So I'm under the 99 Suburban and I see BOTH linkages are broken. One side is almost to the position that replacement won't be hard. On the right side the hole in the sway bar is at least 2 or 3 inches away from where I need it in order to get the linkage to pop out the other side of the bar. How can I pull the sway bar ends down? Will it just rotate by hand?

 

If one side is still connected and the other is 2"-3" off, then it sounds like the bar is twisted. Might explain how the link got broken.

 

Assuming your changing this in your driveway .try jacking up both sides of the vehicle on the frame. As soon as you jack or lift one side only it tensions the other side...thats how the bar controls sway.

 

The left one had the nut and threading pop off leaving the rod, it's outer tube and the top washer. Im gonna have to pop the top washer off in order to drop it through the bottom arm. The right side had everything removed and the arm seems to be way too far away to connect. Looks like as was said, the bar may have twisted but ill experiment with jacking it up and see if it levels out. If not, yet another trip to the salvage yard lol

Thanks for the advice!

 

Well if it is twisted, then you need to replace it.

Easiest way to tell is get it off the truck and lay it on a flat surface.

 

Is getting it off just a matter of disconnecting the linkage then unbolt it from the bottom of the truck?

 

Why take it off; check it to a reference point on the truck.
Its 13 years old, if your in a rust belt you'll bust more stuff taking it completely off.

just disconnect the other link and rotate the sbar to the reference point (maybe the control arm). If the truck is on level ground and the bar is close to the reference point of both sides, its fine.

 

Instead of rotating (which will probably be hard to do since it's clamped in the rubber bushings), w/ the truck on a flat surface, measure from the surface to the end of the bar where the links attach and it should be the same on both sides.

 

So to bring this thread back from the dead, I am attempting to replace the links on both sides. The frame is supported on jack stands with both front tires off the ground. The problem I have is the upper control arm is absolutely in the way. I can not put the bolt in from the top down and I can not get enough clearence to get the not on from the bottom up. I have the exact same issue on both sides so I do not believe the bar is twisted. Yesterday I had replaced passenger side only and the top of the bolt was pushing on the upper control arm. This seems like a simple repair but the UCA is 100% in the way. What am I doing wrong?