Some Advice From an Old Fart

[kevman65]

Learned my lesson, hope to save someone else the nightmare.


If you have the Synergy steering stabilizer relocation kit. If you can get it apart then do so. On the big bolt going through the track bar, anti-seize the crap out of that long shoulder that passes through the track bar. On the short shaft the SS goes on, anti-seize the crap out of that before reinstalling the SS.

Taking stuff apart to put on my RK 3" lift. SS won't come off of shaft. Rubber bushing is bonded to crush sleeve, crush sleeve is corroded to shaft. I finally popped the SS off the rubber bushing and proceeded to cut the rubber off, took a pipe wrench to crush sleeve and walked it off.

So, steering stabilizer shot, need a new one.

Threw the impact on the nut for the bolt, spun it out of flag nut. Bolt didn't come out. Took other end of track bar loose from frame to take all stress off of it, bolt won't out.
Just enough room to get a pry bar behind end of threads and apply pressure while backing out with impact, bolt won't come out.

Said fukit, got the Milwaukee Hackzall out and proceeding to cut the bolt, hope I have enough blades, think it's stainless steel.

SO, anti-seize the crap out of all the shoulders that pass through crush sleeves.

No, none of the shocks or control arms were any trouble.

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[MrT]

This is crazy timing. I had to make sure I didn't write your post.
I have a few week old Clayton track bar and just installed a Clayton steering stabilizer relocation bracket. I put the new bolt in to mark for drilling the required hole. When removing it the same thing happened, flag nut came off and the bolt was one with the bushing. I fought with it for a few hours before cutting it out.

 

[Bbannongmu]

Yikes. Op sounds like a fellow rust belt citizen. I liberally anti seize everything. It inevitably gets all over everything. I also reflexively heat steering and suspension bolts because I’ve crawled under too many vehicles over the years with PB blaster and a breaker bar, only to struggle and then get the torch.

 

[kevman65]

This is crazy timing. I had to make sure I didn't write your post.
I have a few week old Clayton track bar and just installed a Clayton steering stabilizer relocation bracket. I put the new bolt in to mark for drilling the required hole. When removing it the same thing happened, flag nut came off and the bolt was one with the bushing. I fought with it for a few hours before cutting it out.

Methinks the coating they use forms a bond after being heated up from friction.

 

[Gizmo]

I have found “synthetic disc brake lube “ will out last anti seize. I live at the jersey shore and have found it to be a life saver. I disassemble control arms, tie rods etc before installing and lube it up . I never have an issue since using it

 

[MrT]

Methinks the coating they use forms a bond after being heated up from friction.

That was my guess also. I literally put the bolt in then tried to remove it. You could see it move freely enough in the bracket holes but not in the bushing.

 

[fourfa]

OP thanks for heads up

 

[DailyDrivenTJ]

This is crazy timing. I had to make sure I didn't write your post.
I have a few week old Clayton track bar and just installed a Clayton steering stabilizer relocation bracket. I put the new bolt in to mark for drilling the required hole. When removing it the...

That look brand new compare to the suspension bolts/nuts that I deal with on my 2000 XJs.

Was the bolt spinning at all?

 

[kevman65]

That look brand new compare to the suspension bolts/nuts that I deal with on my 2000 XJs.

Was the bolt spinning at all?

I can answer for him, yes because he got the flag nut off.

The bolt is seized in the crush sleeve, just like mine was.

 

[MrT]

That's correct Kevman65.

 

[Rusty PW]

When ever they say to use locktite on suspension pieces. I coat it with anti seize. 68 yrs old. Learned that lesson a long time ago.

 

[kevman65]

When ever they say to use locktite on suspension pieces. I coat it with anti seize. 68 yrs old. Learned that lesson a long time ago.

I looked mine up, since it's a Synergey specialty item. The bolt I had to cut is 4140 Heat Treated chrom-moly. Explains why it ate so many blades.

 

[DailyDrivenTJ]

I can answer for him, yes because he got the flag nut off.

The bolt is seized in the crush sleeve, just like mine was.

I suppose the metal cylinder in the clevite bushing was separated from the rubber?

I suppose there is not enough space to try c-clamp?

 

[fourfa]

Was this a stock or aftermarket stabilizer? If stock - the Synergy bolt is for 1/2” ID. Stock is something (probably metric) slightly smaller than that. So the instructions with the bolt say to drill out the stock stabilizer sleeves to 1/2”. Possible that doing so removes the zinc (or whatever) coating on the inner surface, leaving bare base metal that bonds to the stainless Synergy bolt?

If so, then yeah just load it up with antiseize. Aftermarket probably comes at 1/2“ ID already

Very interested as I’m about to do this job myself, as soon as I can get the frakkin stock joint off the pitman arm. Spent today moving toward the blowtorch end of that pic above

 

[Rusty PW]

Was this a stock or aftermarket stabilizer? If stock - the Synergy bolt is for 1/2” ID. Stock is something (probably metric) slightly smaller than that. So the instructions with the bolt say to drill out the stock stabilizer sleeves to 1/2”. Possible that doing so removes the zinc (or whatever) coating on the inner surface, leaving bare base metal that bonds to the stainless Synergy bolt?

If so, then yeah just load it up with antiseize. Aftermarket probably comes at 1/2“ ID already

Very interested as I’m about to do this job myself, as soon as I can get the frakkin stock joint off the pitman arm. Spent today moving toward the blowtorch end of that pic above

It ain't tight if it's liquid.

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