Cheap Handling Fix - Bolt Missing

OK, we gave an 04 Flair and did the CHF on the front some 9 years ago. A little over a year later, did the back. Had to lengthen the rear links as the "U" in the rear bar hit the 3rd member when the rear wheels were off the ground. The front made a large difference, and the back really tightened things up. We do quite a bit of Boondocking and getting into the locations are not the best roads, if you can call them roads. We do travel Freeways, but by no means is it a Freeway Queen.

The point is, we have never had any trouble from the CHF, either from the links, bushings, or the bolts. As John C. mentioned, there may be something going on, to have reoccurring problems like this.

My right side bolt failed after doing the CHF and before I relocated the upper end of the link ...no failures since... I think my bolt was from Bolivia.

The CHF screws up the geometry of the links and swaybar. Which puts more of a linear pull rather than a torsional twist on the swaybar. My F-350 chassis has airbags which travel much more during rebound than they do on compression. I'm assuming that the bolt is broken during that upward lurch after hitting a bump. I broke only one bolt so maybe coincidence that his and mine were right sides. If his right side bolt had been loose maybe the hole had "wallowed out" and not really clamped the link properly, wearing the hole out farther and the bolt until it failed.

Well I am shocked. I thought there were some pretty sharp dudes on here. The suggestions of tougher bolts, nylon nuts, turning them around and such does not address the problem of what causing this in the first place. Why is it that side and not the other, why does it do it repeatedly? Trust me folks, something else is wrong other than a china bolt.

I did take some pics but that was some time back. Might take a while to find them but I'll take a look. If you remove the upper bolts, lover the swaybar arms to a level position and move the link into a vertica! Position you can probably see about what is needed. I post more description if I can't find the pics.

I did take some pics but that was some time back. Might take a while to find them but I'll take a look. If you remove the upper bolts, lover the swaybar arms to a level position and move the link into a vertica! Position you can probably see about what is needed. I post more description if I can't find the pics.

btcruzer wrote:
I built an upper bracket that would move the mounting point of the link

Any chance you could post a picture of the bracket?

I did the CHF. And I too soon found a broken bolt in the right lower link. At first, I was kinda impressed with the results of the modification, but the improvement didn't last. That is when I found the broken bolt. After looking the situation over, I decided that the CHF had changed the angle of the link to such a degree that both the upper and lower mounting point of the link and the arms of the swaybar were in almost a straight line. Any swaying of the chassis would just try to stretch the link rather than twist the swaybar. I built an upper bracket that would move the mounting point of the link. Toward the rear to place the link in a vertical position and lower to put the swaybar parrallel to the ground. Several thousand miles later no broken bolts and the handling is indeed much improves

Find some stainless steel grade 5 bolts with nylock nuts, and washers o the right diameter, and length.
It sounds like the bolts are backing out from stress. If they are shearing grade five is called for. Grade eight is stronger but a bit more brittle. It is for strength longitudionally. realistically either grade should wok quit well. If it is backing out after the nylocks or instead use blue loctite red tube. Red locktite, it will never back out but you will have to use a torch to loosen them again. I used some on a Holley in my hot rod years, and when I finally got the little bolt out metal from the carb came with it.
You've got some extreme flexing force there. I might suggest inquiry into heavier rod and mounts and check bushings possibly replacing with urethane. Your frame may be flexing a lot, and need to look into inspecting body to frame mounts and the whole works. might even be missing bolts or broken bolts elsewhere.

There could be a couple of problems. Is the sway bar centered correctly or has the bushings worn and let move to that side? If it is leaning to one side you need a trip to the spring shop. As far as the dealer goes, they didn't put the top man on that job just to put a bolt in a spring. They didn't check to see why you were having this problem just put in a new bolt.