Damaged or worn stabilizer bushings and end links can be the source of clunking noises from your car when you drive over speed bumps or hit potholes. Often times, the rubber or isolating portions of your sway bar end link can become cracked or exposed to the elements, leading to noise and in extreme cases, complete failure.
As these joints and arms are exposed to the elements such as rain, mud sleet or snow and can become brittle, it’s a good idea to check your end links frequently for any cracking or damage.
When your vehicle is developing a noise or clunk that occurs during bumps or potholes, a good place to start would be the stabilizer or sway bar bushings.
These bushings are designed to hold the sway bar ( stabilizer bar ) in place and make sure it’s doing it job by reinforcing the lower control arms and suspension pieces.
Replacing your worn stabilizer bushings is easy enough to do, and these parts are usually cheap and easy to find. To service your stabilizer bushings, simply remove the bushing brackets and slip in the new bushings. You may want to use a lithium grease or similar heavy duty lubricant in order to prevent squeaking or odd noises.
If your sway bar bushings look good however, it’s time to look at your sway bar end links, which is one of the most often requested part on our website.
Today we’ll be looking at replacing the stock sway bar end links on a 2001 Dodge Stratus, and going over all the steps to help trouble shoot and repair your worn sway bar end links. If you find your sway bar end links to be worn or cracked, you can elect to either replace the worn sway bar end link boots, or simply replace with an entire kit.
Today’s part we’ll be replacing is a 2001 Dodge Stratus sway bar end link, with a kit from Moog part number K7199. To begin this work, you will need the following tools.
Tools you will need to replace your sway bar end link
- 14mm open end wrench
- 7mm hex wrench
- 12mm open end wrench
- sway bar end link tool
To begin jack up the vehicle and secure it with jackstands if you are not able to put the vehicle on a 2 post lift. While you are adjusting and changing your sway bar end links, its important to remember that you must place load on the car to properly install the end links in general.
Often times the sway bar end link may be a helical kind, which will require a hex wrench and a open ended wrench like the one shown here. If you have access to air tools, you may be able to remove this nut without using the hex wrench to hold the sway bar end link still.
As we are only removing the rear sway bar end links in this vehicle, simply gun off or remove the sway bar end links by undoing the 14mm nuts holding the sway bar end link in place.
As we explained in the first paragraph, these components are exposed to the elements so rust and debris may cause you problems when you first remove the sway bar end link.
Find all the hardware that comes with your sway bar end link kit, we’ve opted for the urethane Moog kit which replaces the cheap rubber with a nice urethane piece.
When you are installing your new sway bar end link, make sure that you tighten the lower bolt snugly and do not overtighten as you may have to properly seat the bushings on the top bracket. Remember to just gently snug this lower nut, and come back to it once your sway bar end link has been properly seated.
This is a look at what we were talking about, the top portion of your sway bar end link must by firmly and securely installed as to prevent movement or any lateral distortion. Before tightening your sway bar end link, make sure that this piece is firmly seated and ready to rock and roll.
Here is a better shot of the bushings lined up, take note that we have not tightened the top hat down as of quite yet. You will want to tighten the bottom nut before tightening up the top to complete this side of the sway bar end link install.
Don’t forget to do the other side either as mismatching sway bar end links may cause your older link to fail prematurely.
And now you have fully serviced your rear sway bar end link in your 2001 Dodge Stratus! Congratulations!