Do sway bar end links look like this?
 

Hey guys, while I was doing a 1x3 this evening this caught my eye. Is this normal? I do have a serious question though. The last couple months I have been tracking left or right on uneven surfaces. Would this end link being broken be a cause of that or is there something else I should be looking for? Also would you recommend replacing with OEM or find something aftermarket. In the aftermarket world would you fine forum members list some good end links that wont break the bank. Should I do both sides or just fix this broken one? SORRY about the eye sore, RUST!!! Can't do a thing about it when your driving on nothing but salt 4/5 months of the year...... Doesn't that LCA look awesome!

Thanks for your help as always!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...d64499a46c.jpg

The broken link will have nothing to do with tracking when driving, you'll just experience more roll in turns.
As far as replacement, I'd replace both sides, so take a look at RockAuto for various links available.
Changed tires lately? If not, how's tread wear, even?

check the rears as well.

if I recall correctly, the rears being disconnected will make you sway in a turn

I recommend replacing both rear swaybar end-links, as it will affect your handling around curves/turns. Also, you will get clunking noise from rear when driving over uneven surfaces.

OEM Honda replacements are cheap and function correctly (non-greaseable).

MOOG aftermarket is a popular and typically robust design, that may last longer and could be greaseable. Just make sure you inspect before purchase, as some newer MOOG product has become re-branded cheap outsourced designs (not typical of MOOG parts). I know this from experience (example: 04-08 TL lower front ball-joint MOOG replacement).

its still driveable with rears unhooked, as some manufactures dont have rear sway bars and endlinks... HOWEVER,your car will sway in a turn!

No way you think that looks normal :facepalm:

well, it is in red....being sarcastic maybe?

obviously this isn't normal... I was joking around hence it being in red!

This is the FRONT sway bar I should have added. I will probably inspect the rear this weekend after finding this. Either way I will be replacing all 4 just for preventative maintenance. Might as well do them when it is warm out, instead of -10* when I am sure the next one will break!

Thanks for the input as usual guys!

Okay okay. :)

I SECOND MOOG!

the rear moog are a great upgrade, beefier and more robust and you can grease them through their port.

however, the front moog are a DOWNGRADE. they are much smaller and weaker than the oem end links, they don't even have a port to grease them. i had them and was disgusted when they showed up. had them on for about a week and then went back to oem for the front. the rear moog are awesome!

I've only used tear MOOGs so assumed the front were just as good...

Thanks sockr1 for the tip!!!!

:thumbsup:
that's what i assumed too haha. seriously so much smaller i felt i could break them in my hand haha

pb blaster & let it soak for a day or 2...then lots of heat and an impact wrench is needed with all that rust! I hate changing rusted endlinks.. I had to saw a set off once by hand...sucked

Thanks for the heads up on the front end links. I will probably look into OEM - Front / Moog - Rear.

:shark:

I realize you intend to replace the swaybar end-links. To those unaware, disconnected front swaybar end-links make more of an impact in handling than rear and I would deem necessary. Only reason for disconnecting front swaybar end-links I'm aware of is for rock crawling off-road vehicles that want to have more suspension articulation (intentional). This is not desirable for on-road vehicles who want proper handling characteristics. True, some passenger on-road vehicles do not have rear sway bars (no end-links either, obviously), but these vehicles are typically lower trim levels or cheap models. Most well handling vehicles I'm aware of have rear swaybars (therefore, "connected" end-links) and it is there to improve rear end handling characteristics.

My experience with suspension upgrades has been with no rear sway bar or disconnected rear end-links will cause vehicle to not feel whole while driving around curves or corners. The rear half of vehicle turn-in response will be delayed compared to vehicle front and rear end will not feel as planted. This will be exaggerated when driving around curves or corners with uneven surfaces. Vice versa when no front swaybar or front end-links disconnected.

I'll have to double check, but I'm pretty sure the front end links I bought that are moog are greasable and robuster than oem.

This. A cutting tool may end up being your best friend. I'm going through the same thing on my car.

exact opposite, check out my thread with a photo comparison: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-t...pgrade-899993/

nno one answered the orig questiom

Ordered new OEM front end links with new hardware. Waiting to amazon the rears until I take a look at them. In other news, my Tein SA's will be here today!!!

wondering how it all turned out. I am getting a clunking on bumps. I looked at everything in the suspension and it all looks good. Dealer took a look and said sway bar end links are shot.
How difficult is replacement (front only) and do I need an alignment when finished. Looks like an easy on/off job, but I recall reading somewhere that it can be a b*tch to install new after removal.

I haven't done the end links on a TL, however, I've done then on plenty of other cars. As a general rule, it takes about 90% of the time (and cuss words) to take the old ones off, versus putting the new ones on.

No alignment needed, but tighten the bolts with suspension loaded.

If you're removing sway bar links it helps to have both wheels lifted off the ground. This will make it easier to undo the nuts on the sway bar link as there will be no torsion force introduced and the sway bar links will not be loaded up as they would if you only jacked up only one wheel at a time.

Even if both wheels are off the ground, unless lifted under both LCA's, the end links will be "loaded" as the bar is pulled down.
Note-End links connected to the lower control arms and as the car is raised, the LCA will drop and down will come the bar.

True, but not to the extent as when one sway bar link is loaded more than the other. Neutrality(in torsion force) is the name of the game here.

remove and install links with the wheels on the ground or on a lift that you drive onto. the bar will be in the unloaded position

Usually the wheel drop is controlled by the stabilizer bar.
Meaning that the wheel assembly will only drop so far as the restriction is the stabilizer bar at its max and definitely what you might say loaded.

This is the way to go.

However, if the above not available, lift one wheel under the LCA just enough to get the tire off the ground, don't lift the body.

Replaced my rears twice already with the OEM's, and the brackets once as they broke. Each time, I got 5 years out if the OEM links and their prices were within reason.

Paul, our master star mechanic in Northern NJ thinks the brackets broke because I have a thicker rear stabilizer bar as the original ones were designed to withstand the strain of the original bar.
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Interesting; the service records on my 2006 don't show the links, front or rear, as having ever been changed. When I looked at them during my state inspection they were all in tact with no apparent issues.

Maybe you drive the car like we do and at 102k ('04) miles everything looks as new.
Got to remember, some drive as if they're going around Lime Rock Park.

I've only had mine for a little over a month; currently it's just shy of 117,000 miles, and yeah, most of my miles, and clearly most of the miles driven by the original owner, are nice easy highway miles.