Widefoot Anti-Swaybar Mount Installation

Last updated: November 17, 1999

Ed.'s note: These instructions were provided by David Breslau, the manufacturer of the Widefoot mounts. --Steve

From: David Breslau
Date: September 29, 1999

Widefoot Swaybar Mount installation instructions

I strongly recommend following some basic safety rules, such as wearing safety glasses when working underneath a car, using jackstands, etc. Having another person around while you're working is always a good idea in case of emergencies.

If you have any doubts about performing this work, please have a trained professional do the installation.

The car should be jacked up and supported with stands on the main side rails, behind the wheel well. Remove the belly pan and spoiler. There are a few phillips screw drive body plugs that hold the belly pan, and these can be a bit of a pain to remove. Careful use of a narrow flat blade screwdriver can help pry these out, after unscrewing the central screw.
Use some wire or heavy string to support the center of the swaybar, and remove the four 8mm bolts that clamp the swaybar pivot bushing. The stock passenger side swaybar mount has a 6mm stud on it for clamping one end of the power steering cooling loop, remove its nut.
Remove the four 10mm mounting bolts from the stock swaybar mounts, and *carefully* check the mounting face of the frame rail for damage. Use a flashlight and a small scraping tool to check for cracks, especially around the 10mm threaded holes. I've seen cracks here due to excessive flexing of the stock mount.
** If any damage is present, contact me about repair procedures **
The Widefoot Swaybar Mount should not be used with damaged rails *until* the rail is repaired properly. While the WSM will help prevent future damage, existing cracks could grow.
If the rails are O-K, also check the frame rail flange that's next to the mounts. The area right around where the WSM goes should be straight and undamaged, and remove loose undercoating. This will be the clamping surface for the WSM built-in brace. I recommend using a zinc rich primer to treat all exposed metal surfaces before attaching the new mounts.
Remove the 1/4-28 allen screws from the two WSM's, and set the clamp blocks aside. Take the supplied 10mm socket bolts and hardened 10mm washers, and use a small amount of low or medium strength locking compound on the threads.
Loosely bolt the mounts to the frame rails, snugging the 10mm bolts to finger tight. These bolts use a 8mm hex key, it's most convenient if you use a ratchet type driver.
Take the 1/4-28 screws, and put a thin coat of copper or nickel based anti-seize on the threads (I think nickle is the optimal choice). Replace the clamp bar, which goes to the outside of the frame rail, such that when the three 1/4-28 screws are tightened, the flange is sandwiched between the new swaybar mount and the clamp.
The narrow projecting part of the clamp bar should now be resting against the two ribs on the WSM. Tighten the 1/4-28 screws lightly, then tighten the 10mm bolts to 5ft/lbs. Tighten the 1/4-28 screws more, then tighten the 10mm bolts to 10 ft/lbs.
At this point you can fully tighten the 1/4-28 screws, to a max of 8 ft/lbs. If you want to go higher, you can swap the stainless screws for a quality alloy steel, but you shouldn't go over 11 ft/lbs. Now fully tighten the 10mm bolts to the upper end of stock toque specs (I don't have these values immediately available, I'll send them to you in a separate message).
Obviously, what you're trying to do is "nestle" the mount into the corner formed by the lower surface of the frame rail and the flange. You don't have to go in this exact order, just make sure that both surfaces are fully seated before doing any final tightening of the fasteners. Failing to do this can put extra stress on the rails and mounts, and lessens the effectiveness of the WSM.
The clamp adds a small additional retention force (the two 10mm bolts obviously do the most), but more importantly it creates a strong resistance to "tipping" left-to-right, along the rotational axis of the two 10mm bolts. It's this uncontrolled tipping that causes the failure of the stock mounts, and of the frame rail.
The two radiator support plates go up against the bottom of the WSM. push the swaybar up against the plates, and attach the stock bushing clamps with the 8mm screws, and loosely tighten them.
You should be able to adjust the radiator to the stock location, with the two rubber feet seated in the holes. Optionally, apply some RTV silicone to this area to help support the radiator and prevent squeaks. The radiator stays in the same location with the current brackets, but I can make custom mounting plates to reposition it (within reason).
When the radiator support plates, swaybar clamps, and bushings are all properly adjusted, tighten the 8mm bolts to factory specs. The power steering loop is not tied down with these mounts, and should be stable enough on its own. If you want, you can zip tie or Adel clamp it to a convenient part of the car.
Double check all fasteners, and replace the belly pan and spoiler.

This is the first version of the installation instructions, if you have any comments or suggestions, I really welcome them. If you see a way to make the WSM better, or want a modification for your needs, please let me know.

David Breslau
617-253-7216 (W)
781-729-4511 (H)