Disconnect both front sway bar end links?

[kimszoo]

I heard a rattling on uneven ground, and upon inspection i noticed the driver's side front sway bar endlink was the culprit, knuckle popped out. So I checked the passenger side too, and it's ok, but things looked different. I checked it against a friend's Focus and found that the buddy who did the front strut assemblies in my focus put the wrong one on the driver's side. It's another passenger strut, it's new enough the part number is still clear. But I didn't have time and he offered to pick them up and install for me, live and learn. So I can't install a new endlink properly unless I get the right strut, and I've spent a chunk on it recently and am now fairly broke. So do I disconnect the passenger side endlink too, or drive with just one connected. Or put the old strut assembly back in and install the driver's side endlink on it? I replaced them because the passenger side coil spring broke.

[Sponsor]

[rambleon84]

driving with one or both endlinks not attached will essentially have the same effect. you should be fine driving with out the front sway bar attached to the endlinks, the bar itself shouldnt go anywhere. Only negative is cornering/handling will suffer but you should be ok until you can get it fixed.

So just to clarify, you replaced the front strut already with the correct one or you are waiting to do that as well?

[kimszoo]

Both front coils/struts were replaced, but the drivers side is the wrong one, and I can't afford to buy another new one right now. I was thinking I'm better off with 2 new coils/struts and one detached endlink, rather than one new and one old coil/strut, and 2 attached endlinks. But I'm far from a pro. And I won't be doing any crazy driving :)

[Geezer]

Just disconnect/remove the damaged end link. This will make the bar non-functional with no real downsides. Keep the other end attached to keep the bar from moving around. Sounds like your easiest/ cheapest long term fix would be a Ford Racing SVT spring/shock kit. You'd get new springs, shocks, struts and larger rear sway bar for less than 300.00 which is a steal if you were to add up these components separately. You'll get a substantial handling improvement with minimal impacts to ride quality. Some decent end links at a good price are the Duralast units from Autozone. And yes, install a matched pair rather than an individual one.

[kimszoo]

Thank you both for your advice. And yes, that's a great deal on the kit, I'll definitely consider going that route. I've removed the end link, no wonder it's destroyed...because the strut is for the opposite side, everything is backwards, so it was attached from the sway bar to the front of the strut, not the back, and was trying to wrap around.

[kimszoo]

I checked what I could while I had wheels off, outer tie rods, ball joints etc feel ok, but a control arm is a bit loose, but I didn't have one so put it all back together, took it for a test drive. It feels fine, until I take my foot off the gas at 80kms or over. Then it feels like the front end wanders a bit to the right then left back to normal. I can't feel it in the steering wheel. Would the control arm cause that, or am i looking deeper?

[Powerslave60]

I had my front sway bar break loose and it affected some things, but the number one noticeable one was going high speeds on the highways. Does it feel like your car is getting pushed by high speed winds, but your body is going the opposite way in a sickening motion that doesn't seem physically possible? Yeah, that's the feeling of your sway bar needing to get fixed. I didn't drive it on the highways until I was able to get it fixed.

[kimszoo]

Originally Posted by Powerslave60

I had my front sway bar break loose and it affected some things, but the number one noticeable one was going high speeds on the highways. Does it feel like your car is getting pushed by high speed winds, but your body is going the opposite way in a sickening motion that doesn't seem physically possible? Yeah, that's the feeling of your sway bar needing to get fixed. I didn't drive it on the highways until I was able to get it fixed.

My car feels fine while I've got my foot on the gas, or steering around a curve, under load. It's when I let off completely that it feels like the front shifts one way then the other then back to center. It's a brief sensation, not felt in the steering wheel, and can be avoided by slowing down slowly instead. I'm unable to avoid highways, I live in the boonies, but I've certainly become a slower driver. I will never get a speeding ticket :D

[sjdwales]

The struts in the front are the same. There isnt a left only and right only strut. If your control arm has play fix that first. That's prolly it issue. I also have spare new control arms if u were interested but pm me about that.

Also replace the sway bar enlinks they r cheap, $28 each from ford dealer.

[kimszoo]

Originally Posted by sjdwales

The struts in the front are the same. There isnt a left only and right only strut. If your control arm has play fix that first. That's prolly it issue. I also have spare new control arms if u were interested but pm me about that.

Also replace the sway bar enlinks they r cheap, $28 each from ford dealer.

The struts themselves are the same, yes, but the bracket that holds one end of the sway bar endlink is on the opposite side from where it should be on the driver's side. I'd be trying to attach the endlink around the strut. That was what I noticed looked wrong, and why the endlink that was there was very bent before it broke, I'm not sure how someone managed to install it at all. So in order to have an endlink on the drivers side I would have to replace the strut again. But between car and house repairs recently, I'm quite broke. I'm a single mom and supporting 5 people on one income doesn't leave much extra.
I've found control arms for $48 each, it's the best price I've found locally, so will be doing them next payday.
I'm wondering if I would be smarter to do an alignment after that and drive as is, or save for another strut before aligning? The struts are less than 2 weeks old.