How to remove the top sway bar drop link pinch bolt on 981

[carl s]

I thought I'd post how I managed to get the stuck top bolts out on my sway bar, in case others have the same problem. What should have been an hours work turned into all afternoon but we got there in the end! Both sides of the car needed the same treatment.

The nut on the pinch bolt came off fine, but the long bolt just wouldn't move at all. I tried hitting it with a punch and big hammer repeatedly which did absolutely nothing as well as lots of penetrating oil. There's a thin bolt face on the droplink side of the bolt which I managed to move a few mm with a thin ring spanner but it started to round the edges so I had to stop. I'm sure there's lots of different ways of doing it but I decided to lever off the old droplink revealing a round ball, I then cut that off with a reciprocating saw as near to the bolt faces as I could. This left a round ridge which prevented me from putting a 16mm socket on it. So out came the dremmel and carefully ground the round collar off in the shape of the bolt faces so that it helped give a bigger face for a socket to grip on. Then I could get a 16mm socket on. With a breaker bar it now moved so I could work it back & forward and start winding it out with a screwdriver behind the washer putting constant pressure on the bolt so it would lever out. Then finished off with a punch for the last bit.
 

Cut off the ball so you can dremmel the sides onto the bolt, moving the brake pad wiring loom helped with access
 

A few taps with a hammer and the socket went on
 

Then punch through from the other side
 

And we end up with a rough but functional bolt!
 

Hope this is useful for others that face the same problem.

Edited June 16 by carl s

[Dubdubz]

thanks - I am a bit confused on the socket on the adjusted end step as the next pic is you hammering it out from the other side?

[carl s]

Apologies I didn't take enough photos, once the socket can fit on the bolt end you can use a breaker bar to get it moving so the penetrating oil can work it's way into the gaps, then it's a matter of turning the socket from one side, then a few whacks with a punch on the other side, then alternate lots of times until it comes out.