Replacing the rear sway bar can be performed with the car parked on a level surface with the parking brake applied. However, it is a much quicker and easier install with the car lifted so I recommend placing your car on jack stands.
Removing the factory sway bar
Locate the stock sway bar’s connecting rods on the lower suspension arms and completely loosen them from the arm by removing the nut from the top. Now locate the two U-shaped brackets that connect the sway bar to the frame and loosen the brackets from the frame. (place the brackets and their associated nuts and bolts to the side for reuse) With a little bit of patience you can now snake the sway bar over the rear exhaust and out from under the car.
The sway bar mounts to the frame and the lower arm via the U-shaped brackets and the connecting rods.
The stock sway bar (stabilizer).
Assemble and install the adjustable sway bar
First, grease the new urethane bushings and place them onto the bar. Now snake the bar around the exhaust and using the U-shaped brackets, attach the new bar to the frame with the previously removed hardware. (this assembly is identical to the factory assembly) Next, place the circular bushing with the tapered (flaired) tip onto the new connecting rods, tapered side up. Slide the new rods up into the lower arm until the bushing is snug with the bottom of the lower arm. Next, slide the untapered bushing onto the connecting rods, followed by the washer and the lock nut. Tighten the lock nut until the visible bushing appears slightly compressed. (refer to the pictures for visual reference) Attach the sway bar ends to the new connecting rods using the supplied bolt, nuts and washers. The assembly order should be: bolt, washer, connecting rod, sway bar, washer and lock nut.
A properly installed connecting rod will have a slightly compressed bushing.
The Whiteline sway bar with the new connecting rod attached.
Finishing up
Go around all the bolts and make sure they are fully tightened and set the sway bar to the desired stiffness. The holes closest to the front of the car are the softest setting while the holes towards the rear are the stiffest.
Note: After the first few drives on any modification, remember to take a few seconds and check for any bolts that may have loosened.
