Replacing the Sway Bar Bushings

[Gerald Morris]

I'm replacing just about everything...even the strut rod bushings.

Another question on the sway bar link bushings - I can't easily pop the old ones out. They almost seem like a single piece whereas the new ones are two pieces. Do I just need to cut them off?

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If you're doing the strut rod bushings, you will need to slide your torsion bars back to get the strut rods to move. Might as well get the LCA bushings too while you're down there. I'm going to redo mine after 2 years, as what I bought were old rubber, and are crumbling. Be sure you don't make that mistake!

 

[James Romano]

Here is a straight comparison between all three products.

Let's call it left to right... A, B and C.
A- Rareparts.com
B- PST.com
C- OEM

A. No way in Hell these will work. Avoid them. The square bushing that come with the links don't even fit properly in the link itself even BEFORE putting them on the bar. They give you one piece bushings and will require a lot of work to get them on the bar. The clamp distorts the bushings, and looks to be for a 5/8-3/4" bar. However, looking at the shaft to base length, seems correct to the OEM.
B. Good size and is made for a 7/8" bar. Uses the same crappy solid bushing as the Rareparts unit. That's about the only drawback. I tested it with a split MOOG bushing and it was perfect. Clamped down tight and did not kill the bushing too much. The shaft to base length is noticeably shorter, not sure what effect that will have on the bar, if any at all. The material and assembly of the links seems to be OEM quality, despite the difference in the design. The bottom is rounded, so it clamps the bar real well, without distorting the bushing. Bolt provided is a fine threaded bolt, which is good, for this application, but I'm most likely changing it over to a SS set anyway.
C. OEM... well.. if all else fails and you don't want to go for the $100 for the two PST links, it a cutting and drilling bonanza for you. It really doesn't look too hard to do this, but for the time and aggravation you'll spend on cutting it and opening it, you might be better off spending the $$$ but that's your choice.

Either way... get the MOOG bushings for the bar. They are far better than the bushings either of these companies give you with their links. They seem hard and made with less quality rubber. The provided upper bush sets are larger than the MOOG set, I have to see how that effects the mounting in the bracket. I will test both sets once I get it on the car. I will say this, and you can see it on the (A) product, the bushing caps are crap on both. MOOG gives you near OEM thickness of their caps. In honesty, I really prefer the MOOG products as I have used them extensively everywhere on my lifted '99 Cherokee and have had NO issues whatsoever in almost 6 years since I've completed that vehicle... and it's my DD 35 miles each way on the Southern State Parkway.

You decide which direction to go, I just thought this little bit of info on these things will help someone down the road.
Here are the three units... again... left to right A (Rareparts,com), B (PST), and C (OEM) next to a MOOG bushing.

JR

 

[HWYCRZR]

I did the split bushing (like the OEM) from PST with my regular hangers. Do able but a lot of lube and hammering with a soft dead blow hammer. You have to get it over the flats on the sway bar at a perfect angle to take advantage of the slits in the rubber. You have to hold your mouth right sit on and leg lock the bar and pound the piss out of it to get it past the flat.
My arm a shoulder hurt from swinging the hammer. But success.

 

[LocuMob]

I don't remember having much difficulty installing my sway bar bushings. I'll have to look under the car and see what I have, and see if I took any pictures, ah, I know I did. I thought mine only took a half hour or so. Time to dig...

 

[Gerald Morris]

My swaybar bushings have been absurdly easy to install. I've used Moog and some stuff Rick Ehrenberg sold me, and all of it went on easy. The bar bushings were split of course and the links consisted of upper and lower being separate.

 

[James Romano]

I used the PST set which was super easy, and fit great. I also used the Moog set of split bushings. Just better quality overall

 

[Cartel]

I found this "C" style in my trunk when I bought the car.
It looks repaired but intact. The bushings still sitting in the frame and on the bar.
Do I take one end loose and slide the other stuff off and slide this on?

 

[Gerald Morris]

I found this "C" style in my trunk when I bought the car.
It looks repaired but intact. The bushings still sitting in the frame and on the bar.
Do I take one end loose and slide the other stuff off and slide this on?

Yes, OR, sell me that link! Best to drop both links, unbolt the swaybar, slide both old bushings off, slide the new link and bushing on, then bolt it back in. Scrubbing the rust and dirt off the swaybar w a powered wire brush also advised. You may want to paint it then, or not. To ease sliding the bushings, use SOAP. Liquid dish soap works well, though wire pulling soap, by Ideal Company works best. Get the yellow stuff, which we called "baby ****" in the Trade back in the Ago.... Rinses off easily.