Loud Clunk while going over a speed Bump...PROBLEM!!!

[Rayz2000Sport]

How much of an ordeal is it going to be to cut these with a rotary tool?? Doesent seem promising haha

 

[gavin]

shouldn't be too difficult.
the main body is mostly plastic, with the only metal being the bolt. so obviously not that much metal.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Urge to kill rising......

shouldn't be too difficult.
the main body is mostly plastic, with the only metal being the bolt. so obviously not that much metal.

OK, so after a 2 hour battle..... here are the results.

I was able to (after a ton of work and sweat) get the bottom cut off and "free" the bolt up. This is where I am now......

Now I can not go anywhere. I tried to break the top of the bolt off for about 30 min and this was the result......

Really dont know where to go from here. Think I need a tool I dont have or am not aware of! haha Once again..... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gavin]

got some bolt cutters? those should work too

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

I will have to wait until my parents get back from Ravens training camp to borrow their car to go to home depot. They have a couple pairs for around $20, and it is one of those tools I always forget to pick up and always end up needing!!

 

[MustangP51]

That should come off now. Get a pair of pliers and twist tug and pull that bottom plastic section down. it should allow you to slide the plastic down off the bolt, then the lower busing on the anti sway bar. Or use a pry bar under the sway bar.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

That should come off now. Get a pair of pliers and twist tug and pull that bottom plastic section down. it should allow you to slide the plastic down off the bolt, then the lower busing on the anti sway bar. Or use a pry bar under the sway bar.

Yea what I thought, but they are all seezed together tight!! That is what is making this entire process I giant PITA!

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

The plastic tube is stuck to the bolt, the bushings are stuck the the bolt and they are being kept in place by the tube!! Huge pain. When I repaired the side that was originally broken it was the same way, but this top bolt was what had broken off. So I just had to break one bushing free and it took maybe 2 min to put the new link in.

 

[gavin]

yeah, the rust that gets between the bolt and plastic part is horrible.

I smeared anti-seize on the whole body of the bolts on my new endlinks when I did this job.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

IF I ever have to do this again, I am just cutting the S$^T out of them from the beginning! haha. Bolt Cutters, SawsAll, ChainSaw!!!! Whatever it takes!

 

[Neil1750825]

Get Motorcraft ones. They are Explorer specific and not just universal ones. Don't have to be adjusted. Cheaper and last longer.

 

[MustangP51]

Get Motorcraft ones. They are Explorer specific and not just universal ones. Don't have to be adjusted. Cheaper and last longer.

Couldn't disagree more. The Motorcraft ones are junk, I have replaced mine twice. the first was ~60,000 miles pax side snapped, I went to the dealer because I didn't know what the part was, replaced it with the OEM ones again 11,000 miles later it snapped again. I have had the Moogs on it now for almost 70,000 miles with no problems. They have no plastic parts and have poly bushings as opposed to the rubber OEM ones.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Wanted to get Moog but they were sold out!

 

[MustangP51]

Wanted to get Moog but they were sold out!

TRW is up to par with Moog. they usually have those

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Guy said all they had were Moog in stock. Then he looked and they werent there! Manager confirmed it!

 

[gavin]

Get Motorcraft ones. They are Explorer specific and not just universal ones. Don't have to be adjusted. Cheaper and last longer.

ummm... the replacements aren't necessarily "universal." They also needed absolutely no adjustments what-so-ever.

they are an exact bolt-on replacement.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Got bolt cutters. Going to hopefully knock this out tomorrow when I get home from work. Hopefully, I can knock it out quick because I have somewhere to be.

Going to need to jack up the truck and take the tire off to be able to get a good angle to cut it. Then I will put the tire back on, lower it and install the new one! Heres hoping for an easy fix!

 

[99SportX]

I cut mine off with a hacksaw. I have replaced them on my dads 99 mounty and my 99 explorer. They seem to break most commonly in the winter time from what I have seen. The bolts get so rusted that you have no choice but to just start cutting away. My dad drove for months with one broken link (same spot as yours) before he mentioned to me the odd noise when going over bumps. lol It definitely handled different to me but he goes so slow he didn't notice a difference, haha.

 

[Rayz2000Sport]

Yea and am going after it with the bolt cutters, rotary tool and hacksaw tomorrow after work!! Its coming off!!!

 

[millerman23]

just keep cutting. i used a torch and was done in about 30 seconds. then leave u can leave them off like i did.