Easy way to remove sway bar link

Ball stud style sway bar end links can be a bear to remove if they aren’t designed with flats on the ball stud side. The flats are designed for an open end wrench to hold the ball stud while you remove the retaining nut on the other side.

But some sway bar link manufacturers leave out the flats and instead provide a hex socket to hold the ball stud. That design can leave you very frustrated.

Lisle tools made a tool to deal with this problem. But in most cases, the hex just strippes out, even with the correct tool.

So here’s a better way to remove a sway bar link

Don’t waste any time trying to unscrew the nut holding the sway bar link to the sway bar or strut. Instead, just cut through the nut using a rotary tool

Here’s what you’ll need to remove a sway bar end link:

Rotary tool electric or battery powered
Cut off wheel
3/8″ cold chisel for metal

Cut through the retaining nut on the sway bar link

Locate the cut off wheel parallel to the threaded stud on the ball stud. Start the rotary tool and cut right into the nut. If you’re removing the nut on the sway bar end, continue cutting until the cut off wheel is almost all the way through the nut. Then use your 3/8″ chisel and a hammer to break the nut off the stud. If you’re replacing the strut, continue cutting through the nut. If not, use the chisel to break the nut apart.

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©, 2023 Rick Muscoplat

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Rick Muscoplat