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Stabilizer Installation

SeriesVtime

SeriesVtime

Donation Time
When I assembled the front-end of my SV, I must've just been in too much of a rush and failed to install the stabilizer. Now, I'm having a devil of a time muscling it into place.

Are there any special steps/instructions that someone might share to help me wrap this last step to my resto?

Thanks!
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
SeriesVtime said:
When I assembled the front-end of my SV, I must've just been in too much of a rush and failed to install the stabilizer. Now, I'm having a devil of a time muscling it into place.

Are there any special steps/instructions that someone might share to help me wrap this last step to my resto?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Not here. The best I can tell you, support one end with a jack stand, holding it in approximate location while you work on the other. Other than that, I really don't know what I did to get it in place. Maybe too much of the muscle has gone to my head.

Bill
 
P

phatt

Donation Time
I had a dickens of a time getting mine in also. I finally had to drag my son over which helped a lot. Used jacks, Clamps, and vice grips. Use lots of patience and if you find yourself getting frustrated take a break:cool:. This is not a fun job. You'll get it eventually, hang in there. Good luck, Paul
 
Ken Ellis

Ken Ellis

Donation Time
If it's still out, take a moment and trace it on some cardboard or the garage floor. Then flip it over, and check that it's symmetrical. I had one that was 'bent' and it was a bear. Replaced it with a "non-bent" and it went in easy.

Ken
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
I found it not too difficult. As I recall the process, I had the weight of the car on the wheels (normal position). I think I installed the inner brackets first - and this was quite straightforward. Then I used vice grips and clamps to push the outer ends into place and installed the outer brackets. Note that the outer brackets have a spacer (thick washer- 3/16"?) under its bolted tab - between the bracket and the A frame. The manual refers to these as "distance pieces" and it allows the use of identical brackets on all 4 places even though the A-Frame has a narrower cross section at the outer point.

Tom
 
SeriesVtime

SeriesVtime

Donation Time
Guys, this is helpful.

Ken, thanks for the 'bent' theory. I hadn't considered that possibility. It was in at one point, but that doesn't really mean its straight.

Phatt - it's always good to know that I'm not the only one that's had trouble with this :p

Tom, I've been starting from the outer clips. Trying one outer, then the other. Argh... I'll try starting with an inner.

I don't know if this has any bearing, but the springs are cut. When up on jacks, the lower A doesn't distend down as far. But it sounds like Tom did his down using the weight of the car. With these cut springs, its rather difficult to get under there to do much cajoling - if you know what I mean?

Oh well, there's always a yet attempted approach. I'll keep trying.

Thanks guys!

Jeff
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Jeff, Installing the bar with car weight on its wheels is how the WSM specifies. But to get room under there it's fine to have the car on ramps, or even just put your jack stands under the ball joints. I think it gets really difficult if the suspension is extended - even if the extension is less than stock.

And do you have thick washers?

Tom
 
Ken Ellis

Ken Ellis

Donation Time
Ditto on Tom's "up on ramps" comment. More room to work.
As I recall, I used a 10" long drift punch to align the holes. I engaged the tab, used the punch as a lever to align the bracket hole with the A-arm hole, and then tightened the clamps (woodworker's old-style clamps) with the punch still in the hole. Once clamped down, and secured with a vice-grip chain clamp, I removed the drift punch and installed the bolt and nut.

Note: my original stabilizer was bent because the PO tried to tow the car with it. The few-degree bend along the leading edge caused much more force to be necessary to secure the extreme ends. (The bar is easy for cornering forces to bend, but not so easy for you to bend.)

When clamping, be mindful of where that clamp will fly when it comes loose. Tethering them would not be a bad idea.

Good luck!
Ken
 
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