2012 PATHFINDER FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS

The front sway bar links were identified as needing replacement on my in province inspection, but for some reason Nissan didn’t make me replace them to get my safety inspection done. It turns out you can save a lot of money by doing this job yourself. My savings on this one were nearly $400 over what the dealer had quoted. This job took about 2 hours to complete and only requires a few basic tools.

MY KEY TAKE AWAYS

Make sure that you purchase the right parts (Front Left)
You should do them in pairs (Front Right)
Use a jack, axel stands, wheel blocks etc. Be safe, cars are heavy
Links have 2 nuts securing them, that is the upper nut
OEM nuts are 17mm
You need a 19mm wrench for the back side
That is the wrench configuration to remove the lower nut
That is the wrench configuration to remove the upper nut
Once the nuts are off lift the lower control arm slightly to take pressure off the link so it can be easily removed
Side by side of old and new parts
If you buy parts with grease fittings, add a bit of grease before install
Part can be easily slotted into position as long as the jack is in place
Make sure that you know the torque specification as aftermarket parts might be different from OEM. These are 65 Ft Lb
For the Moog you need a 19mm wrench on the back and a 19mm Socket for the nut
For the upper nut you need the same dual 19mm configuration. Both nuts get torqued to 65 ft lb
With the link installed, lower the control arm, replace the tire, lower the vehicle

Both sides are the same. Once one side is complete, do the other side.

Tools and equipment used:

Torque Wrench – https://amzn.to/3rARXKI
Socket extension – https://amzn.to/31sg57U
Breaker Bar – https://amzn.to/2PmcJ3E
Metric Sockets – https://amzn.to/3sBZ0nN
Metric Wrenches – https://amzn.to/3wdJJvw
Penetrant Spray – https://amzn.to/3dki6IQ
Axel Stand – https://amzn.to/3u5yx2h
Floor Jack – https://amzn.to/39qJdkg
Moog K80471 – https://amzn.to/2PJOkVu
Moog K80470 – https://amzn.to/3m4sZCj
Grease Gun – https://amzn.to/3dgj5cU

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