96 Roadmaster front anti-roll bar end links and bushings

[kevm14]

So when I got home I was like...I can totally swap out those end links really fast. I only have to remove one anyway.

Took my impact, buzzed off the one remaining end link. That's when I noticed this...

WP_20170829_18_02_12_Pro.jpg

No the bolt wasn't missing but it was almost out. Looks like the hole stripped, the rear one. Almost looks like the bracket is wrong for the bushings and maybe they stripped on installation? Sigh. The other side was the same. I removed the driver's side to run a tap through the hole. M10-1.5. You could visually see the hole had become oblong so there was no point in even trying the bolt. I was able to chase the bolt threads so I think the bolts are fine.

WP_20170829_18_02_20_Pro.jpg

Plan of attack is to get myself a Helicoil kit from Amazon and give that a shot. If the brackets are wrong, though, I am going to have the same problem on reinstallation. It is times like this it would be really handy to drive my Caprice up on ramps, snag the bushings and swap them over. Or snag the whole bar if it is bigger. Unlike stupid FWD/AWD cars, it is super easy to swap.

Oh, the idler arm on this is toast. Double sigh. I could swap the whole steering linkage over...if I wanted to disable it. Not yet.

[kevm14]

Change of plans on the repair.

The Helicoil kit will cost $30. Or.

I buy this: https://www.harborfreight.com/40-pc-car ... 62831.html

And this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F ... UTF8&psc=1

Same price. But I get tons of bolts and a reusable SAE tap and die kit which I don't have.

[kevm14]

Could have looked into rivnuts...

http://www.aimfasteners.com/about_rivnu ... aYEWbpFxaQ

[Adam]

Riv nuts are the best.

[kevm14]

Yeah they seem cool. That would be an even more pricey way to go than Helicoils I think. With the 7/16" socket head bolt, I may just be able to run a tap through it since it is only a little over 1mm larger than the 10mm hole that is supposed to be there. And likely about right given the hole is enlarged.

[kevm14]

I could stack some washers under the brackets but that's kind of a crappy solution. I really think the brackets are too small.

[kevm14]

I think they actually use the same brackets across the different front bars. The bushings are just molded to have the same outside dimensions. So I don't get it. It just seems like if the bracket was bolted all the way down, it would squish the bushing way too much. And I am still going on the assumption that the bolts stripped during original installation of those new bushings. Unless the bushings are just too big and wrong entirely.

[kevm14]

Good news! I just measured my bars. Front is 30mm and rear is 26mm just like my Caprice. I did read that all B/D-body sedans FE2 and up got the 9C1 bars. Kind of interesting that an FE2 Roadmaster gets the same bars as a 9C1 or Impala SS. Kind of cool. So I just need to take a look at Adam's old brackets and bushings from his 94 and see if I think either my brackets or bushings are somehow wrong and go from there.

[Adam]

For the record, my FE2 Fleetwood has the same size bars.

[Fast_Ed]

Wouldn't you just go up a bolt size? If you go metric, I have a pretty good selection of taps and dies you can borrow. Just buy a decent bolt at a hardware store if that's still possible.

I understand the concern about thread engagement vs bolt diameter... but I thought that was just for ensuring full strength of the larger bolt..