How to Replace Rear Sway Bar Links 2002-06 Nissan Altima
Created on: 2017-09-15
How to remove, replace, and install a sway bar end link on 02, 03, 04, 05, 06 Nissan Altima.
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the 21mm lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Rear Sway Bar Links
- Counterhold with a 19mm wrench
- Remove the nut with a 19mm socket and breaker bar
- Repeat the process on the bottom
- Remove the sway bar link
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step 3 :Installing the Rear Sway Bar Links
- Insert the sway bar link into the strut
- Counterhold with a 19mm wrench
- Tighten the nut with a 19mm socket and breaker bar
- Torque the nuts between 37 to 44 foot-pounds
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step 4 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to between 73-86 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
Tools needed
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21mm Socket
Socket Extensions
Torque Wrench
Rust Penetrant
Jack Stands
19mm Wrench
19mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
1/2 Inch Breaker Bar
Hi, I’m Mike from 1A Auto. We’ve been selling auto parts for over 30 years!
Before you raise and support the vehicle, take a breaker bar and a 21mm socket and break the lug nuts free while the vehicle's on the ground. Raise and support your vehicle. Since the lug nuts are loose, I can use the socket and finish removing them. I remove the wheel, place it aside.
Working at the sway bar link, there are two nuts holding it on. And there is a 19mm head on the back on this that you can counterhold. So I'm going to put a 19mm wrench in there. Use some rust penetrant on the threads. Take a 14mm socket and a breaker bar and counterhold it. Break this free. I'm going to work on the upper one before it comes completely out. I've switched to a ratchet now that I've got it free. And I'm just going to turn it off.
These are locking nuts, so they can be a little slow moving. It's pretty common that the part on the back of the sway bar link, that you want to counterhold, there's sometimes just basically a round part with two flat spots for your wrench, and they can strip really easily. It's very, very common. So now I'm going to use some locking pliers because it's almost out. I'm going to try to lock the sway bar link in place, this part, so it can turn the nut without spinning the link inside the ball joint. Need to tighten these up. It's actually starting to smoke from the friction. Now I've got it past the locking part of the nut, it's coming a lot smoother.
You can actually see it steaming a little bit. It's not a completely round opening. It's sort of an oblong opening. That's what makes this nut a locking nut. It'll be easier to see on the brand new one. But that's why it's so difficult to come off. You can put an Allen key in here and try to counterhold it, that might work for a little while. Usually Allen keys strip out. The best bet is to try to get something behind it, like locking pliers or a wrench that fits to try to counter-hold this while you take it off. Going to remove the locking pliers now. This link should come out of this up here. You can finish removing the bottom. And counterhold the bottom. I'm actually going to put this link back in here so it's not bouncing around on me. Now our sway bar link is removed.
Here's our old sway bar link from our vehicle. Here's our brand new one from 1AAuto.com. They are similar in design and size. As you can see, it comes with locking nuts and that they have an oval shape to them. So as you tighten this down and it gets to this oval part, that's when it starts to lock. Here, we have the counter-hold area, so you can put a wrench on there and counter-hold it. On the originals, it just had flat spots and then they're mostly round so that's why they rounded off so easily when we were trying to remove it and had to use vice grips. These are easier to install by having the wrench on there. So this should fit great and get your car on the road.
Take our new sway bar link, slide it into place, and capture the bottom one. It's got like a ball joint in it so I'll throw the nut on here so it won't fall out. There's a ball joint on it so you can bend it a little bit, get it to fit. Capture this nut up here. Counter-hold with a 14mm. Use a 16mm wrench to tighten it. If you've got a ratcheting wrench, you can use that, or a socket and ratchet. It will start to get tighter as you come over the locking part. Just going to bring this bottom one snug and then we'll come back and torque it. Tighten up the top one the same way. Going to counter-hold the sway bar link.
Torque is 37 to 44, so I'm going to torque it to 40 foot-pounds. Repeat for the upper nut.
Install the wheel. Thread them on by hand first. Torque on these is 72 to 85. I've got the torque wrench set to 80 foot-pounds. Go in a cross pattern. The wheel's installed and torqued.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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