I was wondering, for ease of removal the next time I remove my sway bar links, if I put two nuts on each end of the sway bar link, one on each side. So four nuts per sway bar link. This would give me more to “bite” onto to have ease of removal the next time I remove them. The flat spot that is already there isn’t wide enough. This would avoid having to cut them off after rounding out the Allen head cut in the stud.
I’m not sure if two nuts on each end of the link would cause any issues? As long as each nut is fully threaded, I don’t see why this would cause any issues? But I figured I would ask to see if anyone thinks this is a bad idea. Thanks.
They used to make “sway bar disconnects” for Jeeps. Lots of off-roaders used them - more suspension travel with the sway bar disconnected. Why are you wanting to disconnect the sway bar often?
Yea I see. Those lock nuts have a small height, very narrow, making it hard to grab onto them. I’ve seen sway bar links with nuts that are taller, like the ones in this picture. I have difficulty getting nuts off of sway bar links without rounding out the Allen key hole in the stud. The small flat area right on top of the boot that holds the grease is very narrow, very hard to get a good grip on. If you can get a good bite on that flat area you can counterturn it to keep the stud still while trying to loosen the nut. This is very difficult to get a good bite on that flat area. So have to resort using an Allen key in the stud, and just counterturn which ends up rounding out the Allen key hole. So have to cut them off at the stud after backing the nut off a few threads. I think we have this problem even with regular nuts instead of lock nuts?
This is why I was thinking using four regular nuts (not lock nuts). Two, one on each side of the hole the stud goes through on the shock/strut assembly. Two, one on each side of the hole the stud goes through on the sway bar. Then can bite onto the regular nut closest to the ball joint to counterturn and loosen up the nut on the top. Should be able to get a better grip on the second nut instead of the very small narrow area on top of the boot.
I’m just thinking of a way of allowing for ease of removal with using four nuts instead of two. But I don’t know if this would make a difference? I’m trying to think of a way to re-use the sway bar links instead of having to cut them off all the time. So I came up with this idea, but I’m not sure if it would work.
Use the nuts that came with the links. If you add a second nut to the stud you accomplish nothing. Unless you weld the second nut to the first, it will come not increase the grip on the proper nut. You will still have the issue of rounding out the Allen section of the stud.
How often are you removing the links anyway, and why???
I think what he wants to do is put one nut on, tighten it all the way down on the stud, then put the sway bar on, and another nut. The nut inside the sway bar will be the “counter turn” nut as you take the outside nut off. Might work.
As for how often he’s removing the links and why, I think that is an excellent question! I figure sway bar links and bushings ought to be an item you only have to replace once in the life of the vehicle, if they ever need replacement.
Have you considered “double nutting” each link? On the end of the stud you’d install one nut. Then install another one over it. Hold the first one while you tighten the second one. The tension of the two nuts against each other would keep either from loosening.
To remove, hold the first nut and take off the second. Then use the allen wrench while you back off the first nut you installed. It will unscrew with a lot less torque on the allen fitting.
This might require 2 or 4 thinner nuts, maybe not.
AS per @Scrapyard-John, the idea is likely to have a nut on either side of the sway bar end and the mounting point on the control arm. That would work but the stud appears to be too short for that.
well, I guess you can cut a piece of the allen key off and weld it in the end. then you could use a socket on the end of the allen key to hold it while loosing the nut.
