• Why Do You Want To Do This?

  • It helps reduce body roll during cornering, helps tires maintain their contact patch during corning, and decreases suspension compliance (a.k.a. slop).  A larger front anti-sway bar (a.k.a. "stabilizer bar", "sway bar", "torsion bar", "roll bar", or "anti-roll bar") has increased torsional rigidity ("twisting resistance") which, among other things, reduces the compression of the outside suspension components while cornering.  It effectively increases the spring rates of your front suspension, but only when your left and right suspension are traveling in opposite directions (when you're turning).  Thus you get the benefits of stiffer springs when you're cornering, but when you're not cornering, your effective spring rates remain largely unchanged.  The stock front stabilizer bar on the AWD 3000GT/Stealths is 23mm (according to CAPS).  The Saner bar is 28.58mm (1 1/8").  Since torsional rigidity is proportional to the 4th power of the diameter and the lengths are the same (and assuming the same material is used for both bars), the Saner bar is 238% (over twice as stiff!) as stiff as the stock bar.  Further, the Saner bar is non-adjustable since it only has one location for the endlinks to attach to the bar. For more details on anti-sway bars, check out this article on Grassroots Motorsports' page.
    
   

• How Long Will It Take Me To Do This?

  • If you've never done it before and you don't read this webpage, it'll probably take you anywhere from 8 hours to 2 weeks.  If you read this page, are fairly familiar with your car (having previous experience removing the transfer case and downpipe before will help), and have the right tools, you should be able to do it in the better part of a Saturday.  Plan on 8 hours minimum so that you are not rushed.  If I had to do it again, I think I could do it comfortably in 4-5 hours.  
  
  

• Anything I Should Do Prior To Attempting This Procedure?

  • The night before you do the installation, soak the bolts/nuts that secure your downpipe with Liquid Wrench or some kind of penetrating oil.  Tap the bolts/nuts with a metal object to help the oil get into the threads.  If you've previously removed the downpipe and used anti-seize when reinstalling the bolts/nuts, you should be fine.  If you've previously removed the downpipe and NOT used anti-seize when reinstalling the bolts/nuts, you should be shot in the foot and required to give me your car for $1.00.  
  
  
  
  
  

• The Saner Anti-sway Bar Compared to the Stock Bar

  Stock Bar is on top; Saner on bottom.
  





• Mitsubishi Parts You Will Need

  • (1) MB687002 ($5.50ea) Downpipe to Front Oxygen Sensor Housing Gasket
  • (1) MR323619 ($3.00ea) Downpipe to Rear Oxygen Sensor Housing Gasket
  • (1) MB687004 ($3.00ea) Downpipe to Catalytic Convertor Gasket
  • (2) MR166735 ($1.50ea) Transfer Case Fill/Drain Plug Gaskets





• Tools I Used

  
  
  
  • Rubber Mallet
  • 14mm Open-end Wrench
  • 14mm Box-end Wrench
  • 17mm Open-end Wrench
  • 17mm Box-end Wrench
  • 3/8" Drive Ratchet
  • (Not Pictured)  1/2" Drive Breaker Bar
  • 24" Cheater Bar
  • (Not Pictured)  48" Cheater Bar
  • 3" Extension for 1/2" Ratchet
  • 6" Extension for 1/2" Ratchet
  • 6" Extension for 3/8" Ratchet
  • 19mm 1/2" Drive 6pt Socket
  • 17mm 1/2" Drive 6pt Socket
  • 17mm 3/8" Drive 6pt Socket
  • 14mm 3/8" Drive 6pt Socket
  • 14mm 3/8" Drive 6pt Deep Socket
  • 12mm 3/8" Drive 6pt Deep Socket
  • 10mm 3/8" Drive 6pt Deep Socket
  • 3/8" to 1/2" Drive Socket Adapter
  • 1/2" to 3/8" Drive Socket Adapter
  • 8?mm Allen Wrench
  • #2 Philips Screwdriver
  • Stubby #2 Philips Screwdriver
  • Ratcheting Right-angle #2 Philips Screwdriver
  • 12" Pry Bar
  • 18" Pry Bar
  • Round File
  • 3/8" 150ft*lb Torque Wrench
  • 1/2" 200ft*LB Torque Wrench
  • Dremel Tool
  • 1/8" Tungsten Carbide Cutting Bit for Dremel
  • (Not Pictured)  (2) 3-ton Jack Stands
  • (Not Pictured)  3.5-ton Floor Jack
  • (Not Pictured)  Anti-Seize Compound
  • (Not Pictured)  Oil Drain Pan
  • (Not Pictured)  0.75qt Transfer Case Fluid (50/50 Redline MTL/MT90) (Not Pictured)
  • (Not Pictured)  Transaxle Oil Fluid Pump
  • (Not Pictured)  2 Bungee Cords
  • (Not Pictured)  Liquid Wrench or Penetrating Oil
  • (Not Pictured)  Thesaurus

The Procedure

1. Jack up car and support front end
   If you have active aero, you'll need to remove the center jacking point cover first. Then support the car on jackstands, making sure that the support point on  one side doesn't interfere with being able to unbolt the lower control arm on that side (I picked the driver's side).  As always, check to be absolutely sure that the car is supported securely and that it is not at all unstable while supported by the jack stands.  If it falls, it will squish you and you will probably not live to tell the tale.  Chock the rear wheels, too.


2. Remove front undercovers (or active aero)
   Remove the plastic tray(s) that cover the front underside of the engine bay.  These are held on by 10mm and 12mm bolts, all of which are easily accessible.  If you have active aero, you need only remove the outer 4 (2 on each side) 12mm bolts on the central metal support bar to remove the plastic aero dam.


3. Remove Downpipe
   You did remember to soak those nuts and bolts with penetrating oil last night, didn't you?  If not, all is not lost - just make sure you let them soak for at least 15 minutes.  There are two 19mm nuts (36ft*lbs) on the flanges for the front and rear oxygen sensor housings and the bolts that connect the downpipe to the catalytic converter are 17mm (36 ft*lbs).  They may take upwards of 100ft*lbs to break loose if you've never removed them.  Use the cheater bar if you need to.  There is one exhaust hanger for the downpipe and that bolt is a 12mm bolt (9 ft* lbs) and should come off easily.


4. Remove right and left frame members
   You'll need to remove the left and right frame  members to give yourself room to access the anti-sway bar bushing brackets.  There are numerous 14mm bolts (43-51 ft*lbs) (left member pictured) that are basically all in plain sight.  There are also two 12mm bolts that attach the clutch vacuum assist tank (double round tube shaped thingy near front passenger side) to the right member.  You'll need to remove those two bolts, too, but you don't have to remove the clutch vacuum assist reservoir. And one more thing... there are two plastic fasteners that attach the left member to the cover for the left side of the engine.  Use your stubby screwdriver to "unscrew" them and then pull them out.


5. Support driveshaft
   Since you'll be removing the transfer case, you need to support the front end of the driveshaft so as not to put unnecessary stress on the universal joint.  You can use string, rope, a jackstand, or anything else that's safe, so long as the driveshaft is supported.  I used two bungee cords as shown in the picture and attached them to various non-moving parts under the car.  This worked great for me.


6. Drain transfer case fluid
   
You need to drain the transfer case fluid before you remove the transfer case, lest you let transfer fluid leak all over your floor from the output shaft housing.  This is a 17mm drainplug (22 ft* lbs) and you MUST use a new crush washer (gasket) when reinstalling it.

7. Remove transfer case
   There are five 17mm ('91-'93: 61-65ft*lbs  '94+: 18-22ft*lbs) bolts that attach the transfer case to the transaxle.  You can see four of them with their red heads in the picture.  The fifth one is above and to the right of the rightmost red one.  Once you remove these bolts, insert a large screwdriver or prybar between the transfer case and the transaxle.  Gently pry the transfer case toward the driver's side.  Once you break it loose, it should slide off the transaxle output shaft with little resistance.  Remove the front end first, rotate the front downward, and then slide the transfer case off of the rear driveshaft.  Be careful not to drop the transfer case on your head :-)  It's heavier than I first thought.  Also, there will be some oil left in the splines of the rear driveshaft, so put a paper towel or rag under there to catch the oil.


8. Unbolt stock anti-sway bar endlinks  
   Using a 14mm wrench or socket on the nut and a 14mm open-end wrench to hold the other end, unbolt the end links from the stock anti-sway bar.  Should be very easy.


9. Unbolt stock anti-sway bar bushing brackets  
   Using a 14mm socket, unbolt the brackets that fasten the stock anti-sway bar to the rear crossmember.  There are two 14mm bolts (29ft*lbs) on each bracket.  This, also, should be very easy.  At this point, the stock anti-sway bar is completely detached from the car.


10. Unbolt control arm
    In order to get clearance to get the new anti-sway bar in position, you'll need to unbolt the inboard side of the lower control arm on one side.  I picked the driver's side, and you don't need to remove the wheel as I did.  The front of the lower control arm is anchored by a 17mm bolt/nut (78 ft*lbs) that extends through the bushing in the lower middle of the second picture.  You'll need to get a wrench on the head of the bolt to stabilize it and then crank away on the nut to get it off.  The rear of the control arm is anchored by two 17mm bolts (72-87 ft*lbs for the big one and 65ft*lbs for the smaller one) and two 14mm nuts (29ft*lbs).  The manual says that the two 14mm nuts are not reusable, but since they have a lock washer, you can probably get away with just using some Lock-Tite in a pinch.  Once the control arm is unbolted, it will rotate downward, and you need to put something under it to support it so that you don't stress the ball joint.  I used a jackstand as you can see in both pictures.
    Re-assembly Note: The service manual indicates that the 17mm through bolt/nut that anchors the front of the control arm must be only temporarily tightened when the car is suspended in the air.  The final tightening must take place with the car "on the ground in an unladen condition."
    Installation Note: Some would consider this step optional. In fact, the service manual indicates that the removal of the control arm is not necessary to replace the stock anti-sway bar.  I fought with this @#$% thing for at least 4 hours trying to maneuver the stock bar every which way I could in an attempt to get it off.  I eventually did find a way to get it off without unbolting the control arm, but in retrospect, it's not the safest thing to do and I'm not even going to describe it because I'm convinced that there is no way the bigger, bulkier Saner bar will fit back in without unbolting the lower control arm.  It's not that hard to complete this step; get over it and just unbolt the @#$% thing and you'll be much less frustrated.


11. Remove stock anti-sway bar
    With the control arm unbolted, this should be extremely easy. Just rotate it as necessary and pull it out.


12. Lubricate new polyurethane anti-sway bar bushings
    Saner provides bushing lube - put a light coating on the inner surface of the new bushings.


13. Install bushings on Saner anti-sway bar
    Put the new bushings onto the Saner anti-sway bar; their position doesn't have to be exact as the lube will allow them to slide along the bar as you get it into its final position.


14. Maneuver Saner anti-sway bar into position and support it
    Much the same way as you removed the stock bar, maneuver the Saner bar back into position. Hold it out of the way in preparation for the next step. I found the most convenient way to support it was to thread the lower bushing bracket bolt in about 1/2" and then rest the bar on the bolt.


15. Reattach inboard side of control arm
    Reattach the mounting bolts for the lower control arm. Remember not to fully tighten the front through-bolt until the car is back on the ground.


16. Test-fit bushing brackets
    Wrap the bushing brackets around the bushings, slip the spacer under the bracket and maneuver the upper bolts so that you can thread them in 3/8".  Once the upper bolts are threaded in, try to line up the lower bolt holes.  If by some miracle they line up on your car then you can skip the next couple steps.  If you're like me and everyone else I've talked to, you get to have some fun now.  I found that my brackets needed to be rotated counter-clockwise to make the lower bolt holes have a prayer of lining up.  That meant that the upper right of the lower bolt holes needed to be enlarged.  Take the bushing brackets off the car and over to your workbench.


17. Remember which way the brackets need to be enlarged
    Stare at the bushing brackets that will make the next 2 hours of your life a living Hell. Realize you forgot which edge to enlarge. Swear. Get back under car, groan, and then mount brackets again. Get the bright idea to mark the edge that needs enlarging with a marking pen before removing brackets.


18. Use your Dremel and handy-dandy cutting bit to enlarge the holes
    The lower hole was enlarged toward the bar and to the right.  The upper hole was enlarged only slightly toward the bar.  The spacer was not modified and the brackets were not mirror-images (they were identically modified).


19. Use your Dremel to groove the area where the bolt heads will hit the brackets
    This will help keep the bolts from binding so badly when you secure the brackets.


20. Swear, then pull the metal splinters out of your hands
    That cutting bit will leave metal splinters everywhere. Some of these are bound to find their way into your hands.  Remove them.


21. Test fit bushing brackets and spacers again
    Realize that the brackets still don't fit.  Get out the thesaurus to learn some synonyms for the swear-words you've been using.  They're getting old.


22. Repeat steps [16-21] until bracket holes are sufficiently enlarged
    This is what my brackets looked like when I was done with them.


23. Swear some more
    Realize that you accidentally cross-threaded the lower bushing bracket bolt hole while attempting to test-fit the bushing brackets.


24. Re-tap the bolt hole (10mmx1.25) you cross-threaded
    Thank the wonderful Team3s members who helped you keep your sanity during this extremely troubling time.  (Thanks, Damon!)


25. Test that you can get all 4 bolts into the holes, being extra careful not to cross-thread them
    Wow! They actually fit!


26. Maneuver the brackets so you can fully tighten the upper two bolts
    I found that once the lower bolts were partially threaded I could no longer get a socket on the head of the upper bolts because the bracket came too close to the head of the bolt.  Thus I removed the lower bolts and proceeded to fully tighten the upper bolts to 29ft*lbs.  


27. Using a prybar if necessary, thread the lower two bolts in
    Being extremely careful not to cross-thread the lower bolt holes, thread the lower bolts in 1/2" or so by hand or by gently turning a wrench.  This should not take more than a few foot-lbs.  If there is more resistance, back the bolt out and try again.  Even if you're frustrated, you do NOT want to cross thread a bolt at this point.  If you need to (I did), use a small prybar to push the bracket to the side so there is little tension on the bolt as you allow it to catch the first few threads.


28. Tighten the lower two bolts to spec
    Carefully tighten the lower bolts to 29ft*lbs.


29. Jump up and down for joy!
    
    It's all downhill from here! Admire your work.


30. Attach anti-sway bar endlinks
    Using your allen wrench and a 17mm socket or wrench, tighten the nuts on the endlinks to 29ft*lbs.


31. Reattach transfer case
    Note: If your transaxle output shaft shows any signs of rust or if the lube on the shaft doesn't seem to be able to do its job anymore, you'll want to put a light layer of grease on the shaft before you put the transfer case back on. Use a grease that's compatible with the existing lube or if you're not sure, clean off the shaft and the receiving shaft of the transfer case and then re-lube them. I used a high-quality lithium-based high-temperature grease I got at the local auto-parts store. If you've had the transfer case off for more than a few days, you might want to spread some transfer oil onto the splines of the rear driveshaft to make sure that is well-lubricated as well.
    Align the transfer case with the rear drive shaft and slide them together. Then rotate the assembly upward and slide the transfer case onto the transaxle output shaft.  You may need to rotate the driveshaft or the wheels at this point to get the splines to line up.  Tighten all 5 bolts down to spec:  ('91-'93: 61-65ft*lbs  '94+: 18-22ft*lbs).


32. Fill the transfer case with fluid
    Remove the fill plug and pump fluid into the transfer case.  Use a 75W85 GL4 Gear Oil or your favorite 75W85 synthetic (I prefer BG Synchroshift or Redline MTL/MT90).  On the second generation transfer case ('94+), fill the case until oil weeps out of the fill hole.  This takes about .6-.7qt and the car should be level when you do this (temporarily jack up the rear of the car for this step and support it with jackstands).  Then tighten the fill plug to 18-22 ft*lbs after you have replaced the crush washer (gasket) with a new one.


33. Install left and right frame members
    Bolt them up just like you took them off. All the 14mm bolts are spec'd at 43-51 ft-lbs.


34. Install downpipe
    Replace all three gaskets that connect the downpipe to the other parts of the exhaust.  If your gaskets are at all old or brittle, they stand a good chance of leaking if you reuse them.  Slide the pipe up on the studs from the oxygen sensor housings just like you took it off.  Tighten the 19mm nuts and 17mm bolts to 36 ft*lbs.


35. Install front undercover or active aero dam
    Reverse of how you took it off. Pretty easy, considering what you've been through.


36. Lower car onto ground
    


37. Put car either on blocks or on a lift
    Gotta keep the car's weight on the wheels for the next step.


38. Tighten lower control arm bolt to spec.
    Remember that bolt on the control arm that you partially tightened?  Well, now you need to tighten it to 78ft*lbs.  Have fun getting to it :-)


39. Tell that @#$% anti-swaybar who's the boss
    That's right, YOU are. Now go find some twisty roads and see how your car doesn't lean so much anymore.

Initial Review

All in all, I have to say I like the changes in the car since I installed the Saner front anti-sway bar.  I haven't put the rear one on yet, so the car's handling is nowhere near neutral, but just commenting on the front suspension, I like it.  There is a little more road vibration transmitted to the cabin (probably due to the poly bushings that replaced the stock rubber ones) and the ride is a tiny bit stiffer.  It's nowhere near as stiff as the cars I've ridden in that have various higher-rate/lowering springs.  Weight transfer on turn-in is now heavily biased toward the front of the car; when pushed, the car understeers like a freight train.  When only driving 5/10 or 6/10 I don't notice any additional tendency toward understeer.  If I turn-in sharply, I can chirp my front tires due to the the much-quicker weight transfer.  After going on a "spirited" 50+ mile drive with the NWS3 group this past weekend, I'm very happy with the reduction in body roll and can't wait to get the rear bar installed.  Reports from tailgaters (just kidding James) were that my car didn't lean anywhere near as much as some of the other stock cars that were there.  Finally, the report from the non-enthusiast passenger during the NWS3 drive was that the ride wasn't that much different than it used to be and that it wasn't too bouncy or harsh.