I've decided to fix my sway bar links because the car didn't handle as well as I would've liked it to. I went with MOOG parts because of lifetime warranty. Did the bushings only and reused the OEM links because new ones were $27.99/side After replacing both sides the car handles a LOT better - higher cornering speed and smoother ride over bumps. The cost was $15.98 for both sides.

I could've gotten both new sway bar links off eBay for $20 shipped but there might be problems with quality/warranty in the future so if you decide to go that route keep that in mind.

TOOLS:- tire iron- jack and stand- 12mm and 14mm wrench - I have ratcheting wrenches which make it a lot faster, but you can use a ratchet/socket instead of the 14mm wrench- torque wrench- pry bar- MOOG sway bar bushing kit - 1 box = 1 side, $7.99 at my o'reilly

1. jack up one side and support on stand, remove the jack2. remove wheel3. jack up the control arm to remove tension off the sway bar4. remove the top nut (14mm) - might need to use the 12mm wrench on the lower part of link to hold it steady5. remove the upper washer and bushing6. release the jack7. pry the sway bar off the link8. remove the lower bushing and washer and replace with new9. jack up the LCA10. pry the sway bar onto the link and install new bushing, washer and nut - i reused the OEM 14mm nut, the kit comes with both new upper and lower (LCA side) nut which is 17mm i believe11. tighten the nut as much as possible - should hit a stop on the threads when properly tightened12. use the 12mm wrench to straighten the out the link - needs to look like a straight letter "L"13. release the jack, put the wheel back on and drop the car14. DO NOT FORGET TO RETORQUE THE LUG NUTS WITH THE CAR ON THE GROUND15. enjoy the ride
Modified by allensteiner at 12:05 PM 9/1/2009

no feedback on the write up? come on ppl i made it to bask in the glory of positive comments got nothing instead...

Ok, ok, here's a morsel for you.... Really nice pics and an informative step by step for those in the need to replace these items. Now for the negative part. It looks like it will soon be time to change the drive axle boots. See some pretty good cracks developing there.

thanks

i think the boots will hold up till i get rid of the car...hopefully in the near future.

Great write up..

Thank you for the how to, my 98 max has 99k miles on it, i will probably be replacing my sway bar links as you did, very good pics.

Nice job. I will add it to the how-to's.

Would you like a custom title under your user name?

Thanks for posting that. Looks like you had already changed your tie rod end bushings as well. I guess that helped the steering, too.

I need to replace my sway bar bushings that attach to the frame, but I think I'm going to go ahead and do the links and link bushings as well. The 90-degree joint at the bottom of one of the links has a busted boot - exposing the joint - so might as well just do all of it. One of the sway bar bushings on the frame is basically split and falling apart. I can't tell if it is the culprit, but I've had a lovely clunking sound coming from down there when going over rough spots in the road, and I also have a chattering on the brakes on that side. The chattering only happens when I tap the brakes; if I put more pressure on the them, the chattering stops. There's also some creaking and squeaking while going over low spots in the road. Hard to tell if it is all related, but I guess I'll try it one fix at-a-time.

Wish me luck.

Hello there. I am just searching around the net to look for a steps for the removal of this bushing that i purchased last week. Thanks for this one. I really appreciate this thread.

out of curiosity, are the bushings that come with the MOOG end links made of Polyurethane? Regardless of whether or not they are, I plan on buying the end links next week

Those are most likely rubber (same as OEM).

Urethane bushing kits for the Maxima sways are easy to find, however, and can make a nice difference.

Thank you posting the write up. Is your Max a 5-speed?