Sway bar link

Can anyone help me out and tell me how to tighten the nuts for the sway bar links? They just spin the whole shaft. I've seen people use vice grips to hold it to take it off, but wouldn't the vice grips destroy the rubber grommets when tightening? Need to fix this today, so any help or ideas is appreciated. Thanks

 

Vice grip to hold it and then tighten. I don't think it needs too much torque.

if you don't want to do that, there should be a spot inside the bolt to put an allen wrench to hold it. Id recommend really cleaning it out, and making sure the allen is fully seated before tightening with a wrench. They're known to strip easily

 

They should be internal wrenching. I dont recall the size allen wrench off hand but there should be a cavity at the end of the shaft that your allen wrench will fit in to prevent it from spinning. You may have to clean out road debris to see it.

-J

 

depending on your links. I've seen 2 different types. OEM had an Allen key spot in the end of the link to stop the end from spinning. option #2 is the opposite end of the link may have some flat spots you can get a wrench on and then tighten the nut down. think my oem was Allen head. but I've also seen the kind you can get a wrench on aftermarket

 

As others said there should be a spot for the allen key but at 170k miles mine were too corroded and just slipped. One of mine the impact worked without it spinning but the second side I ended up getting mad late at night and just threw the vice grips on it lol. Tried not to destroy the boot but I'm sure reduced the life of them a bit, figured they're cheap enough. That was almost a month ago and checked last night when doing brakes and didn't seem any worse.

 

You guys are awesome, didn't notice the spot for the allen wrench. Top one was stuck like hell, Allen wrench nor vice grips was working, so I got pissed and got my dremmel out and just cut the dang thing off. Popped the new one right back in and used the allen wrench to help tighten it. Though it didn't seem to want to spin going back on. But im back in business. Thanks for yalls help

 

Heat always works.

 

Alan key in the center of the "Bolt", then use a wrench to undo the nut.

You MUST lift both front tires off the ground. So there is little force on the sway bar. I learned that the hard way by stripping the Alan key hole.