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Sway bar upper installation help please

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Coastalman

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The R/H plate that attaches the sway bar to the bottom spring pan assembly has broken on my BJ8. I have a new plate ready to install, but I am concerned about the safety factor of the stored energy in the coil spring. At this point, I have the front of the car supported on jack stands which are under the spring pan. My thought is that I can take out one of the two bolts that I need to remove in order to put the plate on out of the pan, put it back with one side of the new plate having that bolt through it, snug that bolt up and then remove the second bolt to finish installing the plate. That way I would only have one bolt at a time out of the spring pan. Is that safe? My concern is that the spring might jump out of the pan with only three bolts holding it. I don't think it will, but if it did, I could be really hurt. Suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks,
Charlie
 
Coastalman said:
The R/H plate that attaches the sway bar to the bottom spring pan assembly has broken on my BJ8. I have a new plate ready to install, but I am concerned about the safety factor of the stored energy in the coil spring. At this point, I have the front of the car supported on jack stands which are under the spring pan. My thought is that I can take out one of the two bolts that I need to remove in order to put the plate on out of the pan, put it back with one side of the new plate having that bolt through it, snug that bolt up and then remove the second bolt to finish installing the plate. That way I would only have one bolt at a time out of the spring pan. Is that safe? My concern is that the spring might jump out of the pan with only three bolts holding it. I don't think it will, but if it did, I could be really hurt. Suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks,
Charlie
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Check out https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?91879-front-spring-installation. Having one bolt out should be ok (I've done that myself) but that first bolt can't be snugged up tight because you may not be able to turn the plate.
 
Charlie,
The way you are suggesting is exactly how I did it after accidentally putting one of the plates on the wrong side. I didn't realized it until I was ready to do the second side and I already had the springs all in place. I had no safety issues doing it that way.
Jim
 
Thanks to the reassurance of Jim and John I put the plate on this morning. It went as planned and I was happy to have it done. The forum comes through again!
Charlie
 
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