So how do I get the old ones off? The geniuses who designed the suspension have left virtually no clearance above the nuts that hold the sway bar links to the lower suspension arm. You are supposed to insert an allen wrench into the end of the stud and loosen the nut. Of course they left no clearance above the end of the nut to properly insert a tool in there, maybe other than some stubby little thing that will never provide leverage to undo the frozen nut. An acetylene torch is not an option.

There isn't enough clearance for a nut splitter. Do I have to grind it off?

 

same procedure as the links just not removing the arm

REMOVAL - STABILIZER BAR
Raise vehicle on jack stands or centered on a frame contact type hoist. (Refer to LUBRICATION & MAINTENANCE/HOISTING - SERVICE PROCEDURE).
Remove nuts and stabilizer bar attaching link assemblies from the front lower control arms (Stabilizer Bar Attaching Link Nut Removal). When removing attaching link nut, keep stud from turning by installing an allen wrench in the end of the stud (Stabilizer Bar Attaching Link Nut Removal).
Remove the 4 bolts attaching the stabilizer bar bushing retainers to the front suspension crossmember and body (Stabilizer Bar Bushing Retainer Attaching Bolts). Then remove the stabilizer bar assembly from the vehicle.

 

here is a pic of it

 

Thanks for the reply. I got both sides off after a great deal of hassle. I used a 6mm allen wrench, and used a nut driver slipped over the long end of the allen wrench to give me a little more leverage and something to grip on to. That worked reasonably well on the left side (with lots of PB Blaster) but it was a bear getting that nut off. I tried that method on the right side and it started to work until the nut driver broke.

At that point I decided to stop being nice to it and got out the pneumatic cut-off wheel. About a half-hour of cutting finally got that side cut off and free. Once the upper nuts are off you can swing the sway bar down and remove the lower nuts, but again, the left side came off using a 6mm allen headed socket in my ratchet wrench in combination with an 18 mm end wrench while the right side was obstreperous and had to be cut off.

Like most jobs on an old car, taking it apart is the hard part. Putting it back together is relatively easy. I had to break for supper but anticipate finishing up tomorrow. Will report back.

Thanks again for the comeback.

 

Everything went back together easily. It took more time to pick up the tools and clean up the garage than it took to put the car together. They design cars to be thrown together on the line but don't seem to care much about the poor slobs who have to take 'em apart later.

By installing both links onto the sway bar and tightening them finger tight, you can then just swing the bar up to put the links through the holes in the lower suspension arms. You can use an allen wrench to hold the studs while you tighten the nuts, but with new studs and new nuts, it's not really necessary.