after 2003.

I'm off to get some washers & lockwashers, and I plan on using the blue loctite.

(for early MY owners especially) - Which setting is best? I've seen references that 'too tight' is bad on these (and we all know that they tend to loosen up w/ time; hence the lockwashers & threadlocker).

I'll post a poll for 'quick' responses, although technical replies are always appreciated, should you wish to add comments.

Almost forgot - my replacements are Moogs.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
I'd use red Loctite. I had that problem on my '02 and egged out the holes. Had to weld them up, redrill and then just tightened them like a mofo. 114 is a little tighter than what is called for and I think it would be sufficient. @xavierny25 should be able to confirm if his held at that torque.
 
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xavierny25

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Mar 16, 2014
6,323
Staten Island, N.Y
I used energy suspension sway bar end links (with red urethane bushings) on my Voy after the moog with the blue bushings went out with in 6-8 months after install, might of been sooner.

We have to remember that you have an 03 which are totally different sway bar end link. 06 and up have a straight shaft. 02-05 had the "z link" which is something I have come to terms calling them. Lol.

You might want to give moog a call and ask what they think is a good. You'll probably get the "go by what your oem torque spec say".

So far so good with my end links. I also had my brother-in-law toss a set on his tbss after we found one of his was busted. The tbss had about 65000 miles at the time.
 
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Reprise

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Appreciate the quick replies from both of you.

We have to remember that you have an 03 which are totally different sway bar end link. 06 and up have a straight shaft. 02-05 had the "z link" which is something I have come to terms calling them. Lol.

That explains a lot, actually...thx for the info!
I wondered why I was seeing the 'straight' ones when I searched irrespective of year. So I can see what you're talking about.

While the poll will be open for a couple of days, I'm likely going to go with '107', since '04s were still using the z-links (and that's a pretty good name for them, as well), but GM had revised the TQ spec from '02-'03 (wonder how many early MY owners know this, because all I see online is '74 ft/lb' when I do a general search.)

Since I'm using washers & threadlocker, I'll be the 'guinea pig' for 107. If you don't hear from me again on this, assume no issues! :: laughing::

I'd use red Loctite. I had that problem on my '02 and egged out the holes.

I had the feeling you'd say 'use the red'...LOL. I hear what you're saying - but given that others have reported the Moogs have been failing lately, I'm leaving some 'margin', in case I do wind up replacing them within a year - I don't want to have to break out the torch! :laugh:

(no reply needed to this...just wondering 'out loud'...)
Now that I think about that some more, I'm wondering if I should go with lockwashers *and* threadlocker - because if I have to replace the links again, I'm wondering how I'm going to get the nuts off. It was a real pain in the tuchus to end up finally removing both of the OEM ones off with the Sawzall (but at least I learned how to use a recip. saw correctly! LOL)

Both of the OEMs stripped the allen slots with just a few turns to go - and I broke a pair of good (read: genuine) USA-made Vise-Grips on the first one. Very aggravating, to say the least - and it took a long time to saw through the bolts (yes, I had a good metal blade!)
 
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HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Build your own decent links and tighten them up good...see that measurement :wink:...with a pair of 3/4 wrenches and screw the stock style crap
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
I think mine called for 96 ft-lbs per the piece of paper it came with. Last time I dropped the bar I ran them on with red locktite and tightened as much as possible. Haven't had one loosen up yet... going on 60k. I usually have to break them free with a torch and breaker bar or an impact. Red locktite is pretty strong. Or is it permatex that I have in the drawer.... unless it's coarse thread tighter won't hurt at all. (May have stripped one out going to 107 that had coarse thread)
 

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