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Autopapyrus · Mazda6 (1st generation, GG)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/mazda/mazda6/front-sway-bar-link-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Mazda6 (1st generation, GG): Front Sway Bar Link Replacement

Sway bar links on the Mazda6 GG last 30,000-100,000 km depending on road quality. Typical signs of wear are knocking over bumps, no resistance when you rock the link by hand, and damaged dust boots. The job is simple and takes about half an hour if you have a second jack or a floor jack to lift the whole front axle.

Difficulty: Easy Time: 30-40 minutes Steps: 11 Tools: jack (two jacks, or a floor jack to lift the whole front axle), lug wrench, 14 mm and 17 mm open-end wrenches, 14 mm and 17 mm box-end wrenches, WD-40 or similar penetrating oil, pry bar (if needed).

Part

  • 🔩 sway bar link, left GJ6A34170A, right GJ6A34150A (Mazda OE). Aftermarket equivalents: Lemforder 3327301 (left) / 3327401 (right), TRW JTS7574 (left) / JTS7573 (right), CTR, 555. The mounting nuts are not included with the links, so buy them separately if the old ones are damaged

Step by step

11 steps
  1. Raise the entire front axle of the car to the same height (both wheels at once) so the sway bar sits in a neutral position without being twisted. This makes removal easier and allows the new links to be tightened correctly.
  2. Remove the front wheels.
  3. Treat the link mounting nuts with penetrating oil (WD-40), especially if the car has been used in damp or salty conditions. Seized nuts can spin together with the stud.
  4. Loosen the upper nut that secures the link to the sway bar with a 17 mm wrench, holding the stud with a 14 mm wrench. If the nut will not budge and the stud spins, cut it off with an angle grinder (a common problem on older cars).
  5. Remove the lower nut that secures the link to the suspension arm (17 mm wrench).
  6. Remove the link. If the sway bar has shifted upward and is in the way, push it down with a pry bar or by raising the suspension arm with a jack.
  7. Install the new link and start both nuts (upper and lower) by hand.
  8. Tighten the nuts to 44-60 N·m (32-44 lb-ft) (use the exact value from the manufacturer's specification for your model year, within the 44-60 N·m (32-44 lb-ft) range). Tighten with the suspension hanging and the axle raised so the sway bar is not under load.
  9. Repeat the procedure on the other side.
  10. Install the wheels and tighten the wheel nuts to 108-147 N·m (80-108 lb-ft).
  11. Lower the car and take it for a test drive. The knocking should be gone.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • When tightening the link nuts, always hold the stud with a wrench. Otherwise you can damage the dust boot or spin the stud. If you damaged the stud threads during removal, the hardware will need to be replaced. After replacing the links, it is a good idea to check the condition of the sway bar bushings, since they are also a common source of knocking.
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