Dont Do It!!
Heim Joint Sway bar Links on your off road truck.
Lately we see more and more trucks coming into the shop that the owner has replaced the sway bar links. This makes sense as the trucks get older, this item is a wear item and needs to be replaced as they get worn. Why we are writing a tech article is because the "HD Links" that they are buying are failing in a few months. Truck owners have chosen these style sway bar links have all told us they thought they were purchasing a product that would improve my truck, not make it worse.
Below are a series of pictures of links offered and sold as a "heavy Duty" Replacement with a Heim rod end style and jam nut construction.
1: The exposed Uniball won't make it past the first few months of winter in Chicago, even if stainless.
2: The Jam nut style presented here can easily come loose, when they come loose, or come undone, they can cause damage to items around them, like poking your tire, Rip a Cv boot, or damage a shock shaft, or tierod end.
3: The "boot" that is on some models causes the product to not tighten completely causing #2 to happen faster
So, I get it, what do we do now, I need new links?
The oem Style Sway bar link is completely fine as long as its changed at normal service intervals, or when play develops. The front of your 120/150 Series Toyota does not benefit from changing the sway bar links, get a set of replacement OEM and move on. The rear how ever can achieve more droop travel if the links are extended 1-3 inches. Im not a fan of most products from Skyjacker, but they make a nice Rear Sway bar link that is well thought out and does not have any of the plagues of the rod end/ jam nut style pictures below. Part # SBE702, you can buy them here on my site using the search or at any of 100's of shops online.
Below are a series of pictures of links offered and sold as a "heavy Duty" Replacement with a Heim rod end style and jam nut construction.
1: The exposed Uniball won't make it past the first few months of winter in Chicago, even if stainless.
2: The Jam nut style presented here can easily come loose, when they come loose, or come undone, they can cause damage to items around them, like poking your tire, Rip a Cv boot, or damage a shock shaft, or tierod end.
3: The "boot" that is on some models causes the product to not tighten completely causing #2 to happen faster
So, I get it, what do we do now, I need new links?
The oem Style Sway bar link is completely fine as long as its changed at normal service intervals, or when play develops. The front of your 120/150 Series Toyota does not benefit from changing the sway bar links, get a set of replacement OEM and move on. The rear how ever can achieve more droop travel if the links are extended 1-3 inches. Im not a fan of most products from Skyjacker, but they make a nice Rear Sway bar link that is well thought out and does not have any of the plagues of the rod end/ jam nut style pictures below. Part # SBE702, you can buy them here on my site using the search or at any of 100's of shops online.
Pictures are of:
Overland Custom Design, DRZ Off Road, Dobinsons, Superpro,
to name a few, but there are tons more.
As you can see with this SkyJacker link set up below, the threaded part, and the body are all one piece. No Jam nuts here holding this all together.