Rod/Strut, stabiliser install

1993 OPEL ASTRA
134,000 MILES • 1.4L • 4 CYL • 2WD • MANUAL
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KYRILOS GENAIOS
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I need to ask you how to install the anti roll links for my car. The part I have is MONROE L24600. It is stuck half way to the roll bar. Do I need special tools?
Mar 21, 2017 at 3:34 PM
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CARADIODOC
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There really is not a set of instructions. You just unbolt the part, remove it, and bolt the new one in. The job will be easier if you remove both at the same time. That will allow you to move the bar out of the way with little effort.

It is important to be aware the life of these bushings will be greatly reduced if you over-tighten the nuts. Watch the rubber bushings as you tighten the nuts. They will expand. Stop tightening the nut when the bushing expands to the same diameter as the washers.
Mar 21, 2017 at 4:53 PM
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KYRILOS GENAIOS
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Thank you doctor for your quick response and for the advice regarding the tightening of the nut.
The problem is that I canot push the stabiliser all the way in to the roll bar. The roll bar is 18mm in diameter, so is the stabiliser, I have put some lithium grease on the bar and I have even put the stabiliser in hot water prior to instalation. The stabiliser wont go more than 1cm and it stucks. It should go all the way in and leave for about 1cm clearence on the bar.
How do I slide the stabiliser?
Mar 22, 2017 at 9:45 AM
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CARADIODOC
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To be safe, wash and scrub off the grease. Most of these bushings have a coating of Teflon to act as a lubricant, not for installation, but to prevent squeaking after they're installed. Grease will dissolve that Teflon coating. After that, water will get in and form rust on the bar. That rust will tear away the rubber and reduce the life of the bushing. Spray White Grease, which is lithium-based, will quiet a squeaking bushing for a few days or weeks, but those are squeaking because the Teflon has already been ground away. The grease is only prolonging the need to replace the part.

A much more effective alternative is to spray the bar and bushing with Silicone Spray Lube. That goes on like water, then evaporates and leaves a film of "slippery" behind. This works real well for sliding on stubborn heater hoses too. Be careful when you push on the bushing. It will slide on so easily that it may go all the way to the other side of the car!
Mar 22, 2017 at 7:22 PM