A fun time installing my BajaRon sway bar and links

[jegarh]

Today it was misting so I decided to install my BajaRon sway bar and links on my 2014 RT. I pondered ways to lift it and decided that the best way forward was to drive it over the pit that we use to service our other vehicles. This was a brilliant idea until we noticed that the bar was hitting the edge of the pit when we tried to remove it. After jacking up the right wheel another 8 precarious inches the bar swung down and we were on our way. The actual installation went smoothly. Now the only thing left to do was to reassemble this Chinese puzzle of screws, push pins, bolts, shields and body panels. I intentionally left off the spray shields that are under the engine. I welcome any comments on this decision.

Changing the oil over the pit is going to be a piece of cake.

My hat is off to all of you worthies that installed your BajaRon sway bar laying on you backs under a 900# dead fall. :bowdown:


Jerry

[Peteoz]

Yeah.....I was cursing it too, Jerry.....but I felt quite safe with the supports under the front axles, even though I had to lift the F3 off them to get enough height. The worst part is getting those bloody push pull pins back in to the protectors after your neck and shoulders have stopped working and are aching like mad ! I nearly left mine off too ;)

It was worth it though.:thumbup:

[Chupaca]

congrats...and well done... :2thumbs: of course now you are going to have everyone digging themselves a pit....:roflblack: your gonna need to post the spec's...

[Peteoz]

congrats...and well done... :2thumbs: of course now you are going to have everyone digging themselves a pit....:roflblack: your gonna need to post the spec's...

Hahaha.....if I dug a pit, I'd have my wife standing next to it with a shovel just waiting for me to climb into it, Gene. :lecturef_smilie:

[5Wheels]

I don't have a pit but I think this might work when I install the BR Swaybar.
138666

[cptjam]

Big Jack stands, piece of cake! Really helps to have a partner! More helpful if she is hot! 😄

[Peteoz]

......and a big jack, Joe.. I had to jack it up, put it on the stands, lower the jack, add wood blocks to the jack, jack it higher, oooops, no more height on the stands, leave it on the jack to drop the bar, feeling uncomfortable the whole time.........all my fault of course.....5 minutes at the start measuring my maximum jack height as per Ron's instructions would have told me my gear was inadequate without modification. Mind you, I still would have had to do the same thing I did because it's hard to justify the cost of buying new stands and/or jack, just for a single install.;)

[BajaRon]

Sometimes I wonder if you guys are having more fun putting it on than having it on! :rolleyes:

Just goes to prove there is more than 1 way to skin the cat! :thumbup:

[cptjam]

Jacking the bike high enough can be done in steps. Once high enough, platforms or stands below the wheels will provide a safe workspace. We bought stands for the job, but we do a lot of them. Being safe is priceless!

[Stumpy6Guns]

I just rolled up on my tire ramps. They kept wanting to scoot away, but some heavy scrap metal took care of that.

[Peteoz]

Sometimes I wonder if you guys are having more fun putting it on than having it on! :rolleyes:

Just goes to prove there is more than 1 way to skin the cat! :thumbup:

Hahaha.....for me, the bar is worth every penny and self introduced installation frustration, Ron.....:thumbup:

[Peteoz]

I just rolled up on my tire ramps. They kept wanting to scoot away, but some heavy scrap metal took care of that.

They must be bloody tall tire ramps, Myron. Mine were way too short.;)

[BajaRon]

They must be bloody tall tire ramps, Myron. Mine were way too short.;)

I think this is what he meant.

http://cdnll.discountramps.com/images/xl/atv-truck-ramp__4.jpg

[Peteoz]

I think this is what he meant.

That's a worry Ron, coz Myron said they kept trying to scoot away....must be a very lightweight truck .:shocked::D:D

[kngfsh27]

I used two motorcycle lifts under the front tires and had my wife running around the garage screaming about how it was going to fall the entire time I was changing it out.

[Stumpy6Guns]

I think this is what he meant.

http://cdnll.discountramps.com/images/xl/atv-truck-ramp__4.jpg


Well, I did use my tailgate ramps, but not like that.
138682

The red ramps give me 8" of lift, which is enough.

[BajaRon]

Well, I did use my tailgate ramps, but not like that.
138682

The red ramps give me 8" of lift, which is enough.

Only for a 2008-2012 Spyder! :yikes:

[Stumpy6Guns]

What's the difference in clearance?

[SpyderAnn01]

I used two motorcycle lifts under the front tires and had my wife running around the garage screaming about how it was going to fall the entire time I was changing it out.

That's how I felt the first time we installed one. Now that we have the proper equipment it isn't scary for me but sometimes I think our customers might want to scream too.

[Peteoz]

What's the difference in clearance?
You need 22" from the bottom of the frame bar to the ground on the later models, Stumpy. I don't know how much you needed on the earlier models, but my 8" ramps were short by about 8". I needed some 4"x4" on top of my Harbour Freight type lift at full extension to get just enough clearance for the F3.

[Peteoz]

What's the difference in clearance?
You need 22" from the bottom of the frame bar to the ground on the later models, Stumpy. I don't know how much you needed on the earlier models, but my 8" ramps were short by about 8". I needed some 4"x4" on top of my Harbour Freight type lift at full extension to get just enough clearance for the F3.

It just goes to show how easy it is to receive incorrect advice if you don't go to the source. Myron was sure 8" lifts would work, but he was unaware of the higher requirements for later models. I was scratching my head trying to work out what I did wrong because 8" lifts wouldn't work for me, and I was unaware that the earlier models needed less clearance. The internet is only your friend.....if you are verrrry careful ;)

[BajaRon]

What's the difference in clearance?

About a foot and 1/2.

[Peteoz]

About a foot and 1/2.

Did you not have to bend the earlier models at a full right angle to get them out, Ron?

[BajaRon]

Did you not have to bend the earlier models at a full right angle to get them out, Ron?

The earlier models had the sway bar exposed and not mounted inside a frame channel like the later models. The early model sway bars (2008-2012) just dropped right out. All you needed was enough room to get under the Spyder to wrench on it.

The F3 is currently the easiest of all 2013-2017 models to change out the sway bar. You still need the same amount of lift as other 2013-2017 models. But there isn't any Tupperware to remove which saves several steps.

[Dodgedad]

I used a motorcycle lift jack and lifted it to max height and put rubber car ramps under and then added extra wood to lift jack and lifted and added wood under car ramps till i got 22 inches of room under bike. Also had to lift back end of bike up 6 inches as the angle got to be to much. Was very easy to change after that as you could remove the lift jack out. Also added the shock adjusters at same time once done with bar. Was very impressed with the changes that it all made, in all it took about three hours. Make sure you get the spring compressors from ron as it made it very easy to change out :yes:

[Andy Dahl]

138968
More at: http://www.spyderride.se/AttAgaSpyder/own_spyder_02.htm

[wanderingman]

I don't have a pit but I think this might work when I install the BR Swaybar.
138666

Sweet! I'm jealous.

[Stumpy6Guns]

You need 22" from the bottom of the frame bar to the ground on the later models, Stumpy. I don't know how much you needed on the earlier models, but my 8" ramps were short by about 8". I needed some 4"x4" on top of my Harbour Freight type lift at full extension to get just enough clearance for the F3.

It just goes to show how easy it is to receive incorrect advice if you don't go to the source. Myron was sure 8" lifts would work, but he was unaware of the higher requirements for later models. I was scratching my head trying to work out what I did wrong because 8" lifts wouldn't work for me, and I was unaware that the earlier models needed less clearance. The internet is only your friend.....if you are verrrry careful ;)

It makes me crazy to get bad info off of the internet, and the last thing I want to do is promulgate it. I was under the impression that the sway bar installation was the same across the board, and I just didn't see what was so hard about using ramps. Drive up, crawl under, and Bob's yer uncle!
Sorry!

Myron

[Peteoz]

It makes me crazy to get bad info off of the internet, and the last thing I want to do is promulgate it. I was under the impression that the sway bar installation was the same across the board, and I just didn't see what was so hard about using ramps. Drive up, crawl under, and Bob's yer uncle!
Sorry!

Myron

..... but yours WASN'T bad info, Stumpy, it was perfectly accurate:thumbup:, so there is no need to apologise. I was simply making the point that you can't rely on a single source of info on the net. Based on Ron's install instructions, I knew I needed 22". I too was unaware that there were two different fittings, and your info stopped me from posting that you MUST have 22" clearance, regardless of model 😉.

It's a bit like a 6 painted on the ground, with one person standing at the top of it and one person standing at the tail. One person sees a 6 and tells all his friends it's a 6 and the other person sees a 9 and tells all his friends it's a 9. Who is right? :hun:

.......are you SURE you want Bob Denman as your uncle? :roflblack::roflblack: