Whiteline sway bar and endlink problem... Update

[SleepinGVR4]

I searched and I haven't seen anyone with this problem yet.

The whiteline instructions say that the rear suspension is supposed to be loaded when you tighten everything down. But the write up on VFAQ doesn't do this. He puts jackstands under his subframe mount points and installs it. I tightened everything down with the suspension loaded.

I thought the end links were supposed to be more square with the lower control arms and sway bar mounting points.

Also my sway bar hits my rear wheel hubs. I looked at my buddies whiteline bar and his doesn't flare out on the ends as much as mine does.

Did I do something wrong? Or am I a total idiot?

Here are some pictures of before I bolted it down...


















This is after the endlinks are bolted down...













You can see in the pictures where the swaybar hits, and how the endlinks sit when bolted down. I thought about shaving the corner of the swaybar but I didn't want to do anything until I get another opinion.

 

[cheekychimp]

Had the same issue, couldn't get any joy on here, everyone was telling me that theirs just bolted up.

Ended up taking mine to a shop together with the stock bar. They cut the WL bar, welded up the holes and re-drilled in the stock location. I lost the ability to adjust it but it's still a 26mm bar and bolts up perfect with stock endlinks now.

You have to factor in the cost of shipping, down time and if you just want a stiffer bar or need to adjust it. I just figured it was easier to get it 'modified'. It took a few hours and bolted straight back in afterwards.

 

Here's a link to when I installed the end links on my car with the stock sway bar

click

 

[cheekychimp]

Sleepy do you still have the stock bar there? Put them side by side or on top of each other etc and snap a photo, it should give some indication if there is a difference in length curvature etc. Thinking back, I think the guys said that my bar also had to be re-shaped slightly.

 

I was just about to ask him to do this as well just to see if the Whiteline bar is bent out of shape. There's no reason it should be touching anything. Another suggestion I PM'd Sean is to put the stock end links on & see how the Whiteline bar does as far as clearance.

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Quoting cheekychimp:
Sleepy do you still have the stock bar there? Put them side by side or on top of each other etc and snap a photo, it should give some indication if there is a difference in length curvature etc. Thinking back, I think the guys said that my bar also had to be re-shaped slightly.



I can't do that the whiteline bar is on the car. And I really don't want to drop the subframe again.

The middle hole seems to line up fine. It actually looks like the bushings are to thick. And I hope the bar isn't bent that would really piss me off.

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Quoting Garfield Wright:
I was just about to ask him to do this as well just to see if the Whiteline bar is bent out of shape. There's no reason it should be touching anything. Another suggestion I PM'd Sean is to put the stock end links on & see how the Whiteline bar does as far as clearance.



I wish I could try the stock endlins, but I think I threw them out already. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

Nothing is ever easy with my car.

 

[RedTwo]

Mine never got that bad but had similar clearances. Your end links do look realy high, from memory the factory bushings are only 10-20mm thick/high.

 

[cheekychimp]

Quoting cheekychimp:
Sleepy do you still have the stock bar there? Put them side by side or on top of each other etc and snap a photo, it should give some indication if there is a difference in length curvature etc. Thinking back, I think the guys said that my bar also had to be re-shaped slightly.



Quoting SleepinGVR4:
I can't do that the whiteline bar is on the car. And I really don't want to drop the subframe again.

The middle hole seems to line up fine. It actually looks like the bushings are to thick. And I hope the bar isn't bent that would really piss me off.



I understand your pain but the thing is I was in your position and the endlinks shouldn't sit like that. I tried to make it work and after less than 100 kms the endlink bushings were fucked and completely torn off, not to mention the noise. That's when I pulled the bar again.







The caption from this photo in my build thread reads: -

"This is the old Selby Sway Bar. The 26mm Whiteline bar is at the "machine" shop being re-bent, trimmed and having the bolt holes welded in and then re-drilled for oem endlinks."



I really hate to say it mate but I think you need to pull that bar and put it next to the stock one to assess things. I guarantee if you drive it like that, in a few weeks you'll be doing it anyway and at that point you will have fucked the WL endlinks like I did. Sorry dude! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Well I ended up pulling the Whiteline end links and putting the stock ones back on. Low and behold the sway bar doesn't hit the wheel hub anymore.










I then compared the factory end links to the Whiteline end links. See what I discovered.








As you can see from the pictures the Whiteline end links are really too tall. Which makes me wonder if Whiteline really designed a new end link or just found one of there existing ones that were close to our factory end links. But then again why hasn't anyone else had this problem besides Paul and I?


I was wondering if I could have them cut shorter and then re-welded? Maybe someone with more experience with this could chime in. The rubber boot on the end link looks like will be hard to remove and put back on if I was able to have them cut and re-welded.

 

[KT]

Maybe WL sent you the wrong ones? Unfortunately, I've had what I would consider "premier" parts mfgrs screw up simple orders and rebuilds. Send them those pics and take some measurements. It's probably cheaper for them to send you the right ones and just pitch the ones that don't fit.

 

[gramkrakr89]

Would using a thinner bushing bring it down enough to fit like the stock one?

 

[turbowop]

No, because the part above the bushing is what is too tall.

I would just run new OE endlinks. I don't see what makes the WL links any better. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[gramkrakr89]

yeah... they even look a little less stout than OEM if you ask me

 

[Brunoboy]

are endlinks the same as a 1g awd? as the bushings and stuff are.
-Shane

 

[BoostedAWD91]

thats a shame those new endlinks didnt work out

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Quoting KT:
Maybe WL sent you the wrong ones? Unfortunately, I've had what I would consider "premier" parts mfgrs screw up simple orders and rebuilds. Send them those pics and take some measurements. It's probably cheaper for them to send you the right ones and just pitch the ones that don't fit.



Not according to Garfield, they are in fact the correct ones.

And I'm not going to pitch these. They are $100 end links.

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Quoting turbowop:
No, because the part above the bushing is what is too tall.

I would just run new OE endlinks. I don't see what makes the WL links any better. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif



Mark is correct. I tried to use the bushings off the stock ones and it did lower the end links a little bit just not enough.

I believe the Whiteline end links are superior. The thread size is bigger than the factory ones.

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Quoting gramkrakr89:
yeah... they even look a little less stout than OEM if you ask me



They are definitely more stout than the OEM ones. The downside of using the OEM ones is that the threaded part that goes through the sway bar really isn't long enough because that part of the sway bar is thicker than the stock one.

Look at one of the last pictures I posted you can see that I barely had enough threads for the nut to screw on. And actually I feel there still aren't enough threads.

 

[gramkrakr89]

ah, I shee. Gee, that's a bummer

EDIT: - need to learn to read before posting, heh