Sway bar bushings

are they available in black and is it worth doing this if you have a non-sport and wish to upgrade to the sport bar? Finally do they squeak since I hear that the poly stuff when its put in torsion, which a sway bar would do, binds and it chatters on the bar itself so it squeaks.
 
97stscaddy said:
Those are greasable too I see. Thats very helpful. What kind of grease do you use on them though? Do they sell a certain kind that is safe for poly bushings?
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I used regular grease. I looked at a lot of sites and they said it was ok to use.
 
CTX-SLPR said:
are they available in black and is it worth doing this if you have a non-sport and wish to upgrade to the sport bar? Finally do they squeak since I hear that the poly stuff when its put in torsion, which a sway bar would do, binds and it chatters on the bar itself so it squeaks.
Click to expand...


If you can find a used sport bar that would be best. New sport bars come with the rubber bushings molded onto the bar.

These dont squeak, they are greasable.

According to Energy Suspension, they do come in either black or red.
 
02V8Sport said:
The larger 30mm Energy Suspension bushing is too big. The bracket is much larger for truck applications. I tried to get it in yesterday, too much effort.[/url]
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I take this statement back. After a couple weeks the clunk came back with the smaller bushings I put in. Seems that the sway bar isnt far enough from the lower control arm with the smaller bushing and they hit each other in hard turns. I was able to easily fit the bigger bushings this morning by loosening the whole swaybay this time. I recommend Energy Suspension part number 9.5171 30mm.

This bushing is larger and gets the swaybar away from the lower control arm so it doesnt hit it and make the clunking noise.
 
Great info, and thanks for the effort.

Question: Realizing it's soon, but have you detected any additional NVH since using poly over more flexible rubber?
 
Good work

Thanks for all the info and great pictures. I have been planning on doing this for a little while now and you have certainly saved me a lot of time and headaches. I do have a couple of questions;
Did you have to loosen up as much as you did if you had a smaller grinder?
Think I could get away with using a torch instead?
Do the brackets require any modification or do they bolt right up?
So you think it would be possible to replace the end links w/ energy suspension components?
Thanks again for being a good guinea pig. :D
 
5.7sbc said:
Thanks for all the info and great pictures. I have been planning on doing this for a little while now and you have certainly saved me a lot of time and headaches. I do have a couple of questions;
Did you have to loosen up as much as you did if you had a smaller grinder?
Think I could get away with using a torch instead?
Do the brackets require any modification or do they bolt right up?
So you think it would be possible to replace the end links w/ energy suspension components?
Thanks again for being a good guinea pig. :D
Click to expand...

No problem, I always look for ways to improve designs. I wouldnt put another Ford sway bar in my car that would eventually fail again.

I think a torch would work, you would just melt the heck out of the rubber bushing inside.

If you loosen the two bushings and the end links, the bar will slide out far enough both ways to cut the bushings with a grinder.

The brackets that come with the 9.5171 bushing bolt right up, no mods at all and they only cost $20 for the pair.

I dont know about any of the other link bushings, havent look at them yet.

I drove the car about 20 miles today after the new beefier bushings went in yesterday and no clunking at all, car is nice and quiet again.
 
I finally got a chance to stick my head under the car this weekend . . . I noticed something was different right away. My sway bar is different and has different bushings then yours. My bar has rings on it to center the bushing, one on either side of the bushing, both sides. It doesn't look like what you have pictured. . . maybe non-sport? My car is a 2000 LS V8 premium w/ 17'' wheels, which I believe is a sport model. Was your bar previously replaced? I will have to measure with caliper tool to double check before I cut anything. Also how did you reach the bolts on the passenger side? That is super tight!! Do I have to remove anything else to get at those bolts? Which part of the endlink do you loosen?
 
5.7sbc said:
I finally got a chance to stick my head under the car this weekend . . . I noticed something was different right away. My sway bar is different and has different bushings then yours. My bar has rings on it to center the bushing, one on either side of the bushing, both sides. It doesn't look like what you have pictured. . . maybe non-sport? My car is a 2000 LS V8 premium w/ 17'' wheels, which I believe is a sport model. Was your bar previously replaced? I will have to measure with caliper tool to double check before I cut anything. Also how did you reach the bolts on the passenger side? That is super tight!! Do I have to remove anything else to get at those bolts? Which part of the endlink do you loosen?
Click to expand...

The 03-06 bushings are molded to the bar. The 00-02 are not molded, so yours may be easier to get at and replace w/o grinding and cutting stuff off.

The passanger side will have to removed from under the car. Best tool to use is a ratcheting closed end wrench (13mm I believe) to get the sway bar bushing bracket bolts out. You may not have to remove the end links either if the bushings and brackets can all just come out on your model LS.
 
02V8Sport....I've read about needing an alignment after this is done. Do you need an alignment after changing the bushings, or only if you change the whole sway bar?
 
RequestingFlyBy said:
02V8Sport....I've read about needing an alignment after this is done. Do you need an alignment after changing the bushings, or only if you change the whole sway bar?
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Neither, the sway bar doesnt do anything to the alignment. The tie rods are adjustment in ride height mess with alignment.
 
I probably would have done this by now on my car, but ive been fighting exhaust gremlins on my truck, and the occasional failed coil on the LS.

Thanks for the update on that part number, I would have ordered the other set and probably had the same trouble you did at first.
 
02V8Sport said:
I take this statement back. After a couple weeks the clunk came back with the smaller bushings I put in. Seems that the sway bar isnt far enough from the lower control arm with the smaller bushing and they hit each other in hard turns. I was able to easily fit the bigger bushings this morning by loosening the whole swaybay this time. I recommend Energy Suspension part number 9.5171 30mm.

This bushing is larger and gets the swaybar away from the lower control arm so it doesnt hit it and make the clunking noise.
Click to expand...


Hey thanks for the info Going to order my bushings this week will let you guys know how it goes.

Just one thing I have the older bar on my 2002 Ls V6 5 Speed and looks like it has a hump on both ends of the busing location on the sway bar. Will this give me a problem during installation?

Will post pics when finished !!!
 
97stscaddy said:
Thanks for the update on that part number, I would have ordered the other set and probably had the same trouble you did at first.
Click to expand...

I wanted to say Thanks too - I got a pair of the second part # you recommended and had them installed last week - car feels much better now... I also installed new shocks and springs so it rides like its brand new again! :D
 
I think my bushings are shot as well..at 97k miles. (2002 V8 LSE)


I'm not truly interested in poly, and would prefer the OEM rubber. Is it easier to order then entire swaybar with the bushings installed, and then do the install?
 
lseguy said:
I think my bushings are shot as well..at 97k miles. (2002 V8 LSE)


I'm not truly interested in poly, and would prefer the OEM rubber. Is it easier to order then entire swaybar with the bushings installed, and then do the install?
Click to expand...

A couple of friends and I tried this a couple of months ago. There is one bolt (top, right side, under the DCCV) that is extremely hard to reach. After a couple of hours trying to reach the bolt, then deciding getting the new bar in with all the attached hardware would be a bear, we gave up. We greased the old bushings and reinstalled them. The bar is sitting in my garage waiting until the Fall to have the dealer install it. The bushings don't squeak when it's warm out......
 
Thanks. I actually have NO squeak at all, just a horrible clunking when its could out..and only for about the first 3-5 miles of driving. All of my suspension (except shocks/struts/springs) are OEM original with 96k on it, so I figured what the heck..I'd go ahead and replace the entire swaybar with bushings. But based on your experience..this sounds like one of those times where I'll get the part..and visit my local Ford dealer for the install. lol
 
I replaced the bushings on my 00 Non sport V8 and they are too big and the bar slides all over the place and still clunks does anyone know the size I need for a non sport model?! Please:confused:
 
Thanks to 02V8Sport

This post comes a few years after 02V8Sport's wonderful description of the bushing replacement, however, I wanted to personally thank him. I recently ordered the larger 30mm bushings and had my mechanic install them on my 2000 LS Sport using the step-by-step instructions and photos that 02V8Sport provided -- worked like a charm. Instead of paying $175 for a new sway bar, plus many hundreds to have it installed, I bought the bushings online for $25 and paid my mechanic $130 to install them. Drove the car from Wisconsin to Arkansas and back, and the front end is now quiet as a church mouse. Thanks again.
 
Should be stickied in "tech articles" if it isn't yet.
 
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