Front Sway Bar Link Replacement Brand?

[EddieC]

Any good aftermarket front sway bar links for our 2008 Tahoe? It seems that the design of most are different than oem as the plastic center sleeve seems to be replaced with a metal ferrel. That would seem to be just one more place to accumulate rust up here in salted winter road land. My links haven't broken but the bolt threads are pretty much corroded away so it might be just as bad where I can't see. I can imagine that this will be a sawzall job. Is it worth dealer parts with the original plastic sleeves at $38 a piece?

 

[gooffeyguy]

I would think a design that doesn't use a sleeve in the center would be best.

That said, I installed a set of Moog problem solver part #K700538 ($15 each side from Advance Auto Parts) a couple months ago and they seemed pretty decent. Have a coating to help prevent rust and uses an aluminum spacer. Also has a lifetime warranty.

I sprayed the shaft and threaded areas with Fluid Film during install to help protect from rust.

I think a couple other members have installed them too recently.

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

 

[OR VietVet]

The world is your oyster.......


https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...8,1441040,suspension,stabilizer+bar+link,7580

Hard to go wrong with any MOOG suspension/steering parts

 

[Doubeleive]

I like and use these..... there pretty nice and heavy duty, factory treated to prevent rust but it couldn't hurt to do what Tom mentioned above also
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8016028&cc=1502531&jsn=946

 

[EddieC]

I like and use these..... there pretty nice and heavy duty, factory treated to prevent rust but it couldn't hurt to do what Tom mentioned above also
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8016028&cc=1502531&jsn=946

That brand seems to have a number of models in the line up. The high and low in the pricing appear similar to the one you linked with a bare metal ferrel in the middle around the bolt and the upper middle priced item has the plastic like the oem. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2153118&cc=1441040&jsn=1884

On the "Ultimate" version that you have, how does that "barrel nut" on the top work?
Do you get a standard wrench on it?

 

[EddieC]

I would think a design that doesn't use a sleeve in the center would be best.

That said, I installed a set of Moog problem solver part #K700538 ($15 each side from Advance Auto Parts) a couple months ago and they seemed pretty decent. Have a coating to help prevent rust and uses an aluminum spacer. Also has a lifetime warranty.

I sprayed the shaft and threaded areas with Fluid Film during install to help protect from rust.

I think a couple other members have installed them too recently.

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

I don't know if that sleeve is subject to compression but that would bother me. Aluminum deforms pretty easily. Jeep was replacing my G Cherokee's rear differential every 10,000 miles because of aluminum carrier the bearings get misaligned. I finally gave up on it just before the warranty ran out.

 

[gooffeyguy]

I don't know if that sleeve is subject to compression but that would bother me. Aluminum deforms pretty easily. Jeep was replacing my G Cherokee's rear differential every 10,000 miles because of aluminum carrier the bearings get misaligned. I finally gave up on it just before the warranty ran out.

The OE has a plastic sleeve, even softer than aluminum.

The ones on my mustangs have no sleeves, they have a flattened/bulged spot pressed into the metal rod that keeps the washers from sliding further towards the center of the rod.

I've also seen them where only so much of each end of the rod is threaded and a nut is screwed on up until it reaches the end of the threads and won't go no further, then washer/bushing

 

[wjburken]

I don't know if that sleeve is subject to compression but that would bother me. Aluminum deforms pretty easily. Jeep was replacing my G Cherokee's rear differential every 10,000 miles because of aluminum carrier the bearings get misaligned. I finally gave up on it just before the warranty ran out.

To say that aluminum deforms easy is a very broad statement and doesn’t take into account the various grades of aluminum and their associated material properties. I would be willing to bet that your issues with your Grand Cherokee were due to more than the fact that the carrier was made out of aluminum.

I would not be afraid of an aluminum sleeve failing in this application.

 

[Doubeleive]

I can assure you it is not ALUMINUM, 100% steel and excellent bushings.

 

[wjburken]

I can assure you it is not ALUMINUM, 100% steel and excellent bushings.

Definitely wouldn’t be afraid if those failing either.

 

[OR VietVet]

I am so glad that over the years and replacing link kits I have not had to deal with rust.

 

[EddieC]

To say that aluminum deforms easy is a very broad statement and doesn’t take into account the various grades of aluminum and their associated material properties. I would be willing to bet that your issues with your Grand Cherokee were due to more than the fact that the carrier was made out of aluminum.

I think the Jeep (Chrysler) issue was the use of aluminum. They didn't rebuild mine each time; They completely replaced the entire rear differential, axle and housing assembly in a one shot deal so the exercise didn't pass on an existing issue inherent to my particular vehicle each time.

Having designed structures in aluminum I am aware of different grades, but taffy is not rock candy. The issue with the Jeep is that the bearings eventually got misaligned within 10,000 miles, over and over again. They replaced the failures with the same design. Duh! Glad to have left Chrysler in the rear view mirror.

 

[EddieC]

I can assure you it is not ALUMINUM, 100% steel and excellent bushings.

That would make sense.

 

[EddieC]

I am so glad that over the years and replacing link kits I have not had to deal with rust.

My wife says "go get the Milwaukee!" She learned that from my father.

 

[gooffeyguy]

I can assure you it is not ALUMINUM, 100% steel and excellent bushings.

What is this referring to?

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

 

[Doubeleive]

What is this referring to?

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

I was referring to the Mevotech end links I linked above I thought some one thought they were aluminum because they kind of look like they are but they are steel

 

[Doubeleive]

That brand seems to have a number of models in the line up. The high and low in the pricing appear similar to the one you linked with a bare metal ferrel in the middle around the bolt and the upper middle priced item has the plastic like the oem. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2153118&cc=1441040&jsn=1884

On the "Ultimate" version that you have, how does that "barrel nut" on the top work?
Do you get a standard wrench on it?

the barrel nut has a slotted outer edge it is not smooth, I just grabbed it with some channel locks when installing, you could use a socket just not sure what size maybe 22mm or bigger, personally I think these are a excellent design the bushings act more like a bumper because of the inserts and they are harder than regular rubber they are not neoprene. The bolt also has more thread. I put these on both my Yukon and my Silverado which is lowered and uses a shorter sleeve and they had plenty of thread to work with. There not cheap though about $30 each side

 

[gooffeyguy]

I was referring to the Mevotech end links I linked above I thought some one thought they were aluminum because they kind of look like they are but they are steel

I think EddieC was referring to the Moogs that have an aluminum spacer sleeve

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

 

[EddieC]

Thanks all.