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View Full Version : Rear swaybar endlink broken + subframe crack (pls see pics)


Mikecivic78
12-12-2010, 08:12 PM
http://i54.tinypic.com/33kd4ar.jpg

Car: EM1
Swaybar: EK9/ oem bushings and Em1 rear swaybar endlinks (they fit well upon install one week ago). Car is running stock springs and shocks.

Problem is that the right hand side endlink has broken and the ball join has popped out.

How can I fix this? Is the endlink repairable, or do I need new ones.

As you can see in the next pic, the bar has shifted to the left. Is it ok to drive without doing excess damage?http://i55.tinypic.com/2132ft1.jpg

All replies welcome, it needs to be fixed as I have to take it on a road trip in a week :S
Mikecivic78
13-12-2010, 11:59 AM
No replies?

Oh well, guess I'll just order some new endlinks and re-install the bar with them.
RPMTOY
13-12-2010, 02:42 PM
hi there, you probably best off just getting some new ones either oem or a stronger aftermarket, say hardrace or spherical type made by functions 7, yonas at jdmyard can help you out. Interms of driving it will be fine as u don't need a sway bar to drive. Just make sure its not rubbing on any thing, you can just use your hands to rotate it out of the way.
Mikecivic78
13-12-2010, 05:47 PM
I ordered some hardrace endlinks earlier today. Thanks for the reply.
bennjamin
13-12-2010, 08:28 PM
never seen a OEM endlink fail....only in a accident. the swaybar possibly was installed slightly to one side putting strain on this endlink and thus breaking it. When reinstalling remember to measure the distance of both side to make sure they are even
Mikecivic78
13-12-2010, 09:20 PM
It is odd. Actually I didn't do the work, I got a shop to do it as I was too busy to get round to it. They might have done something wrong.

More disturbingly, I have found that there is a crack in the subframe on the left side near where the bolts go into the subframe.
Mikecivic78
13-12-2010, 09:37 PM
Here is a pic of the crack in the sub frame. By the way, did they use the correct bracket under the ASR brace? (the two smaller brackets were returned to me from the ASR kit).

http://i54.tinypic.com/izav86.jpg
Alexx
13-12-2010, 10:46 PM
Who installed the brace?! All pieces of the kit need to be used during install..... Id be demanding an explanation from whoever installed the brace.

take a pic so we can see in behind the brace. there is a little L kinda shaped bracket that fits behind the subframe. Sounds like they didnt install them, dodgy kents.

As for driving, undo the other endlink and it should be fine.
vinnY
14-12-2010, 01:08 AM
pretty sure ek4/em1's had a bracket welded to the back and you don't use the backing plates on them(cxi/gli didn't have rear sway bars so they have the holes but no bracket hence the need for the asr brackets in the first place)
Mikecivic78
14-12-2010, 07:39 AM
pretty sure ek4/em1's had a bracket welded to the back and you don't use the backing plates on them(cxi/gli didn't have rear sway bars so they have the holes but no bracket hence the need for the asr brackets in the first place)
yea that's what the installation guide says.

Like Alexx said, the L shaped backing plates were used under the actual brace, but the smaller ones were not.

Does anyone have any more info on which backing plates should be used and where? Also, what about the crack? How could it have happened and is it serious?
Mikecivic78
14-12-2010, 10:52 AM
These small backing plates weren't used. Where are they supposed to go on an EM1 subframe? I have read that EM1/Ek4 already a slightly different subframe than EK1 and mightn't need them. Is it true?
http://i56.tinypic.com/mv5g7o.jpg
Alexx
14-12-2010, 12:50 PM
http://www.passwordjdm.com/Install_Notes/ASR_Brace_EK.pdf

As above, it appears the backing plates arent needed on si model (em1). Disregard what i said before, I come from an EG/DC background where it is 100% necessary to install the backing plates.

If they were supposed to be used (on cxi/gli), they are supposed to go above the LCA, 'inside' the subframe.
Mikecivic78
14-12-2010, 04:31 PM
http://www.passwordjdm.com/Install_Notes/ASR_Brace_EK.pdf

As above, it appears the backing plates arent needed on si model (em1). Disregard what i said before, I come from an EG/DC background where it is 100% necessary to install the backing plates.

If they were supposed to be used (on cxi/gli), they are supposed to go above the LCA, 'inside' the subframe.

Your right Alexx, the smalll backing plates aren't required. I checked on my car, honda have already put one in (it does look a little flimsier than the asr one).
The brace seems installed as it should be.

Right now I'm wondering what could have caused the subframe to crack. Could it have been bolts torqued too much on install or the fact that the car is on stock springs and dampers and the excess travel is causing the subframe to twist slightly, even with the ASR in place? I really dunno.
jks24
15-12-2010, 08:46 PM
damm Mike, you must be wishing I never told you to get an ASR and EK9 sway now...
Mikecivic78
15-12-2010, 09:41 PM
damm Mike, you must be wishing I never told you to get an ASR and EK9 sway now...

No, it's cool Josh. I had already decided to get one before we spoke about it that time.

Tommorow the hardrace endlinks I got off Yonas today are going in.

I'm taking it back to the place that installed it. Maybe a bit of welding and reinforcement plate will fix up the subframe crack. I just hope that this doesn't happen again and hopefully the subframe doesn't crack more in the future.

Anyway, I'm gonna be checking the sway bar, endlinks and subframe weekly from now on to make sure that nothing is going wrong.
bennjamin
15-12-2010, 09:51 PM
dude

the endlinks were not the issue - most likely the install.
You can get some OEM endlinks. Dont sell out and purchase the hardrace stuff you dont need it.
Mikecivic78
15-12-2010, 10:14 PM
dude

the endlinks were not the issue - most likely the install.
You can get some OEM endlinks. Dont sell out and purchase the hardrace stuff you dont need it.

Thanks for the reply Ben.

I'm just wondering what went wrong during the install. The brace seems to be installed correctly, but like you said earlier, most likely the endlinks might have been installed badly ( BTW, how can you tell left from right one?). And maybe the bar wasn't installed lined up perfectly because the distances werent measured.

I failed to inspect the work carefully when I got the car back. I was foolish not to.

Unfortunately I have already recieved the hard race endlinks. I called Austral Honda parts and they quoted me $110 just for one right endlink, so I chose hardrace as it was 75 for a set of two. Is the hardrace an inferior product?