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firstly, this is not an easy install. you must know your way around cars and have a variety of tools. a simple socket set w/ instructions will not do. safety is very important so make sure you take care of yourself before you take care of the mod. do not attempt alone. please read through the entire thread before attempting.
(i also have a cp-e catback installed, so if you have the stock exhaust, more steps may need to be taken to remove the exhaust sections)
tools:
-17mm socket and wrench
-14mm socket and wrench
-ratchet
-jack and 3 stands
-torque wrench
-ratchet extensions
-wheel chauk
optional:
-deep sockets
-5mm allen bit
-14mm crowfoot socket
-additional torque wrench
-loctite red
-teflon tape
-pliers
lets take a look under the vehicle. please note the position numbers drawn on the photos.
1. chauk front wheel(s). jack up the car by the differential coupler housing. place on jackstands.
2. unbolt the endlinks from the spring cup at position 1. requires a 14mm socket. it is a single bolt per endlink. you can also remove the endlink from the sway bar at this point in time. it is a 14mm nut.
3. unbolt the bushings at position 2. requires a 14mm socket and extension or deep socket for the top bolt. there are 2 bolts per bushing.
4. unbolt the rear diff coupler from the subframe at position 3. this is on the passenger's side of the car. requires a 17mm wrench. there are 2 bolts. the bolts are up near the heatshield. the top right of the following photo shows one of the bolts. the other bolt is hidden just to the right.
5. support the rear diff coupler with a jack.
6. unbolt the driveshaft from the rear differential coupler at position 3. requires a 14mm socket with extension or deep socket. there are 4 bolts. the following picture shows what it looks like when unbolted and lowered. do not lower until the next step.
7. disconnect the wire couples from the rear differential coupler. there is one attached to the diff coupler on the driver's side. there are 2 couples on the passenger side. there are 3 places where the wires clip to the frame. you can use pliers here to help remove the clips.
8. have your friend slowly lower the jack. the diff coupler will not fall all the way down, but it will hang at an angle. the driveshaft will fall, so support it with your hands while it separates from the diff coupler. use your extra jackstand to hold it up. remove the jack.
9. support the spring cup with a jack at position 4. remove the 17mm bolt from the spring cup. this will require a lot of work if you do not have airtools. do both sides. lower with the jack and remove the jack.
10. removing the bar. this is the most difficult part. it will require two people underneath the vehicle. the bar will have to be rocked back and forth until you can get it to rest on the diff coupler. there is a raised piece of metal top of the diff coupler that will cause some headaches. you must adjust the bar so that it can pass by this piece at an angle point in the bar.
now one person must pull down on the diff coupler while the other person maneuvers the bar. it will take some force to get it through. once through bring the bar down to where the drive shaft and the coupler were disconnected. now the bar should be resting on the exhaust pipe. you can either remove the exhaust or you can try to move the bar around until you find a place where the bar can slide out. it will take a lot of play, but can be done. i kept the exhaust in place and moved the bar up to position 5 and took the bar out there.
woohoo, half way done. lets take a break and get some pizza.
11a. you can now attach the endlinks if desired. the proper way to do this is shown in the suspension forum under the racing beat rear sway installation thread.
http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=51641
it requires a 5mm allen key, two torque wrenches, extensions, and a 14mm crowfoot socket.
the other option you have is to attach the endlinks at the end of the install with loctite red.
11. grease up your bushings with the provided grease, or wrap in teflon tape. wrapping the bushings in teflon tape will help keep the teflon in place rather than having it unravel around the bar. the bushing in the picture is white from the tape. the bushing is normally yellow.
12. put in the new whiteline bar by doing the reverse of the steps above. once up to the rear diff coupler, putting the bar back through the gap will be a little more difficult because you now have an extra 1mm to push through the gap. it will take a lot of effort, but it can be done.
13a. torque those endlinks to the bar. if you have the adjustable bar, the mounting point closer to the bar's center is the stiff position. don't forget to seal the threads with loctite red. on stiff, the endlink is near vertical and the desired position. lining up the endlinks may require jacking up the spring cup and pulling down the bar until the holes line up. the bar may actually be preloaded.
you're done. if i missed any steps, please PM me and i will update the post.
BIG THANKS to atc5 for his help and tools.
