Greyhawk sway bar bolt too short, stripped frame.
A couple of months ago I added a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer to my 2016 29MV. That installation went well. Then yesterday I changed out the front stabilizer bar for a Helwig #7718. This did not go well.
Here's the problem.... The Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer frame-end bracket is maybe 3/16" thick and is installed 'sandwiched' between the frame and the stock sway bar bracket. The stock bolts are to be re-used per the instructions. One of the mounting bolts was just marginally long enough when the stabilizer was added, but was too short when the Helwig sway bar was also mounted, and the threads in the frame stripped out. The threads were too far gone for a longer bolt to tighten.
I ended up drilling out the damaged threaded hole just a little, and fish-wired a longer bolt through the hole from inside the frame rail. There was another hole in the frame nearby just large enough for fishing.
So, watch out for the length of the bolt circled in the picture below. Yes, the stock sway bar mounts have two different bolt sizes. You can see in the pictures the difference between the stock sway bar and the Helwig sway bar.
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Ron K3HIL Amateur Extra
Retired
2016 Greyhawk 29MV
2000 Jeep Sahara
"Any advice I give or facts I present are valid to the best of my knowledge,
but I am not responsible if you follow it and you **** your **** up."
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