Car maintenance is new for me so please bear with me...

I am replacing the rear shocks on a standard 2006 RX8. The strut is now detached/ hanging. The rear upper swinging arm (whatever it's called) is detached at the pivot and swung out the way. I think cannot get the strut out without removing the sway bar links. But ten years of salted Canadian roads means I cannot undo the links. Would it be ok to detach the complete sway bar? If so would it be under some form of 'tension' that would make it difficult to re-attach?

FYI - both sides of the car are jacked up cus I think that relieves the tension on the sway bar

 

Yes it's under tension depending on what is still attached, it's not like a spring though has very little travel and generally not much "bounce" back, you can use a floor jack to re-tension it. I'd take it off from the center brackets first and then remove the outer links and reinstall the same way only in reverse, a floor jack will help line things up once the center brackets are back in place if needed. The tension when unloaded is not that great especially the rear bar.

 

The wheels are removed - that's about it. So should I put a jack under the sway bar with a little 'pressure' and then detach it. I hoping I swing the links out of the way. On the drivers side there is another link a few inched towards the centre of the car linked to some wiring. No idea what that is. Some form of traction control / electronic stability control? I might (but haven't tried) be able to get that off.

Incidentally there is no centre bracket, just left and right.

 

Scratch what I said previously I must have been having a brain seizure, just remove the end links the bar pivots leave the center brackets attached, unless you want to completely remove it? But otherwise just let it hang until you reinstall, it will have very little tension unloaded like it is. I believe the sensor you're speaking of is for the auto leveling for the headlights.