On a Blazer that I replaced one on, it was necessary to cut the broken end link off, but the replacement one was a different design and it slid right on. I just replaced the side that was broken. If yours is the same (needs to be cut off) and you do not have an easy way to do that, just take it to a shop and have them put it on; it's very easy if you have the vehicle on a lift. If yours does not need to be cut off, it'd be easy to do yourself.

Between 60 and 75 persent of the weight should be on the tongue. You have figured out your problem by yourself by telling us what changed. you have over loaded your trailer. an anti sway hitch will help but will eventually rip the tires off your trailer. Your trailer and car become one piece after the sway bars are installed. Get the proper trailer for your load or get a lot of extra insurance. you'll need it. Anti sway bars are a miss conception. they help to a point but were not designed for that. they are designed to level the tongue and the towing vehical. I can get very nasty and rude when someone risks their life and maybe someone else's when there is a real safety issue involved. You have one. I'm sure you will replace the trailer with the proper one or have it professionaly upgraded. This is NOT a D.I.Y. project unless you do this for a living. good luck. You can always get new bikes when the trailer and towing vehical part company and they will if your problem is not corrected. Mind you i have seen both upside down in a ditch. No offence but i've seen a few red flags in your post. John. The hitch and the hitch ball have nothing to do with anything. People grease them to stop squeaks and if they use the hitch as a ground they lose their lights. It's the geometery between the tongue and the axle weight and length. The tongue length and axle position of the trailer should be longer than the wheel base of the towing vehical some time shorter but not the same. getting off topic but you know what i mean. I've built many a trailer and know what the poster means. Not fun. actually quite scary.

Depends on what you call a safety issue. I believe '88 is before they put air bags in everything so that might be a safety issue to you. You've already delt with a lot of things that go bad on a car that sets forever. Tires, water pump, brakes. Now on the brakes, the fluid draws moisture and settles in low spots like in the master cylinder, wheel cylinders, calipers. It corrodes and makes pits in those areas. That can cause fluid leaks. Doesn't have to be a safety issue really more than just something else to fix. If whoever did your brakes checked for that and flushed the system you should be ok. Another potential concern is the condition of the coolant. Old coolant becomes corrosive and can be hard on freeze plugs and gaskets. Again, more of a reliablilty issue than a saftey issue. Seals and gaskets often times seem to go bad in time whether a vehicle is driven or not. Aside from what issues an '88 Olds might have had in '88, that's the major old car issues that pop into my head. I'd say keep it and drive it a while. As far as safety goes, it's about as safe as it ever was. jmo

Delbert, Earthworm, thanks for the advice, well taken. The sway bar links (bolts) came cheap from local auto parts store. I did as you said and removed both old ones (had to cut them loose with a hacksaw). The washers and sleeve that surrounds the bolt were all "frozen" together after 12 years. So, there was no loosening the nut or bolt on either side. The passenger side bolt broke once I applied stress to turn it loose. Lots of labor hacksawing, but worth it. Sway bar swung free once both bolts were removed, and easy to install new bolts. Chilton's manual told what torque spec to follow and having a torque wrench is one of the best investments i've made. The axles are next - right after the brakes and tires. Have to take it a step at a time for pocket book's sake. I wont' need a front end alignment unless I remove the struts, correct? Struts / springs are squeaky, but no leaking and seem okay on the bounce test. Also, right now, car drives with no pulling to left or right. Thanks again! dennis