How to Replace the Front Stabilizer Bar Links on a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

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An anti-sway bar (in black) in the rear axle of a Porsche, which traverses the underside of the car from left to right. A flexible sway bar bushing attaches it to the chassis. Also visible is one of the sway bar end links that connects the bar vertically to an axle. The sway bar end link is the structural member that twists the anti-sway bar when the vehicle is cornering.A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring. A sway bar increases the suspension's roll stiffness—its resistance to roll in turns, independent of its spring rate in the vertical direction. The first stabilizer bar patent was awarded to the Canadian S. L. C. Coleman of Fredericton, New Brunswick on April 22, 1919.

This tutorial discusses how to replace the stabilizer "links" that connect the stabilizer/sway bar to the front axle of a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.

With air tools this repair can be completed within approximately 30 minutes per wheel - with hand tools the time varies between 30 minutes to several hours per wheel depending on how well / quickly the penetrating oil works and how badly the bolts are rusted / corroded.

Steps

1. 1
   Apply parking brake firmly. Place chocks or wood blocks behind rear wheels. Loosen the wheel lug nuts. Slowly raise the front of the vehicle and support it securely on jackstands. Remove the lug nuts and wheels and set them aside.

   
   
2. 2
   Using the ratchet, ratchet extension(s) and 15mm socket, remove the front skid plate and set it aside. Spray the bolts with the pentrating oil and allow them to "soak" if they are difficult to remove.
3. 3
   

   Driver's Side Link (Prior to Removal - upper nut is NOT visible)
   Using the rachet and 17mm socket, loosen, but do not remove, the upper link nut. Scrub with wire brush and spray with the oil if needed as mentioned above. The picture at right is of the old driver's side link in my Laredo prior to it's removal. As you can see, it was horribly rusted and the bolts hadn't moved for 16 years - I had to use a great deal of penetrating oil and my cheater pipe to get them to break loose.
4. 4
   Using the ratchet and 18mm socket, remove the lower through-bolt nut connecting the link to the axle. Use the breaker bar and torx bit to hold the bolt in place as you remove the nut. Scrub and spray with oil as needed. Use the hammer to tap the bolt free of the link and axle bracket. If the nut and bolt are in good shape (not stripped out, cracked, overly corroded, or showing other signs of metal fatigue) set aside for re-use during new link installation. If not, replace them with hardware of the same size and tensile strength as the original parts (additional tools may be required if an exact replacement cannot be found - ie larger or "box-end" type wrenches, different size and type sockets, etc...). I re-used the bolts on my Jeep because they were in pretty good shape after cleaning them up.
5. 5
   

   Old Link & New Link Side by Side (through-bolt nut NOT in picture)
   Remove the upper link nut and remove the link and old bushings from the stabilizer/sway bar. This picture shows the old and new links prior to re-installation. The new link is about an inch shorter than the original and since I don't take my Jeep off-road, the shorter link provides a slightly stiffer ride. If you want to stay true to factory spec on your Jeep take careful measurements of the link shaft length and take them to your parts dealer when ordering your new links.
6. 6
   

   Upper Link Assembly
   To install the new links is pretty much a reversal of the removal process, but I suggest that you loosely secure the bolts and nuts at first to give them and the bushings a chance to "seat" properly before tightening to the final torque specs. When installing the bushings on the upper shaft of the link you will notice that they either have a small circular lip around the shaft opening or are slightly conical in shape on one face of the bushing. That lip or conical shaping needs to be against the sway bar (lip-side UP on the lower bushing, and lip-side DOWN for the upper bushing). Dont forget your concave washer-retainers. The order of installation is as follows:
   • Lower retainer washer (cupped side up)
   • Lower bushing (lip side UP)
   • Through the sway bar (not shown)
   • Upper bushing (lip side DOWN)
   • Upper retainer washer (cupped side down)
   • Upper nut
7. 7
   

   Newly Installed Driver's Side Link
   Once all the nuts, bolts, and bushings are properly installed and seated, begin the final tightening sequence using the torque wrench. Bear in mind that the bushings will be under extreme pressure after the nuts are tightened to their correct specifications and the bushings WILL NOT retain their original size.
   • Secure the upper link nuts to 27 foot pounds (324 inch pounds)
   • Secure the lower axle through-bolt nut to 70 foot pounds (840 inch pounds) in 10-20 foot pound increments - alternating between sides at each stage.
8. 8
   Replace the wheels and lightly tighten the lug nuts.
9. 9
   Re-install the front skid plate and tighten the bolts to approximately 40 foot pounds. Exact torque spec is unknown as of the original publication of this article.
10. 10
    Raise the vehicle slightly in order to remove the jackstands.
11. 11
    Carefully lower the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot pounds.
12. 12
    After completing ANY repair on the vehicle suspension (and this is no exception), take the vehicle to a repair shop and have the alignment checked and/or adjusted by a properly trained professional.
13. 13
    Sit back and take pride in all of your hard work!

    
    

Tips

• It is always best to replace the links in pairs during one repair session, but if time and/or available resources don't permit, the links can be replaced one at a time.
• The "cheater pipe" mentioned in Things You'll Need is a short length of steel or iron pipe that slips over the handle of your breaker bar and/or ratchet wrench to give you a longer handle and thus more leverage when loosening or tightening the bolts.
• It may be necessary to lift the axle slightly in a "wheels off" repair with the floor jack to raise the link shaft into position through the sway bar in order to secure the upper nut. Exercise caution and lower the jack VERY slowly after the upper nut is initially seated/tightened.
• This repair can also be done in a "wheels on the ground" state if you don't have, have access to or can't afford to purchase a set of jackstands.
  • Set the parking brake and block the rear wheels as outlined above and slightly lift the vehicle with the jack from the frame rail just behind the wheel you are working on to provide sufficient clearance to get to the top nut of the link (you'll have to reach over the top of the wheel).
  • Complete the entire removal and re-installation sequence BEFORE lowering the vehicle and working on the other side.
    • If raising the axle is required in order to complete the upper nut removal and/or installation for a "wheels on the ground" repair, the factory supplied emergency tire changing jack can be used to do so. Exercise caution and remove carefully when no longer needed.
      

      Take Care When Lowering the Jack(s)...

Warnings

• When working underneath the vehicle ALWAYS set the parking brake firmly, raise the vehicle with the jack and support securely on jackstands. Also place chocks or large wooden blocks behind the appropriate wheel / wheels to help prevent roll-back. NEVER rely on the jack alone to support the vehicle while performing repairs.
• If you are performing the "wheels on the ground" repair as mentioned in the Tips section, be aware that if the Jeep isn't jacked up high enough, the upper nut may "pop" off the link shaft due to the stabilizer bar straightening out, ricochet around the wheel well and possibly shoot out towards you. Exercise extreme caution. To replace the nut during re-installation, be sure that the threaded end of the link is exposed approximately 1/2" above the sway bar when reinserted and tighten the nut down 2-3 full revolutions or until you feel it "grab" firmly to the threads. DO NOT torque to spec until the lower bolt and bushings are properly seated and the nut and washer are installed at least finger-tight.

Things You'll Need

• The replacement links (usually 1 link to a box, complete with the rubber or polyurethane bushings, concave steel retainer washers, and new "top" nut).
• Lug wrench.
• Safety glasses, goggles, and/or face shield.
• Gloves (optional).
• Automotive jack - preferably a hydraulic floor jack type with at least a 14 inch lift span.
• Wheel chocks / wooden blocks to place behind rear wheels.
• Jackstands (2).
• WD-40, Liquid Wrench, or other penetrating oil to help break stubborn bolts loose.
• Steel wire brush (in addition to the penetrating oil) to scrub off built-up rust and other residues in, on, or around the bolts.
• Breaker bar and "cheater pipe" to provide extra leverage when loosening stubborn bolts.
• Hammer (16 ounces or heavier).
• Air compressor and air wrench (optional - but use them instead of the hand wrenches if you have them - it makes the job MUCH easier).
• 15mm, 17mm, and 18mm deep sockets; T55 Torx bit
• 3/8" or 1/2" drive racheting socket wrench and extensions - depending on the tools and bits you have or can borrow/buy.
• Racheting torque wrench capable of exerting 100 foot pounds (or 1200 inch pounds) OR MORE of force.

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