I found one of my Blazer's front sway bar links loose, so it tightened it. But a few days later, it was loose again. Tightened it again and noticed it looked like a nut was missing on top of the washer. But what size is the threaded bolt ? If I take it apart ,I can't drive 13 miles to the Advance Auto store with the sway bar rattling. I decide to go to the store with all my tools and get under the front and take it off and go in and find the size. Now the temp is 83* and the humidity is high. I get under with my new elec. impact wrench and find I don't have the clearance to fit the elec. wrench by about 1/4 inch. In my yard, I had my HD jack lifting it up. I squeezed it up with my shoulder and snapped the socket on the lower nut. Pliers on the top washer, I got it off and found the washer was hiding a captive nut. Took it inside the store and bought a 10 pack of M8-1.25 bolts. I thought about putting some blue Loctite on the new nut. I put one new nut on each side. If it continues to loosen, I will use Blue Loctite. Adv Auto had a 10 pack of Dorman M8-1.25 nuts for $3.99. So you pay only 80 cents for extra security for locking down those two links.The captive nut should be enough if you use blue Loctite on them.

 

It looks like the 1996. S series Blazer/Jimmy had a sway bar link with a cupped washer held on by a separate nut. Then the later model 2nd Gen S series came out with a cupped washer which actually did three functions: 1./ It was a washer and 2./ It had a captive nut with a long threaded tube that attached to and held the sway link bolt in place.and finally 3./ It was the tube that went through the upper sway link bushing. What the later 2 Gen is 'missing' is the extra nut that holds the cupped washer on. See the photo on the third post on the Blazer Forum/2nd gen.S-series Tech/ Blazer dual piston caliper swap. Look for the photo in Post no. 3.
https://blazerforum.com/forum/2nd-ge...r-swap-101652/

That's what I added with the M8-1.25 nut on my 2003 Blazer. This new design is probably a 'engineered improvement' to speed up the production process. The production line had to deal with one sway link 'multi-function' attachment bolt instead of three separate parts. I like the early 2nd gen. design better because it is easier for the mechanic to remove and replace the sway bar. On the later design, you have to use a vice-grip to grab that cupped washer to keep it from spinning.

 

jim: I replaced the down links quite some time ago, went with poly bushings from Energy Suspension....which looks like what is also shown in the picture/link above.
The sway bar does do a lot of moving/twisting depending upon the path traveled,so not surprised that a normal nut would come loose. Instead of locktite and if room allows you could always put two nuts on the bolt, jam-nut style since you have extras.

Later,

 

LL81, do the poly bushings from Energy Suspension feel firmer on cornering and do they squeak ? That was always the statement in the High Performance car mags: They last forever, they are stiffer that the stock rubber bushings and therefore less sway, and they tend to squeak after a while. What do you find from your experience ?
I am tempted to put some blue Loctite on the M8 nut if it starts loosening up. So far, so good. I like to play with my new elec. impact wrench.

 

I haven't noticed any squeaking with mine. Been on for almost 2 years now.

You'll get more squeaks out of poly control arm bushings than you will sway bar bushings.

One thing I would recommend if you get the kit like the one I show below, is to get some 90 degree grease fittings. The originals are straight and they point straight to the ground, not idea if you actually use your 4x4 off road as it leaves them dangling ready to be ripped off or just crammed full of mud... The angled ones are maybe a little harder to access with a grease gun, but at least in my mind, they fell a little more protected...