swaybar links or dogbones hole is too small

[Kibokojoe]

Yeap all rubber

[Tiger]

Believe me, you don't even need a hammer.

[Kibokojoe]

Aligning the sway bar with the axle does what?

[Tiger]

if you jack up the car only on one side... you will see that swaybar move way way way away by the time you got the new link ready to put on. Instead of trying to 'flex' that swaybar back... you get the point.

[632 Regal]

I turned down a customer update due to this, the sway bar was way rusty and I didnt feel like doing the whole 9 yards of work for 20 bux, I guess it will slip on with liquid soap but the bar needs to be clean. That also involves repainting it if you want to do a job with your name on it. 20 bux, nope no thanks and I refuse to do hack.

[shogun]

na hammer, no force needed, if it does not slip in, it is not aligned straight.
I jack the car, then I use a scissor jack under the side of that rear axle (best place you can get there to jack), and then I move the axle up or down till the bolts slides in straight like butter.
In case you need force, the bolt and the bush and the counter part are not 100% in line. That is the trick, use a scissor jack, cheap and with nice fice adjustment.
Any scrap car has it.
The last one I got free of charge when my mother in law scrapped her old Totota Crown which was 20 years old. Complete Toyota tool set, nice jack, all never used.

[Kibokojoe]

Oh I see. I always jack up from the center, with stands on the trail arms. I then use a small portable jack to push thing up or down to position them.

[Kibokojoe]

Wish I had seen this. I got them installed fairly painlessly. Ends of the sway bar were clean. No need to paint. I gave the end of the swingarm and the rubber grommet on the link a good shot of spray silicone. Then just grabbed the swaybar with one hand and with a twisting motion force the rubber grommet onto the swaybar. Got about halfway and then gave them another shot of spray silicone. Another grunt and a couple more twists and they were on. And by the way yes I have a scissor jack. I got it out of my 83 Dodge Challenger before she was carried off to the junk yard. That was a sad day.

[Tiger]

Soap!

[Kibokojoe]

Don't know what the side effects of soap is on rubber. Whereas silicone is safe on rubber...anyway this was my reasoning,,,,as limited as my reasoning is