this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2026
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We moved backward in time when we needed a new car and got an early 2000s Toyota.
Mainly was for ease of repair, due to what electronics and dealer costs are these days. But also the new vehicles all have telemetry and sell your data to advertisers and insurers.

Anyhow, good mechanically sound car and mint condition inside and out, but wear parts wear. And this rusted link popped its top.

Easy fix though.

Many online videos suggest putting cat on jack stands and using a jack under the control arm to get the new link in place.

I found you can just use the jack point and lower the car till its just close enough to connect back in, and use a 4 inch c clamp to bring the sway bar down once you have the link inserted. A very easy repair that the dealer wants $220 an hour to do.

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[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 7 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

A very easy repair that the dealer wants $220 an hour to do.

Admittedly I'd be paying that to know what the problem is and how to fix it.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I mean thats totally valid.

This was an easy one to diagnose. We hit a pot hole and then heard clunking right after, especially when turning one direction and not the orher. (As the body rolls and sway bar wants to hit axle) No noise when driving a steady rate and straight.

So a quick visual inspection showed the problem. And I'm glad it was that and not a CV joint acting up :)

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 4 points 1 hour ago

That's part of what terrifies me about how complex modern cars are and how 'densely' constructed they are.

Old cars have room to see what's gone wrong :-)

[–] Ertain@feddit.online 2 points 1 hour ago

Nicely done.

[–] fizzbang@lemmy.world 12 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Nice! It’s a good day when suspension work doesn’t turn into a whole weekend of swearing at one stuck and rusted bolt

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

😀 I have been there...with a drill and bolt extractor.

The hardest part was taking the old nuts off, but I sprayed them the day before with WD40, so it wasn't too bad

[–] in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Might I suggest PB Blaster in the future for soak and WD40(or better yet anti seize) for reassembly?

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

For reassembly they have nylock inserts so I usually just leave it bare metal so as not to mess with the anti slip of the nylon.

The original lasted 22 years, so I shouldn't need to replace them now :)

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

I took off the valve cover of an old Toyota the other day while chasing down a slow oil leak. All I found was a bunch of loose bolts ruining engine compression (the search for the leak continues).

I've never fixed a sway bar, so I guess I'll have to locate it and check in on it now. Thanks!

You'll know the swaybar is fucked after your first go over a speed bump at speed and you get a weird sideways bounce.