Trying to install my front sway bar I went to unscrew the bolts holding the subframe up and I get to about the end and the entire bolts starts to spin along with the nut. I think I knocked the bolt loose from where it was held in place behind the frame. So I'm looking for input here I plan to take it to a shop to fix it but on a scale of 1-10 hoe fudged am I?

 

from what it sounds like, your fine, try taking a pair of vise grips and clamping it and then turn the bolt!

 

doesnt sound like you messed it up, prolly did just what you said. when i got my sways on, i had the front one prof installed just because the directions called for lowering the subframe. The shop should be able to fix whatever you did. gl

 

if the bolt is spinning then how will I be able to tighten it afterwards I don't think it's right. I was told that that bolt is trhreaded to a nut back then that is welded in if I put too much pressure on the nut I could have knocked that nut loose.

 

which bolt are you talking about now. the one on the cradle or one of the bolts that secure the steering rack/the engine mount to the cradle? for reference, which pic on which page? http://www.trdsparks.com/install/22425inst.pdf

 

The nuts that secure the steering rack to the cradle. When i got to the end of the thread the bolt on the nut started spinning, not sure if they are bolts or studs

 

It should be a welded nut on the craddle that may have come loose. It can be rewelded in place and should work fine for ya.

 

I just got done installing my front sway this afternoon, that nut and bolt should be spinning... hopefully your car is on a lift, if so, you can look up over the cradle and see the top of that bolt, just get a 14mm wrench to put on there and hold the bolt. You didn't mess anything up, its just that the directions hotchkis provides aren't completely detailed.

 

front was a nightmare.

i ended up take it to toyota, lol.

they charged me 140

 

Did the Hotchkis myself and those bolts are going to spin until you hold the nut down with a wrench. You don't even need it on a lift to fix it, additionally my car was lowered on TRD springs when I tightened mine. I drove home from the shop I was using with them a tad loose and noticed a clunking noise when turning the wheel at a stop. I noticed the rack and pinion moving a bit so I just tightened them down. Been like 7k miles since with no issues. You are good to go my friend.

 

Yeah had a helluva time with those cradle bolts. I had my brother in law reach through the engine compartment with a socket wrench w/extension for one of the bolts. I think we went through the wheel well for one. The other two I snaked my hand in between the cradle and the car and torqued from the bottom. You're not hosed, but it'll take some work to get it all tightened back up.

 

Yeah, you might have to turn the wheel one way or the other to get to the nuts good enough to get a wrench on them. Still pretty easy though.

 

I got scared and just had a shop install it I did not know about that. I was half way done with the job :[

 

I just did the install myself. a friend and I took about 6 hours to do the install. the front was a pain. Getting everything lined back up was a horror. Torquing everything on wasnt too bad, once we fished the box wrench to the top of the carrage.

5 of those 6 hours was spent on the front of the car...

 

yea the rear was easy

 

was the rear sway a pain in the rear to connect the end link to? It seemed like the end link was a bit short for the mid setting. I had to get my frend to push the sway over to get enough thread to thread the nut onto the end link. It seems that the end link needs to be a tad bit longer... Although it seems, becuase of the placement of the rear end link, that a drop would help resolve this issue (I'm riding stock heigth)

 

I had no issues with the rear at all. I've got mine on max setting F+R and it doesn't affect ride quality at all in regards to comfort. Handling, much improved. Stays very flat. I've got TRD springs and stock struts.