problem installing front sway bar bushing

[marcx]

I have a 1992 bmw 318ic (E30) and I was replacing my Front sway bar bushings. Getting the old ones off was no sweat, remove the one bolt, the bar hangs down from the where the flange on the bracket slides into the slot. Take the old bushing off, put the new one on the bar, slide the bushing into the bracket - and then I have a problem. I can't seat the bracket. now matter how I try to swing it into place, the bushing won't seat on the frame and I can't get the bolt through the bracket hole to the nut.

I went to the BMW dealer to see if their part was the same as mine - and it was identical. When I hold the old bushing up against the new one, the new one appears to be about 3/16" thicker - measured from the flat surface to the top of curve.

It doesn't appear to be an aftermarket sway bar. There was also a smaller bushing, 18.5mm, but that was for cars earlier than my 1992 by more than 5 years, so it seems unlikely they installed a different sway bar in the factory.

Any hints to what I might be doing wrong?

I purchased part #31-35-1-129-139, the bushings,. It was identical to the 21mm bushing that the