Rear swaybar bushing bracket bolt problem

[esb]

I'm at the tail end of replacing a bunch of suspension components on my 2021 convertible GT / PP / magnaride. I'm replacing the rear swaybar with one from Steeda. When I attempt to screw down the bolts securing the two bushing brackets, the bolts get extremely tight like they are bottoming out but the brackets are still loose. I can thread each bolt/location in by hand until they stop with 1/4-1/2" remaining. I've cleaned the threads with a wire brush in case the factory loc-tite remnants were causing binding. I can actually fit my finger around the end of the frame for one of them and can feel the bolt come through (the nut?) but it stops with 1/4-1/2" sticking through.

I do see that the factory sway bar bracket is thicker than the Steeda bracket. Is it possible that the factory threads do not extend all of the way through? I do have a tap if I need to extend the threads if needed. Or I could probably use a couple of washers to keep the bolt from bottoming out (assuming that is the problem). I haven't seen this issue mentioned elsewhere and the Steeda sway bar doesn't come with replacement bolts.

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[steathv]

use washers to take up the slack

 

[esb]

It turns out the issue was thread lock remnants in the nuts attached to the frame. I ran a tap through each one a couple of times as well as cleaned the bolts with a wire brush. After that I was able to easily thread each bolt by hand all of the way in.

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