tires and wheels front sway bar question

[dubois]

How much do you tighten the nuts at the end of the linkages (those that go thru the lower control arms). Is the right procedure to NOT do it on a lift with the wheels hanging, but rather on the floor and just tighten them until they touch and double nut?

The next question, is there any advantage or disadvantage to tighten them more? Or conversely, what is the effect on the front suspension?

[steve k.]

need to be tightened when the car is on the ground. You do not want to have any binding in the sway bar while the car is stationary. it does not act as springs in straight line and should move freely. If you have rod ends at the ends of your links attached to the sway bar then you can tighten them to whatever spec the small bolt will allow. The part that attaches to the control arm and is using two bushings that go on either side, use the same method as rear shock mounts. Just tighten until you start to compress the bushings.

steve k.

[Durango_Dave]

I like to tighten the front and rear sway bar bolts as tight as I can, really squishing the polyurethane bushings. One-eighth turn just before the grade 10.9 sway bar bolts break is just about right. Crank 'em down and try it for yourself. Drive your car hard around some corners and see what you think. And yes, you do this with the car on the ground.

[Harv]

If you tighten them too much your new V1 won't work as well.

John

[Durango_Dave]

Actually, I crank down the front sway bar as much as possible, but then fine tune the rear bar to keep the rear wheels planted on the ground. If you stiffen up the rear bar too much, you can actually lift the rear inside wheel off the road in spirited tight cornering. This is not the best situation for cornering speed or traction. Balance is the key.