Front Sway bar Information

no torque specs for you, but if it was me, I would double check all my bolts were tight if I had a clunk. look for chipped paint on your sway bar where it might be hitting something. use a strong flashlight to look everything over good, get a friend to drive it over some rough road while you listen from the passenger seat to see if you can figure out which side the clunk comes from.

 

it must clip in somehow and you must have dislodged it when you unbolted the rack. I haven't ever unbolted the rack when I've done the sway bars.

 

never unbolted the rack. I dangled the subframe enough to slide the bar in, either through the wheel opening or from the back. done it 4 times so far.

 

not really, I don't disconnect the motor mounts and I don't take the front subframe bolts all the way out.

 

Here is a PDF spec sheet for the NHW20 Front Sway Bar replacement

Could you repost the video - youtube says there is an error with the file. Also, any more pictures? I have done this swap only twice but never had any odd noises from the install.

 

nfw would I remove the steering gear from the car or disconnect the exhaust. Toyota doesn't want you to mess with the subframe bolts, I suppose because you could screw the alignment up if you aren't careful when you tighten the bolts back up. I spray paint the subframe ears and then you can get perfect re-alignment by matching the paint lines.

 

Do you have instructions on how to do it your way? I'm thinking of replacing my sway bar (broken)

 

there is an older thread with instructions in it. I think someone even posted a few pix when they did it. definitely upgrade to a corolla bar, and remember to get the brackets and bushiings with the bar.

 

I had been scouring the forum for tidbits of information. Lots of good info here but hard to find them. If you don't mind, could you guide me through a few questions?
1) In another thread you stated you only partially unbolt the front subframe bolts, let them dangle. Do you completely remove the back bolts or also only partially?
2) Do you need to support the subframe (with a jack) when you undo the bolts even if just partially?

From what I had gathered from your helps in various threads, I'm guessing that you did the following:
1) Partially unbolt the front subframe bolts
2) Partially unbolt the rear subframe bolts (not sure if support is needed under the subframe or not)
3) Unbolt the sway bar bolts (the one on the bushings)
4) Unbolt the sway bar from the sway bar links
5) Slide the bar out through the wheel opening

Optionally, you also
2b) Unbolt the rear subframe bolts completely
5b) Slide the bar backward, through the opening where the bolts used to be between the subframe and the body

Thanks.

 

I had to remove the rear bolts completely. I firmly recommend you have a trolley jack under the rear of the subframe. it is possible the engine and transaxle won't fall on you and maim or kill you if you don't have a jack under it, but I definitely didn't test that. you need to be careful lowering the subframe; its likely that a wire or hose or something will break if you lower it too far. the old bar comes out pretty easy, but the corolla bar is bent a little different and you might have to rotate it back and forth to weasel it in the left side, it might be easier to push it in from the back. you'll have to see what works for you. definitely spray paint the ears of the subframe. there are holes you will be able to use to reference the subframe and pry it intro position. probably still should get an alignment afterwards, even if you get the subframe exactly where you think it was before you unbolted it. the subframe bolts need to be tight, but don't use a giant breaker bar and strip or snap one off. you will be really unhappy if you can't reattach the subframe properly. the frame bushings are kinda difficult to unbolt because there's not much clearance between the subframe and body.

 

After installing the sway bar (used 2009 Prius sway bar onto 2007 Prius), the ride got really harsh. There's no metal clunking sound. It feels like I got really bad out of balance wheels but without the steering wheel jerking left and right. I could feel it mostly by the pedal, but also throughout the whole body in general. I haven't done a wheel alignment yet but I don't think a bad alignment would make the car feel harsh. Any idea?

 

why would you replace your bar with another prius bar? was it any thicker? I would have expected them to be identical. perhaps you got the subframe in crooked?

 

I broke the end point of the sway bar so this is just a replacement. How crooked the subframe could get out of whack to cause problem? It doesn't feel like it could move out of place beyond a few mm. I will have to jack the car up to double check.

 

I believe it could easily be more than a 1/4" off, if you didn't do something to reference it before moving it. that's why I posted to spray paint the ears of the subframe. the holes in the subframe and the paint spots on the body will allow you to reinstall it almost perfectly where it was. still should get an alignment afterwards, because even a few mm will throw it off.

 

@69shovlhed what yr was you corolla bar from?