Chassis - Anti-Sway Bars

I had previously owned a 1984 33' Winnebago Chieftain that I had inherited from my parents in 1990.  That Winnebago was a dream to drive long distances, and when you got to your destination you didn't feel worn out.  My 1996 Safari Sahara model 3530 that I acquired in 2014 wasn't comparing well against the Winnebago.  The handling seemed sluggish and slow to respond and the overall vehicle seemed less stable.  The steering wheel needed constant corrections because the front end felt light as though the tires were wandering.  An inspection of the chassis uncovered a contributing factor to my handling problems, the anti-sway bars weren't doing the job they were designed for because the bushings were worn out.

Front anti-sway bar driver side end link.

All of the bushings for my anti-sway bars were still in place, meaning none had cracked an fallen off.  The problem was that nearly all of the end link bushings had become compressed or shrunk to the point where there was too much play in the system.  That play delays when the anti-sway bars engage, and hence contributes to the poor handling.

Bushing compressed to a point where the system is no longer tight.

My aim was to replace the bushings and make everything tight again.  Tight for me meant tight enough for all the surfaces to make firm contact, but not so tight as to overly compress the bushings causing them to bulge outward.

Old rubber bushings were replaced with polyurethane bushings.

My front end links are made up of a grade 8 steel double end threaded 1/2" rod with two locking nuts and two washers at each end.  In the middle is a piece of pipe used as a spacer between the two innermost nuts.  My end link bushings are Energy Suspension 9.8103R.  Because I couldn't find bushings with a half inch inside diameter, I modified the 7/16" 9.8103R by drilling them out to 1/2".

Front end link for anti-sway bar as it attaches to the frame.

As I disassembled the front end anti-sway bar system, I cleaned everything and painted it red or silver depending on its role.  I also replaced most of the old rusted fasteners with new grade 8 parts.

New end link bushings in place.

The anti-sway bar connection to end link.

The polyurethane bushings holding the anti-sway bar in place were in good shape, so I cleaned them up and lubricated them with silicon grease as I reassembled the system.

Front end all done.

Rear Anti-Sway Bar

The time before my next RV trip didn't permit me the opportunity to repaint the system in the rear, but many of the maintenance steps associated with the front end applied to the rear.

Rear end anti-sway bar with new end link bushings installed.

 Unlike the front end, the rear didn't use double end threaded rods as end links.  Instead, it uses a grade 8 1/2" bolt.  I still needed three nuts, four washers, and the piece of spacer pipe, but the fourth nut (found in the front end) was now replaced by the head of the bolt.

The end link nuts were rusted onto the bolts.  All attempts to disassemble the end links failed, so I decided to use a nut splitter to release the nuts.

Nut spitter ordered through Amazon.com ($16)

The nut splitter was awesome.  I used my impact wrench to speed the job up.  The results were great, with no damage to the threads of the bolts.  In the end, I decided to replace the bolts with new grade 8 bolts because there were signs of wear.  The bolts cost less than $12 each.

Old end link bolts from rear end anti-sway bar.

 A note about the end link bolts.  The rear leaf springs block removing the bolts straight up.  I found it easier to loosen everything, including the brackets holding the anti-sway bar bushings, so I could change the angle on the bolts to get them out and eventually back in.

The anti-sway bar bushings were tight, so they were cleaned, lubricated with silicon grease and reinstalled.

Rear end link on passenger side reassembled with new bushings.

Like many DIY jobs, I mastered a lot of new skills, justified the purchase of a few new tools, and overcame several challenges inherent in doing any job for the first time.  Intimidation factor aside, the job wasn't too bad.  Go figure, the motorhome actually handles better with the anti-sway bars engaged.  Now that I know what I'm doing, I'll include an inspection of the system as part of my routine associated with lubricating the chassis.

Live well, Laugh often, Love much