Tales from my sway bar install

[rocketman74]

Thought I would share my experiences with my recent self-install of a BajaRon sway bar on my 2018 F3-S for those who are considering it or may have questions.

Disclaimer
I consider myself to be moderately handy in the garage. I have completed many brake jobs on my 4-wheeled vehicles, oil changes, minor engine component swaps, etc. Also pretty handy with tools, both manual and power.

Tools you will need
- Torx wrenches- Small flat head screwdriver
- Socket wrench and sockets
- Awl or similar sized screwdriver
- Car ramps
- Floor jack or comparable lift capable of 22"+ of lift between the ground and the underside of the Spyder frame
- Spare wood (2x6's and/or plywood)
- Wheel chocks
- Jack stands capable of extending to 24"+ height
- Install instructions
- Patience

Process to remove the old sway bar
- I started by riding the Spyder up onto my car ramps. Engaged the parking brake, chocked the back wheel and started disassembling and removing the bolts, nuts and spacers/end caps from the old sway bar.
- Note 1: I also found an extra bolt on both sides of the sway bar channel which the instructions didn't mention. There is another thread on the forum which states to get the latest version of the install document (v2.2) from BajaRon before you start the process. Get it before you begin.
- Note 2: It is a real pain in the @$$ to get to the sway bar frame bolts and nuts with a wrench or socket if you don't remove/move away the rain guards/mud flaps from each side. In my case, I loosened these via the three Torx screws and pop-up plastic rivet on each side, then slid the guards back 6-8 inches to give myself more space to work.
- Note 3: It is also a pain in the rear (and perhaps impossible?) to remove the bolts/nuts without removing the plastic pieces on the underside of the Spyder. Remove these as well - three plastic pop-up rivets on each, as well as a Torx bolt on the side of each. I believe the instructions mention this as well.
- Once all bolts/nuts/washers/end caps/plastic trim pieces are removed, your old sway bar should be loose and ready to remove.

Jacking up the bike and removing the old sway bar
- When you read the posts and instructions saying that you need 20-22" of clearance between your floor and the bottom of the Spyder frame to remove the old sway bar, they are not kidding or exaggerating. The height is A LOT more than you think it would be. Deceiving for sure.
- Once I had the parts off, I backed my Spyder off the car ramps to prepare for jacking up the bike.
- I chocked the rear wheel again and started jacking up the Spyder by using the jacking point where the left-to-right and front-to-back frame pieces meet, just behind the sway bar box. As I approached the necessary height, my Spyder kept leaning to one side, wanting to fall. I kept bringing it back down, moved the jack to be straighter, and jacked it up again. Same experience again. I didn't want to roll my Spyder off the jack.
- Thought about it for a bit, then decided to cut a 2x6 board I had lying around to 43" length, just shy of the width of the inside of each front tire. Put this on top of my jack to evenly lift the bike, which worked perfectly.
- I had to roll the left front wheel up onto two scraps of plywood to get enough clearance for the jack with the 2x6 on top of it. Chocked the wheels again.
- Once the wood cross beam was in place, I was able to lift the Spyder evenly and without the leaning I had before. Go slowly. Let it back down if your Spyder starts to lean and readjust as necessary.
- I put jack stands under each end of the 2x6 and kept raising the jack stand height as I jacked the bike higher. Once I was high enough to remove the sway bar, I made the final adjustment to the jack stand height in case the bike fell or jack failed.
- Removed the old sway bar through the left side of the sway bar channel from the left side of the bike
- Put the new sway bar in though the right side of the sway bar channel on the right side of the bike.
- Removed jack stands, lowered the Spyder and rolled it back off the plywood, put the car ramps in place, and rode it onto the ramps to finish the job. Chocked the back wheel again.

Process to install the new sway bar
- The process is pretty much the reverse of what you did to remove the old sway bar
- Follow the order of the instructions - end caps and related bolts/nuts first, then the additional set of sway bar housing bolts/nuts, then the plastic trim pieces.
- Get all bolts/nuts in place before tightening any of them
- The holes where the frame aligns with the sway bar channel shifted ever so slightly during my prior tasks, so I took an awl to realign them in order to get the sway bar frame bolts back through the holes.
- Put the trim pieces and splash guards/flaps back into place, wheeled it off the car ramps, and took it for a test drive.

Did it help?
- in two words, HECK YES!
- It was apparent when I took the first turn, when the bike didn't lean like it had since I bought it. Much more solid in turns and twisties. Dare I say a night and day difference.
- One of the most recognizable benefits I found was on the highway at high speed with cross winds or passing traffic. The old sway bar would cause my Spyder to shift back and forth quite a bit. The new one is like riding on rails, even at high speeds.
- I find my riding skills, confidence and comfort have increased significantly since the new sway bar was installed. I no longer feel like the bike is moving around the traffic lane when facing wind or other nearby vehicles.
- Instantly wondered why I had waited so long to do this.

Final words
- If you are handy with tools and have experience with car/motorcycle repairs, you shouldn't have an issue replacing your own sway bar.
- Took me a total of about 2.5 hours, but at least an hour of that was trying to figure out how to safely and securely raise the Spyder to the needed height, with a lot of trial and a few errors.
- Don't skimp on safety. The bike is very heavy. Use jacks/jack stands/car ramps in combination, or use your air or electric powered lift to make things easy if you have one.
- Don't work under the bike. There is no need to do so. Everything is accessible from the top or sides, with the exception of the plastic rivets holding the underpanels onto the frame.
- Take your time. Be patient. Don't rush the jacking process. You don't want to roll your Spyder over on its side.

Hopefully my story and recommendations help those who may be on the fence about this highly beneficial accessory.

[Purple Guy]

Nice Share!

[tibadoe]

Excellent write-up. Once I get my F3-S -- Installing the sway bar is on the top of my list. This helped me visualize the process much easier.

[rocketman74]

Glad to help! Thought my experience may aid others. It isn't a difficult install, just take your time, be careful jacking up the Spyder, and you'll be good to go.