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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto.
I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle,
think of 1AAuto.com.
Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the front sway bar link on this
2003 Mercury Mountaineer, same as any 2002 to 2005 Mountaineer, as well as Explorer.
Our front passenger side is broken, so we show you how to get it out and replace it
with a new one from 1A Auto.
You'll need new sway bar link from 1AAuto.com, 16mm and 19mm socket and ratchet, a piece
of pipe for some leverage, jack and jack stands and a torque wrench.
You'll want to remove your center cap.
If you don't have the benefit of air tools, then loosen your lug nuts with the vehicle
on the ground.
Then raise both front wheels and support the car with jack stands and then remove the lug
nuts and wheel the rest of the way.
Now you can pull the wheel free.
This is the driver side, which is actually still together, so you would, if you're removing
one that was still together, put a 15mm socket and ratchet on top and a 16mm wrench on the
bottom, remove that top nut and then go from there.
On ours, it's broken so I'm just filling, basically, the cavity with penetrating oil.
This is pretty typical: it breaks off up top here and you saw where you just filled it
up with penetrating oil and now we're just messing around with it.
We locked some locking pliers onto it.
That penetrating oil really helped the bolt start up and we've basically broken the plastic
here.
Now this plastic tube will slide off.
We're just going to use a hammer and chisel to remove the rest of the plastic.
This, of course, is the worst case scenario, you just want to remove the plastic, you can
use some locking pliers and then just remove the nut on the bottom or at least loosen it
up as much as you can.
Then just hammer this down and out.
Before installing it, just jack up the other side, just slightly.
Now replace your sway link and the order it should go in is: washer, bushing, control
arm, then bushing, washer, the tube, and another washer, and then the bushing, and then your
sway bar, then another bushing, another washer, and then the nut.
You just want to tighten that nut preliminarily,and then release the jack.
To tighten up the link, what you want to do is have the car back down on the ground, and
now I have a jack supporting just the front suspension so that basically everything is
level and the suspension is in its correct ride height.
Then tighten up the link by holding the wrench on top and then turning the bottom.
Tighten it up so that the bushings are all squeezed to about the diameter of the washers.
Replace your wheel, then replace all the lug nuts and tighten them preliminarily.
Then you'd want to lower the vehicle and tighten them the rest of the way, then torque each
of these in a crossing pattern to 100 foot-pounds.
Now replace your hubcap.
Just line it up and hit it back into place.
We hope this video helps you out.
Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best
service on the Internet.
Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393.
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