Help: Can't reach front Sway bar bushing bolt, front passenger, 2002 Sport

[FDR]

I'm stuck. I read the driver side is harder. Not in my case. Maybe it is on Gen 2s, which are more common, but this just isn't working. 2002 V8 Sport

I got both rear bolts (as in both rear bolts of the front bar's brackets) off easily reaching in through the wheel wells. The front driver's side came off easily through the top of the engine bay using several extensions and a u-joint after removing the intake tube. But this front passenger bolt... There's no room.

I unbolted what I think is the DCCV and lifted it out of the way, held up by wire. It was definitely blocking the bolt head. I can get a 1/4" drive wrench on there with a 3" extension, but having only one hand in there and a short handle, I can't get enough torque on it. I think reaching through the wheel well again is out of the question because the alternator has about 3 inches to the fan shroud and there are several hoses running past there.

Any suggestions? Between cheap, overtorqued lug nuts, the rain, and this inaccessibility, the car has been laid up for 4 days now

7 lug nuts needed a good amount of coercion. 2 needed sockets hammered on with a 6ft breaker bar after the regular x-wrench slipped off too many times. 1 required a stripped bolt extractor, which ended up spinning the chrome plating OFF the lug nut itself, which I then hammered an 18mm socket between the nut and chrome, and pulled with what felt like 300ft-lbs minimum.

Good news. Transmission leak: it was just overfilled by the same idiots that must have used full throttle impact gun on the lugs. I also refinished one of my "experimental" headlights' lenses with 1500 grit sanding, polish, and a coat of polyurethane. Needs two more coats but it already looks amazingly clear compared to what I started with coming off a neglected junkyard LS.

 

[RigsLS]

Just as you have mentioned with respect to the back bolt on the passenger side bracket, is how I got mine undone.
I did however also loosen up the hydraulic reservoir for the fan unit to access it on a slightly better angle, DCCV was also slid over like you are doing. Working from above with a ratchet, swivel and several extensions, it was the most cumbersome bolt to get out, it did snap loose eventually. I recall attempting to get at it from the bottom side but proved impossible. Keep at it!

Also, I hope you are NOT putting those Energy Suspension bushings w/ brackets on.
They are too narrow and will slide side to side on the swaybar.

There is a Jaguar bushing available that is a direct fit with the stock sway bar bushing brackets.

Rein #XR819697 from FCPparts
http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/jaguar-suspension-stabilizer-bar-mount-xr819697

 

[92spi]

are the energy suspension bushings insufficient? when I put them on I noticed how the sway bar 'racked' side to side very easily. are the jag units better/tighter/less apt to deflection? I haven't seen them slip out of the brackets; sorry, didn't mean to hijack.

 

[FDR]

92spi: the jag bushings are OEM size so they use your original brackets. The energy suspension bushings come with a new bracket to replace your old ones. The whole assembly is something like half an inch narrower, allowing the bar to left and right. I think all the S Types had the 30mm sport bar.

Bigrig: I got it. After filtering through numerous search result pages, I read someone used a swivel head wrench. I don't have one, but I did have a breaker bar and 13mm socket that I used. It only worked for the first 1/4 turn, but it was enough to break it free. I went in from the top.

Once free, though, I used ratchet with a 2 or 3 inch extension. I went in from the side along the sway bar arm and turned it 20 miserable degrees at a time. I couldn't go through the top with a bunch of extensions because the setup kept binding and/or popping off. I couldn't fit my arm in at the same time. If I had help, maybe they could hold it from the side opening.

Unbolting the fan reservoir probably would have worked much better. Too many hoses over there. I might just do the electric fan conversion out of spite.

Oh, did you ever tint your tail lights? I ended up buying Josh's gen 2s a month later. I haven't had any time to do anything yet. School and work come first, and any work on the car has been safety, reliability, and longevity. After the brakes and bushings I should be free to mess around with the radio, chrome deletes, and these 1,200 LEDs I bought...

 

[1LoudLS]

when I did mine, I think I remember using three extensions and two wobble knuckles. this must be where there must be something different about the generations because I didn't have to remove move over anything except for the OEM air intake stuff. the longest part for me was using a dremel to cut off the old bushing brackets.

with almost 100k on them, I haven't had a single problem with the energy suspension bushings

 

[FDR]

I should have said "But I've had no personal experience with the ES bushings, so I don't know if the sliding is a problem." I also forget that many people here are starting with the revised, molded sway bar and not my original Gen 1 style, so the Jags may not be as feasible or available.

I'm glad to hear you've had no problems, though. I'm not one to care if it's right or wrong, as long as it works correctly and reliably. I wonder if anyone has used both the Jags and the ESs that can offer a comparison. Personally, the LS's handling is leaps and bounds better than any other car in my driveway and I'm happy regardless.

 

[LS4me]

I should have said "But I've had no personal experience with the ES bushings, so I don't know if the sliding is a problem." I also forget that many people here are starting with the revised, molded sway bar and not my original Gen 1 style, so the Jags may not be as feasible or available.

I'm glad to hear you've had no problems, though. I'm not one to care if it's right or wrong, as long as it works correctly and reliably. I wonder if anyone has used both the Jags and the ESs that can offer a comparison. Personally, the LS's handling is leaps and bounds better than any other car in my driveway and I'm happy regardless.

HOWEVER, a moving stabilizer bar isn't doing it's job.