2000 Alero front sway bar replacement advice

Hello! I'm new here. Thanks for all your help and support!

Looking at replacing the cracked front sway bar on the 2000 Alero, V6 automatic, and wanted to ask a couple of q's to anybody who has done this. I've read a couple posts here regarding the necessity of dropping the rear of the engine cradle to get the old bar out. I'm a garage DIY with floor jack stands only (and floor jacks of course), and was able to do this on a 98 Buick Regal. I remove the sway bar links first, right? Looks like on the Alero there are two rear tab bolts each side on the cradle, and removal of the two rear control arm bolts is also required it seems? There appears to also be one large bolt near the center of the cradle cross-member to some kind of bracket. What is that, and does that need removal also?

The sway bar bushing brackets looks pretty rusted, so I'm not even sure there are bolts holding those guys in? Looking at the GM parts site, looks like the cradle has some slots that perhaps the rear bracket tabs just slide into? Or should there be two bolts per bracket like most? At any rate, should be easier to see once I drop the cradle I suppose.

Also, on the 98 Buick, I was careful to disconnect the steering linkage lower pinch bolt at the rack and pinion gear under the dust boot before dropping the sub-frame. Do I have to worry about that on the 2000 Alero? Not sure I even see access to that underneath.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Jake in MN

Jack the front of the cradle up...remove both wheels....remove and replace stabilizer links....they may be so rusted they may break as you take them off.....

I think you just have to back off the bolts at the rear of the cradle, so the cradle only has to drop about an inch....remove the bolts to the stabilizer clams on the stabilizer bushings......then the bar should rotate out.....

Check those bushings for being dried out/cracked.....if bad replace......lube new/old bushings before reinstalling, to prevent a noise going over bumps....

Thanks Tech II. What about the control arm rear bolts removal required to drop cradle? Any idea on that center bolt on cradle cross-member?

I don't think you have to drop the cradle completely.....just loosen the rear cradle bolts enough, to drop the rear of the cradle down about 1"(put a jack there for safety reasons, if you take the bolts out too much).....that should give you enough room to get to the bolts on the stabilizer bushing clamps.....can't remember a bolt in the middle of the rear cradle, that has to be removed.....

OK. And there's no concern with the steering linkage pinch bolt having to be loosened/removed prior to lowering cradle? Some procedures on other GM similar vehicles make a big deal about that so you don't damage rack/pinion gearbox, etc.

You are only dropping it about an inch....for piece of mind you can remove the pinch bolt and disconnect the intermediate shaft...

Thanks for your advice Tech II, appreciate it.

BTW... For what it's worth, I found this autozone procedure online that looks a little more involved... not sure all the steps are required here, particularly the removal of the rear transmission mount bolt. It's probably the lower rear bolt for the transmission mount I'm seeing on the middle of the cross-member. I'll post back in a couple weeks when I get some time to actually tear into this again and get the job done.

http://www.autozone.com/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?pageId=0996b43f8036e839