The_Engineer

I replaced one of my linkages. Prior to replacement, I had no issue with my alignment. The car drove straight. Now after the replacement, it pulls to the driver side especially at highway speeds. It is pulling to the side I replaced the link on. The new link has a slightly larger diameter which makes it slightly more stiff than the passenger side.. I don't know if any of this has any effect on my alignment. I have not hit anything to have caused the problem. I want to know if the new linkage would cause alignment issues?

Snoopy

Bet you went to a "quicky" alignment place.

A good alignment shop will know that the alignment can meet GM spec.'s but still pull to one side or the other. GM has set the spec.'s with such large tolerances, you know plus or minus thing, that if your front end tech. doesn't tweak it and just says, "it's done" you will encounter this problem.

Take it back and complain.....or get someone that knows what they are doing.

I know this because it has happened to me on 2 different occasions. the second time I knew the problem and IMMEDIATELY reported it to the write up guy. Said yeap, your right.

The_Engineer

I did the repair myself. I am taking it to a shop that I have been going to for the last 5 years and trust to get the alignment fixed. They are not a "quicky" alignment place. It might have been before I got it. I have only had it a few weeks.

Lucky

There are two different lengths for the sway bar links depending on what options your car has.

I'm guessing that a shorter or longer link on one side would tug on the strut and cause a slight pull.

donbrew

If you had to work to get the studs to line up you have different lengths.

10 inch kb750012 is the correct part number. Many books claim the 12 inch kb750252 is right, they are wrong!

The_Engineer

I got the same length as the stock ones. I compared them before installing it and it was the same size. Thanks for the idea.

firemangeorge

Just a hunch here. I'm guessing you jacked up the car and removed the wheel to do this work ?
You may want to check the lower control arm bushings.
I think it was our moderator donbrew who posted something about this a while back. Jacking up the car allows worn bushings to "shift".
This could possibly have happened and changed your alignment.

Donbrew. Feel free to correct me if I'm off base here.

Oldblue

X2 for FMG's idea!

donbrew

That's a theory, anyways.

Jacking the car up makes for more arm swing than normal driving.

geg

The_Engineer Do I understand correctly? You replaced the first link, but did not touch the second link.
If so - just for the future ...
replacing one link is not advisable. The real risk that the new link will not match the old link above. Even if a characteristics are identical - a new link is younger and stronger than the old link. Old link will die anytime soon and you get the new hemorrhoid.
Not expensive part to save money. Not such a difficult job to save effort. If a link is dead - Replace immediately the two links. Replaced and forgotten.