Hello,



I have a 1995 dodge dakota 5.2L sport 2WD. I was having some clunking in the front end so I decided to replace the sway bar bushings and end links. When I was replacing them, I found that the bushings were so rotten I could rip them right off.


Now that I have everything back together, the truck is making a banging over bumps every so often. I have the sneaking suspicion that I installed the sway bar upside down. The bar runs very close to the frame and I think it is knocking on the rail. If this is the case then I am an idiot. Shoulda taken pictures before I took it off.


Can some one look at the attached pictures and see if have in fact installed it upside down? Although it's an easy job, it's a real pain in the a** to get dirty for no reason.


Pics are taken looking at the front drivers side of the vehicle.


Thanks!

 

that definitely looks upside down to me. im adding some pics of mine please forgive the horrid pictures i just took them in the dark with my crummy iphone 3g camera and a cheepo flashlight. this is the pic of the drivers side. hope this helps. btw mine is a 95 slt v6

 

It's definitely upside down.

 

if you look at my sway bar endlink is one of bushing is completely gone and makes a "change in pocket" sound when i hit a bump. im going to take care of that in a couple weeks when i buy the full suspension kit because all of my bushings look original and there all dry rotted out.

 

Great! Thanks everyone. This confirms that I am, in fact, an idiot. At least it is public knowledge now and I can get my hands dirty for a good reason

Yes, the bushings that I had on the links were in horrible condition. They could simply be ripped off by hand. Also, the links were seized together and could not be removed with a socket. The bolt on one side twisted and broke when I tried to get it off. The other had to be cut with a dremel tool.

Sway bar links seem to be a common problem on many cars. We have a SAAB 9-3 and I did those in the same afternoon as the truck. The eastern climate and cold winters with lots of salt on the roads dont help either.

Thanks for your help.

 

Yes indeed, the sway bar was upside down. DOH! Flipped it rightside-up and there is much more clearance now. It confused me because when the weight is off the truck it looks like there is much more clearance than when the weight is on the wheels.

However after replacing all the bushings and links, I am still getting banging and popping. Which brings a new thread....

 

check your tie rod's and ball joints. just jack up the front end and safety jack stand it then see if makes the sound or excessive free play when you shake the tire.