Bummer! I hope your health issues get resolved soon!
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Thanks Mark. I hope so to.
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So the sway bar link bushings I used when I installed the Daox bar 37,000 miles ago are in bad shape. Could be due to the Krown spray. I say this becasue the forward bushing which is less exposed is not nearly as cracked. Either way they had to be replaced. Since the bar had to come off I decided to use stainless socket head bolts and toss the hex head bolts as it is difficult to get a wrench in there. While the bar was off I noticed the finish at the pipe to bracket weld area had flaked off. This is where they tend to break. I don't know if the finish flaked off due to the torsional stress or not. Maybe the exposed metal here cause rust and integrity issues. Either way I really like the bar and will try to maintain it as best as I can. So i took the bar to have it sandblasted. In hopes of increasing longevity I also had some extra welding put on it as shown. The bar is currently at the powder coaters having a satin black finish applied. More pictures to come when I pick it up hopefully late this week. I am installing another set of sway bar link bushings between the bar and the bottom of the axle assembly to absorb some of the stress. If I have to change them every 30-40K in order to keep the bar from breaking I am ok with that.
I think your bushings are helping out. My bar unfortunately broke after 20k miles. So whatever you're doing keep doing it.
I reinstalled the Daox bar after having it sandblasted, extra welding added and powdercoated. I also used socket head stainless bolts and new hard rubber bushings between the bar and the axle. I tightened pretty tight ... hopefully leaving enough flex in the bushings to take some pressure off thebar. I have about 40,000 miles on the bar plus the 8,000 Aries K put on before I bought it. I like the difference the bar makes and am doing my best to make it last as long as the car. I had to pry the spring to the side to get the hex key in the front bolt but it seemed to work out ok. I also used the black washers that came in the sway bar kit. They will probably rust and I may go back to stainless washers next time the bushings fail.
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