Tanabe Front Sway Bar Install

Got my Tanabe front sway bar yesterday, and worked on installing it today. I used the Toyota repair manual posted elsewhere for the removal and install instructions, and I learned a few things to pass onto others trying this.

1) The instructions with the bar are completely in Japanese. Tanabe, please try harder - other mods you sell come with at least partial English instructions.

2) You will need a large, 1/2" drive breaker bar and a 22 mm socket, along with a set of metric sockets, a 1-foot 3/8" drive breaker bar, and two torque wrenches, one up to 100 ft lbs and one up to 200 ft lbs, two jackstands and a floor jack. I ended up using a larger one to raise the vehicle for the jackstands, and one for lifting the engine/transmission (see below).

3) The Toyota instructions say to unbolt the top and bottom of the sway bar links. Only the bottom of the link connecting to the sway bar needs to be unbolted.

4) The Toyota instructions for removing the front sway bar call for removing both front lower control arms. This isn't necessary, only one needs to be removed, and the sway bar can be dropped and disengaged from the side with the intact control arm. There's a problem: the forward bolt on each side is blocked by the engine/transmission. On the passenger side, the oil filter housing blocks that control arm bolt from being removed, and on the driver side, part of the transmission housing blocks the bolt from being removed. I did the driver side control arm with a trick - I used a small floor jack to raise the transmission just enough to allow the bolt to be pulled out. I'd guess that, on the assembly line, the suspension assembly is completed before the engine is put in.

5) I put silicone grease on the rubber bushings where they hit metal, either the new bar or the vehicle mount points. I really don't want to hear any squeaks. The rubber bushings go on the bar outboard of the rings welded on the bar. The side of the bushing with the recess goes outboard on the sway bar. There are nubs on the bottom of the bushings that engage holes in the bushing retainer plates, and the bushings have to be on the sway bar correctly for the nubs to line up with the retainer plates.

6) The bolts holding the control arms are torqued to 172 ft lbs, and they are a bear to loosen. For this install, only loosen the rear bolt on one control arm (don't remove), and remove the forward control arm bolt. After removing the two nuts and one bolt connecting the control arm to the ball joint, the control arm can be rotated to the rear to provide room for the sway bar to be dropped and manipulated to remove it from the vehicle.

It took me about three hours to get the new bar installed and the wheels back on. I think I could do it again in half the time now that I've figured out the tricks. I'll go rent the 200 ft lbs torque wrench tomorrow to finish the two control arm bolts, then I'll put the underside covers back on. I'll put wood blocks under the two front tires so that the vehicle is resting on the tires when I torque the control arm bolts, but I'll be able to reach the bolts.

 

See my signature. I left out the rear TRD sway bar. Very red underneath my Prius!

 

Tanabe sway bar is 25.4 mm (1") but made from chromoly which is stiffer than conventional steel:

Tanabe USA Inc. - Sustec Stabilizer

 

Yes, it comes with new bushings. Yes, I've got the STB and NF-210 springs. I think the vehicle handles very nicely, but I haven't had a chance to really try it out with the new front sway bar on some twisty on-ramps or local roads.