[ajsalida]

Guys you cannot do this properly unloading one side at a time.

Gonna make a wild suggestion and that is before installation the AST's link collar should have been set up to match OEM strut sway bar tab attachment point both height and orientation. It appears that is possible and the fact that these weren't is likely the cause of all your problems. You could just measure a stock strut and find out how far the tab is from the top of the knuckle and do that one side at a time, and then rotate the collar so it faces the right way (it sounds like this is possible). Then you do not need aftermarket links and you should have no binding or interference.

The OEM links are designed so that there is no contact with anything for the entire suspension travel and lock to lock on the steering. So I find it hard to believe there is any cause for concern for folks using slightly lowered suspensions provided the links are properly oriented and at the right height. I could be wrong of course.

FYI with the suspension loaded the link should be nearly vertical and close to parallel to the lower strut body. Then where it attaches to the bar, the sway bar arm at right angles to the link and parallel to the ground. Meaning if you look at it from the side, the bar inside the bushing is one point, the attachment to the link is another, a line of length L between those points should be horizontal WRT the ground and perpendicular to the link. The bar on the XI is curved to get around axles and so forth, but the forces are transmitted in the way described, that is how sway bars work. They apply a twisting force to the torsion bar tangent to the circle of radius L.

The only possible other source of binding is the sway bar bushings themselves sticking to the bar and preventing it from rotating. But these are supposed to let the bar rotate as the whole purpose of an anti-roll bar is to provide stiffness against roll, not extra spring rate on symmetrical bumps. Weather is preventing me from looking at the bushings on my car, as soon as I get a break I will and post here.