so browsing the junk yard about a month ago i found a stillen rear anti-sway bar: http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?i...N&model=MAXIMA

with some force i was able to remove all of the nuts from the bracket and remove the bar itself. However, the bolts that hold the two parts of the mounting bracket together were rusted in and would not budge. i ending up cutting the trailing arm and taking the brackets as they were.

when i returned home i put on some penetrating oil and let it sit, then threw everything i had at it to remove the bolts, not even a budge. I took it to a friend at the local garage and he attempted to use his impact, not a budge. then he used a multi-ton press to try and press them out, nothing. they are currently soaking in automatic transmission fluid (never heard of this trick but i guess it would work) and still not able to budge the bolts.

if anyone has any ideas on removing these bolt your comments would be appreciated. thanks


does anyone know if it would be possible to just order new mounting hardware from stillen? and how much it would cost?

 

How about heat ? Get a torch and heat it up

 

+1 to the torch, I used it while changing my shocks.

 

Are you turning it the right way?
pic of bolts? I forgot what the brackets look like.

are they something you can drill out or grind the heads off and remove?

 

Nut splitter FTW - http://www.amazon.com/Nut-Splitter-T.../dp/B0000AX88Q

 

i got the nuts off with some elbow-grease so i dont think the nut splitter will do any good. i need to try the blow torch, i used it a little at first and had no luck, but i think it would be worth revisiting. i cant believe how difficult it is to get out because the holes in the bracket are not threaded and its aluminum. there is a small spacer that has become rusted to the bolt and seemingly fused to the aluminum block.

sorry, cant post any pics at the moment because the brackets are still in at the shop, im going to try and get around to picking them up soon. you can somewhat see them in the picture in the link and on the page there is a link to the installation instructions where they have a good drawing of the bracket

 

So did you ever get it out?

 

Damn what a good find!!

 

well ive been away at college so i told my mechanic to take his time. Im back now and when i talked to him on saturday he said he only had one bolt left in. Apparently he bent his press, no the part, the press, when pressing some of the others out. Hes reluctant in using a torch because hes worried he'll deform the aluminum.

in the mean-time i sanded down the sway bar to get ride of a very small amount of surface rust, i didnt like the gray color anyway. Ive primered and repainted it a bright red, in the middle im adding a Stillen logo and going to clear the whole thing, IMO it looks a lot better.

ill post pictures when i get the it all installed.

 

nasty find! my luck is opposite

 

all that aggravation, i would rather spend my time doing someting constructive.like buying a new sway bar...

 

Once your able to get it on, you wont be able to see the logo or much of the red paint due to the low angle and road grime.

 

that would be an easy way to do it... but like i said im in college and dont want to spend $300 on a new one.

i figured that would be the case, but it needed to be repainted due to the surface rust so i figured why not make it a little interesting

 

Amazing find!

+1 to painting it =D

 

Agreed, that's what I did...$159 shipped on Amazon, have to put it on yet though, I was busy installing my TWM short shifter today...what a difference that made!!

 

Use a bigger impact gun. Seriously. Anytime I have to remove a crank bolt from a honda, at least 50% of the time my (or anyone elses in the shop) 1/2" impact wont cut it, but the 3/4" definitely does. Just drill the damn thing, or say f it and cut that bolt flush, bolt up the bar, and never, ever remember what you did.

 

he was using a 3/4" impact i believe. there's only one bolt left so im going to drill it if he can get it out. ill hopefully know by Thursday

 

I finally got the bolts back from the shop and had them sent to Jasper Engines and Transmissions. They got them pressed in about a day.

I installed the bar yesterday and it went on pretty quickly and easily.

I can really tell a difference in the handling now. the back end of the car stays really stiff and level through the turn. Now i need to get a front strut tower support bar to finish it off.

Painting the sway bar make it really good and you can see if from behind, especially if im heading up hill.

Ill post pics soon