Sway bar end link bushing recommendations

MoparDan

MoparDan

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I need new sway bar end links, Napa doesn't sell them anymore so I checked Rockauto: three brands to choose from: MOOG, MEVOTECH, and DELPHI, which one is best? The most expensive is $11. so money's not an issue, just want the one that will last the longest
 
Any one of them would probably work just fine. However, in most cases the higher priced replacement parts are higher priced because they're better quality. Not always, but usually.
 
Moog has been around forever...Delphi as well, but probably the younger of the two as it was originally a GM shop and spun-off by them at some point in time. Of the two of when Moog would be the one to actually manfuacture their own parts, Delphi on the other hand I'm not srue anymore as they were acquired by BorgWarner at the start of 202.

Never heard of Mevotech?
 
Given a choice of them, I'd go with Moog actually. Although their quality has slipped in recent years, mainly due to them having so many of their products made in China. :mad:
 
Moogs a global manufacturer. Could get lucky and get some German or American made parts; but yea, probably will get some Chinese, Indian or Taiwanese made parts.
 
One thing I have noticed on the aftermarket sway bar links, at least in my cars case, is the bolts keep breaking off. Last week the left one broke for the 3rd time so,,,,,,,,,,I'm replacing the bolts with Made in USA grade 8 ones. Hopefully that takes care of the breakage. My car may put more stress on the bolts because of all the front end weight of a bib block with A/C so you might not have a problem with the bolts breaking off.
 
Aspen500 said:
One thing I have noticed on the aftermarket sway bar links, at least in my cars case, is the bolts keep breaking off. Last week the left one broke for the 3rd time so,,,,,,,,,,I'm replacing the bolts with Made in USA grade 8 ones. Hopefully that takes care of the breakage. My car may put more stress on the bolts because of all the front end weight of a bib block with A/C so you might not have a problem with the bolts breaking off.
Click to expand...
I kept snapping those bolts even when I had an aluminum headed small block with no AC. Honestly, it's a garbage design. Not only do we see grade 8 bolts snapped, but also torsion bar bushing ends ripped apart because of it. The end links should have been rods with heim joints or something like that.
 
Metal heim joints do not do well for street usage. Racing only - yes, but not for the street.
Heim Joint.jpg



Sway bars (in general) are under a lot of stress. My '69 Charger (original big block car, but at the time had a 318 w/AC) kept breaking grade 8 bolts on it, as well. I just assumed it was the way I drove (like a maniac) and the fact it had a 1-1/4" front sway bar on it (upgraded from the factory 7/8" one). I guess was because of those flimsy USA made grade-8 bolts . . .
BudW
 
It is only a theory why the bolts keep breaking on my car. Maybe the grade 8 will as well, time will tell! I tend to not push the car in corners because, well, it tend to push in corners, lol. It is not a corner carver, that's for sure. Thing is, it had the original links when I bought the car in '87 (at least they looked original)with 72,000 miles, and when I took the car apart starting in 2002, the same links were still in there. Never broke either of them a single time. Since I put replacements in, bolt breakage is a thing. Not a big deal I suppose, it's only the sway bar and not a critical suspension piece but still..............

I ditto the heim joint on the street thing. Certain newer vehicles now have heim joints in the rear suspension (Taurus and last version Explorer for example) at the knuckle to upper arm connection. At first glance they look like a standard suspension bushings but internally it is a heim joint. Even though they are weather sealed, we are forever replacing them due to becoming loose. Not just a little loose, a lot loose. Wouldn't be so bad except they're pressed into the rear suspension knuckle and are a really big PITA to change. When I say press in, I mean PRESS in. I swear the outer shell is 6 mm larger than the bore it goes into. Depends on the type of driving and where the driving is done but life expectancy is anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 miles.
 
I'm going with the eBay ones, I'll have the money on Tuesday, hope they'll still have them. I don't trust Chinese parts at all, I was surprised to see that the Napa bushings for the sway bar were made in the USA
IMG_20210830_194942.jpg
 
Well I was going to buy the eBay bushings when some unforeseen stuff came up that had to take priority... Anyways the eBay bushings are no longer available, so I checked Rock Auto there is only one Moog bushing available so that won't work. I guess its between Delphi and Mevotech: which is better?
 
I'm surprised people have broken those end links in front unless it's from rust. I have broken the pivot bushing link one time only and that's after installing high hp/torque stroker. I think the lift on take off caused.
 
I've busted three of these bolts in the time I've owned the car. Last time was a set of railroad tracks that did it. Second time was the real odd one is it happened just cruising down a smooth, straight road. Always used Moog parts and back then they were still made here.
 
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