Sway bar bushings ES Universal results?

[tireman]

Anyone who has put in the ES universal sway bar bushings please share your results. Have they performed as expected? squeaks? how long did they last? Before I change mine out, i want to know what to buy. 01V6

 

[oddball]

Good here, two years and counting. Haven't even re-greased them yet.

 

[RigsLS]

Mine are holding up just fine and the knock has not returned,
tried to regrease them but didn't need it cuz we hit it plenty the first time.

Don't forget to RE & RE the end links while your in there.

Color

Energy Suspension makes parts in 2 colors. Red and Black.

How are these two colors different?

The only difference between the red and black parts is that most Black Energy
Suspension parts are Graphite Impregnated. This serves to help self lubricate
the bushings. The Red parts do not have this characteristic.

Aside from the actual color and the lack of being Graphite Impregnated
- the red parts are essentially the same as the black.



I thought that the RED parts were harder and more performance oriented?

This is a common misconception. The red parts have the same durometer (hardness) as
the Black parts and differ only in their actual appearance (color) and the fact that
they're NOT graphite impregnated like the Black parts.




Why do people buy the red parts when they're not Graphite Impregnated like the Black parts?

In the end this is really because some people simply like the color Red more than Black.

 

[tireman]

Thanks

Checked my sway bar, not a 27mm, not a 30mm, somewhere inbetween. 01V6 non-sport model. Must be the 28.5. Used a caliper to measure and found it near 29mm. I'll get a pair of the 28.5 to see if they fit.

 

[RigsLS]

Checked my sway bar, not a 27mm, not a 30mm, somewhere inbetween. 01V6 non-sport model. Must be the 28.5. Used a caliper to measure and found it near 29mm. I'll get a pair of the 28.5 to see if they fit.

Wait, wait, let others chime in here before you order.

I think you might need the 27mm.

they do clamp down on the sway bar.

search this forum, plenty of guys have replaced these on both v6 & v8

I forget which I ended up getting but it was for the v8 and fit like a glove.

 

[RigsLS]

http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/Universal-Sway-Bar-Bushings.asp


I'm only human and mostly wrong at best,
however ...

Universal - Greaseable Sway Bar Bushings 28mm
Part Number: 9.5163

http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9.5163


(still searching for you)

01 V6 non-Sport

 

[RigsLS]

I'm sorry, I don't know with 100% certainty which one you need.

I'm pretty sure there is a sway bar diameter differance for Sport and non-Sport.

Ford does have a standard and non-standard bar listed so they are different.
Standard is non-sport. Non-Standard is sport.



couple of links to some threads of replacing sway bar bushings.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=60020

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=44894

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=33676

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=62613

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=57965

I have a non-sport that i just ordered and they were 27mm and i think i remember the sports being 30mm but not 100% sure.

Hey man for the gen1ls6 and 8 The correct size is 27mm (1 1/16) for the bushings.

:: 1 1/16 inch diameter or 27mm is non-sport size



Double check with Joegr, he knows everything about the Ls's

 

[tireman]

kinda confusing

ES lists two bars for the 01V6 28.5mm or 30mm. I'll check with Joegr

Joegr says he doesn't know about this item.

 

[rollingsolo]

Mine need to be re-greased. Its been a little over a year and I'm starting to hear small "thumps".

 

[tireman]

Confirmed and repaired

01V6 Sport 30mm sway bar notes:

Measured 28mm-30mm on sway bar, so went with 30mm bushings, perfect fit.
Just found out I had a sport model but wood interior, hey learn something new each day!

Got the black ES grease-able. 30mm. they offer two sizes for the 2001 LS V6

there are two bolts holding the DCCV to the frame, one faces the front of the vehicle, the other faces towards to engine. They are 10mm. You can reach both from underneath the front end. Just behind the radiator. Remove these two bolts and you can shift the DCCV out of the way to get to the bushing bolt. The DCCV mounting bracket bolts can be worked on with a micro ratchet. Unless you have big hands!

The bushing bolts can be reached from above with a long ratchet extension 20".

The passenger side lower bolt is easier to reach from underneath, the difficult upper bolt can be reached with a long ratchet extension 20" or more.

4 hours start to finish with tool cleanup and several 15 minute coffee breaks.

Clunking is now gone!

 

[RigsLS]

Nice on the GEN I how you don't have to grind the whole bracket and bushing off huh ?
Easy with the split in it.

Sport after all huh ? This means you should not have the chrome on the bumpers then.

Yup it was the long extention and a swivel that made it possible to work mostly from above on the passenger side.

Obviously you pre-greased them but did you manage to get a few strokes of the grease gun in there after install ?

Rewarding job with nice and tight steering afterwards.

Glad you made out OK, good stuff.

 

[oddball]

Some years offered a "premium" package that has the sport suspension, 17" wheels but the base appearance

 

[RigsLS]

Some years offered a "premium" package that has the sport suspension, 17" wheels but the base appearance

Noted and thank you, did not know.

 

[manoli]

Mine need to be re-greased. Its been a little over a year and I'm starting to hear small "thumps".

HMMM I replaced mine as well a little over a year ago and ive noticed the other day that I hear the "thump" returning would this have anything to do with greasing them??? I wouldn't think so but i could be wrong.

Check this thread out im probably going to upgrade to this sway bar very soon as it seems like a permant fix.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=81480

 

[RigsLS]

yeah, I would think no amount of grease is going to shut up a "thump" in the sway bar bushings.

1) wrong size bushing installed.
2) old debris from previous bushing not removed before installing new.
3) mounting bracket not tightened down enough.
4) new thumping noise

 

[1LoudLS]

Ive had mine on for about 50k miles, greased about once a year, preforms great, dead silent. worked as expected.

the only real problem ive had with the job was cutting off the old ones.

 

[manoli]

I honestly think they are just wore out, I dont notice any thumps unless its a pretty rough road other than that no noise.

 

[ATPJOE]

Mine are only a few months old but are fine so far. I believe I had to get the 30mm for my Sport. Unfortunately I was a cheap ass and did not change my links too and now my they're done for. One actually popped out of the socket....just found it when doing my brakes today.

 

[tireman]

Thanks!

Thanks for all your help as always! Yes I have the premium package with upgraded suspension but looks like a base. Got the chrome trim. 01V6. Now I need to work on the wheel wobble, think it may be the bearings.

 

[manoli]

Mine are only a few months old but are fine so far. I believe I had to get the 30mm for my Sport. Unfortunately I was a cheap ass and did not change my links too and now my they're done for. One actually popped out of the socket....just found it when doing my brakes today.

Ouch! Its one of things where you just change all of it while you got it apart

Thanks for all your help as always! Yes I have the premium package with upgraded suspension but looks like a base. Got the chrome trim. 01V6. Now I need to work on the wheel wobble, think it may be the bearings.

wheel wobble like at the steering wheel?

 

[tireman]

Update on repair

still had some minor thunking/clunking and wheel shimmy/wobble. had the tires rebalanced but little good that did. so swapped tires left to right across the front, that solved the tire shimmy/wobble. still the right wheel was loose, so installed a new wheel hub (easy job, fell right out), wheel now tight. checked driver side wheel, very loose, found tie rod outer end bad shape, replaced both tie rod ends (easy job). All is well! Like new again. 01V6 147K miles.

Costs: $40 tie rod end links at Oriellys mastercraft brand. Prefect fit. $20 each.
$45 wheel hub from Detroit Axle Ebay, perfect fit only 1 repaired.
$24 sway bar bushings 2 ER brand 30mm black grease type.
$35 sway bar end links ebay 2 replaced, perfect fit.

total cost $144 + 6 hours fairly easy work.

 

[Broseph]

I've been experiencing some klunking-type sounds in the front of my 02 V8. I replaced the upper control arms on both sides and sway bar end links. I get the noise when making turns or braking hard so that either one side or both are loading and unloading when I hear the noise.

My friend noted when jacking up the car the "pop" sounded like it was coming from upper arm area....can the sway bar bushing sounds transmit from other parts of suspension?
I am also experience a type of "popping" after making slight turns and slow speeds or when stopped (I am not suspecting rack or pump issue, more balljoint but i replaced passenger outter rod two months back.

I had the car in the air and rocked the hell outta the wheel and had no movement in the wheel.

Not sure if these symptoms are one or multiple issues occuring, but any advice would help. I'd hate to chase my tail spending $300 on ball joints and and 100s on shocks and springs just to have the same issues.

 

[MONTE 02 LS]

Is the non sport gen1 v8 sway bar bushing 27mm or28mm? After searching Ive come up with both. Is it better to just replace bar? I don't want to deal with fixing it once and then wished I should've done some thing different. Does the side to side movement cause noise or take away performance?