[dsmonline]

Just finished installing my TRD rear sway bar, easy installation and the ride is indeed improved. However, I want to provide a warning for those of us that can not stand the red color and have the bar powder coated satin black as I did.

I used a very experienced and well respected Powder Coating company that I have used in the past to have the bar, end links and mounting hardware done over the weekend. Came in Monday to pick it up and guess what, they failed to remove the (urethane?) bushings from the end links and melted them during the oven cure. The owner was not working the weekend and apparently the person doing the work just blew it.

So, okay need to get new bushings for the tie rods, seems simple enough...not! Toyota had no part numbers for parts on the kit, so I called TRD themselves, talked to a guy in the know and we discovered there are no separate parts that can be ordered, only thing to do was order a entire new kit. The owner of the Powder Coating company said his error, he would pay for it, so I ordered a replacement. When it came in, we took the bushings off the tie rods and I was set to go. Guess he will use the remaining hardware as a sample as he was going to powder coat it he said.

So, if you go this route, take the bushings out of the tie rods (use a press) and keep the sway bar bushings out as well, don't rely on others to remember not to bake parts that melt! If you have the nylock nuts done, expect them to be ruined, so take them out as well.

Very happy that I did the Powder Coating, cost was $100 and the look is great.