Sway Bar Bushings Questions

cab83_750 · 10-03-2008, 02:49 PM

I should have done the replacement when I upgraded to ER units. However......

My next project is the replacement of my rear and front sway bar bushings. Can both front and rear bushings be replaced without touching the A-Arms? I just had my car corner balanced and aligned and do not want to spend another greenbacks.

Are polys better than rubber? I thnk my units are the original ones; once I install the new ones, will be see a noticeable difference?

Thanks.

p.s.,

Yes I have searched. On a side note, how does one search the exact string "sway bar bushing" as one whole string? I have attempted to use quotes, double-quotes without success?

Your input would be helpful as it gets cumbersome when you get results gazillion of threads containing just "sway" or "bar" or "bushing".

911st · 10-03-2008, 05:26 PM

This is my opinion having replaced all my rubber bushings on my 85.

The rear is a pice of cake.

The front bushings on the bar are not hard and doable.

The front bar ends will be near imposable.

However, I think someone said they had done it but I just do not see how it is possable with the shape of the front bar.

If I had spent a fortune having the car corner balanced and aligned, I would just spring for a new through the trunk bar and cut the old bar loops on the a arm out.

Rubber bushs will be the most street friendly. Hard plastic is a bit old school. The newer sway mounts are metal and some type of friction surface or metal bearing links.

cab83_750 · 10-03-2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911st

This is my opinion having replaced all my rubber bushings on my 85.

....The front bar ends will be near imposable.

However, I think someone said they had done it but I just do not see how it is possable with the shape of the front bar.....

.

I have searched for that link and could not find it (unless you and I are in a wishful-thinking mode).

911st · 10-03-2008, 08:07 PM

The only way I could see that done is to push one end forward and pull the other back at the same time.

Would require a lot of pressure and or somthing very slippery on the bar (soap or?).

I still dought it can be done.

One other idea I had was to cut off the metal loops. Then weld them to a nut. Drill a hole up form the bottom of the a arm so can be reattached.

Could add washers under it if needed to adjust to keep preload out of sway like done w an adjustable drop link.

cab83_750 · 03-04-2009, 06:47 PM

Just to update and close this thread........

Yes, it is possible to replace the front bar bushings without disturbing the alignment. For clarification purposes, I did it while replacing my revalved-sports Bilstein shocks with HD shocks. While the shocks were out, I decided to replace the front sway bar bushings.

And yes.......the car drives a lot better with new rubber bushings.

Now I need to find out what to do with my sports shocks. Those suckers were too stiff for me on Los Angeles streets........... and, I am very very very happy with the Bilstein HD versions.