Has anyone removed the front sway bar? How do you get at the rear bolt for the bushing mount? I'm guessing the answer is drop the subframe a bit, which bolts in the subframe did you undo to drop it to give clearance?

Thanks.

 

Yeah, you have to drop the subframe. My friend and I did it, he loosened up the 4 or 6 subframe bolts (can't really remember how many there are) and lower it little by little, until you can get the bar out.Also, need to place jack under engine to drop subframe. It is a bitch! Just remember which way you got it out, so that it will be easier to replace with the new bar. Speaking of that, what bar are you planning to use?

 

I'm not actually replacing the bar. I just need to get it slightly out of the way so that I can get an extension on the rack guide screw to do the adjustment.

Did you guys drop the entire subframe or just the rear?

Here's what the end goal is. I'm not using the Honda wrench, so it's a lot deeper than that one, so I need an extension to get at the screw:

 

Just the rear. Little by little until we could get at the swabar bushings, and then get the bar out. New rack going in, or just some type of adjustment? Sorry, I have never touched the rack.

 

Thanks for the tip.

Just doing an adjustment. Honda has this guide adjustment so that when the rack wears, you can adjust it to remove any excess play. If it doesn't work, rack replacement.

 

Cool! Never heard of that! Let us know how it works. A few people have replaced their base with a type-s rack and pump, everyone that has done it says it is a lot tighter. Would love to do this, but cash has to start growing on trees first.

 

Are you sure all you removed is the rear subframe bolts? What about any suspension bolts? I just went under there again, and it looks like the suspension might be holding the subframe up too?

 

No, when we did mine (fsb) we did disconnect the end links from the front sway bar, and I believe the four major bolts that hold the subframe to the vehicle. Sorry, I can't be more specific, we did this almost 2yrs ago. U may need to support the engine with a jack, before loosening the bolts to the subframe.

 

Take the rear most bolts out, loosen the upper two 3/4 of the way and loosen the fronts half way. This should give you a few inches of clearance. You want to loosen all bolts because even if you can pry down the subrame with the front bolts tight, you're stressing them in a way that they were not meant to be stressed. You will need an alignment after this.

I'm assuming this adjusment sets the backlash of the pinion to the rack. Be careful not to go too tight. You'll put lots of stress on the gears and powersteering pump not to mention it will be slower to self straighten.

 

Thanks I'll try that.


Helms says to replace some of those subframe bolts. Do you think Loctite will be enough?

 

Does it give a reason why? If they're TTY bolts, that would be the reason but I've never seen them used as chassis bolts. To do a 4 wheel alignment, these bolts get loosened and tightened and I know they don't replace them when doing alginments so I don't know why it would call for replacing the bolts. If Acura calls for it I would do it.

 

Where do you place the jack under the engine. I was thinking about putting the car on two oil changing ramps (so I have room to move) and resting the engine on the jack. I just don't know what would be a safe place to do so.

I have an 08 TL with Navi. I'm planning to upgrade the front sway bar to the solid TL-s sway bar. (Do i need special tools to loosin up the subframe, and do I need to replace the subframe bolts?) I'm also planning to upgrade the rear to an adjustable 24mm Progress sway bar.

what's your set up like, any tips you can give me?

Thanks for your time.
jauman

 

sorry to revive an old thread, but this seems to be the closest i can get to a diy on the sway bar front and rears. every other thread and video is about the end links. are there others? how much work is necessary when dropping the front sub frame? what about when doing the rears?

 

As stated above, the front sub-frame, believe 6 bolts, needs to be lowered slightly, at least in the rear, to remove/replace the bar.
Rear simple. Just remove links and bushings and remove/replace the bar.
Easier if the suspension is loaded when attaching the end links.

 

IIRC this can be used as a "visual guide" to roughly what you'll be doing replacing front sway bar.