Sway Bar Bushing Replacement

[mounty71]

I don't know why i didn't think of either thing you suggested. That's an easy way to check...maybe i'll try it this weekend. And now that i think about it i think my torsion bars are a bit uneven...the passenger side's sat a little higher than the driver's side for a long time (only maybe 1/2"), but if the passenger side is higher than driver side, the "uneven" swaybar should be uneven opposite of how it currently is...meaning it should be a tighter fit for the end link on the driver's side than on the passenger's side.

 

[storlied]

Yup, you're right.. also.. you have the classic "gangsta lean" Your battery, gas tank, and your ass are all on the driver's side... it shows with age.. some people to level it out swap the leafs.. you can also do a little torsion twist until you're level.

 

[jls1znv9999]

A pic of my sag rear on exp and old sway bar pitting.

 

[sonet123]

Sway bar pix

Thanks for posting the pix of the saw bar repair thoses pictures ar just what I needed.

 

[CPUNeck]

For the life of me, I can't get the old end links off! Seem's like they're made on there. The passenger side I just gave up and ziz wheeled off the head of the bolt. Is that what ou have to do to get some of these off?

 

[oriolesfan29]

I don't know if I need this or not. My symptoms are having like a popping sound over every little bump I go over and having a rattle type noise when I accelerate, almost like the driver side front tires hesitate a little bit.

 

[CPUNeck]

Well if you haven't experienced the difference in the sway bar "knock" and ball joint "clunk", I'd say disconnect the sway bar (like one side of the end links) and see if the noise is still there. If it is, that means ball joints. If your noise goes away, wha la, sway bar links.

Oh good luck disconnecting one of those links. My bolts seem to be welded to the plastic parts or something. I'm not screwing with it this morning.... I'm going to hook up my jaws unit, and cut the da&% thing OFF!

 

[TheJackal]

This is good info. Noticed a clunking sound about a week ago and thought it was the ball joints reminding me they needed to be changed. The other day I go to get a good look under there and notice this:

Sway bar bushings are SHOT. Same for the other side. This is yet another job that's in my immediate future, fortunately it seems pretty straightforward.

I always give everything a once-over look at each oil change and I could've sworn those looked nice-n-squooshed like always then... but the heat of the summer (June was a killer) probably got to them, just like with the joint boots.

 

[storlied]

Alright, a couple months ago I got the end link kit from Napa.. it came with blue bushings, which were pretty solid. My clunking went away, but now it's back.. the Napa guy couldn't tell me if they were poly or not.. after taking out the end links and inspecting them.. I've found that the bushings are pretty squashed.. when it started again I just kept tightening them.. I don't know if it's because of me, or if it was just the use smashing them... or both.. anyways.. is it common for poly bushings to go out that quick and squash like that? And most importantly.. can I buy Just the bushings? I don't need any of the other hardware... I also noticed my sway bar is mounted to the bottom of the frame rails, I guess that was another lil change they made in 98.

 

[TheJackal]

well that's no good... I just bought mine from Advance Auto today, they're Moog links with blue bushings. Guess we'll find out.

I don't think you can get just the bushings.. I originally looked for that but didn't see them. Maybe the bushings are all slightly different depending on the kit you use?

 

[storlied]

Possible, but I mean you'd think since you got the kit.. with it's own size other than the factory size.. there would be an aftermarket standard depending on the application.. I would then think Napa or Advanced or Shucks would have replacement parts for parts within the kit.. I know the Napa kit has a warranty on it.. but of course I bought the kit in Fairbanks and lost the receipt.. I think another issue may be that I have done the TT mod and I might need slightly longer end links because the bushings that were on the control arms are squashed at an angle.

 

[TheJackal]

Turns out you can... just saw these at AutoZone today.

Those aren't the right ones for the Explorer, but going to the manufacturer's site shows parts 4.5155G and 4.5155R fit the Explorer. The ones in the picture were the only ones I saw in the store tho.

 

[storlied]

Can anyone verify weather the blue ones are poly or cheap rubber parts? Does poly only come in red and black? Sorta seems like poly parts aren't as rough as normal rubber, more like a hardened gel... am I correct? If so then the blue parts we got are normal rubber... I've seen red poly parts for other things and behind the plastic packaging, it appears as if they're almost wet and sticking.. seems like a different kinda material with a difference surface..

 

[techieman33]

They are poly if I remember right.

 

[storlied]

I went and got an actual poly bushing kit from energy suspenion and it's confirmed, the blue napa ones are Not poly, they are a hardened rubber. The quality, material difference and strength of these real poly bushings are Far better than the blue napa bushings. I'll be putting them in tomorrow, hopefully the suspension will be more tight and quiet afterwards because these blue bushings are so squashed.

 

[TheJackal]

Just put mine on a few days ago. You don't need to jack up anything to take everything off, so I suggest removing the links and the bar and changing the bushings first. Then you can use the jackstands to help you hold the sway bar up in place. I didn't think of this until after I was wrestling that thing back up there, but figured I'd share it anyway.

Once the bar is back in place you can jack up the truck for the link installation.

The new ones did feel hard like rubber, we'll see how this goes I guess. At least I know we can get just the bushings if necessary.

Also the torque specs for the links seem a bit tight? I thought I was going to smash the bushings if I kept going.

 

[storlied]

Turns out I got the bushings as pictured, the Explorer ones are on order so I'll be putting them in once they get here. For now I'm driving sway bar less, too lazy to connect the front back up. I've gotten pretty used to driving without em after all these times.

 

[Silent]

This was a pain in the a$$ for me. Took about 3 hours or so. Had problems getting the nuts off. Ended up using a torch to get them off then had to use a hacksaw to cut one of the bolts off. But I finally got it. Fixed my popping sound. Heres the finished product.

 

[kakola]

My '00 Sport made some cracking sounds about three years ago, and the man at the muffler shop said "new sway bar bushings", so I said go ahead. He claimed what he put in was better than original, but now, when I drive over a speed bump, there is a sound like a castle door in a vampire movie. Come Spring, when I can lay on the ground without getting pneumonia, I'll do another change out myself. I don't like the sound of having to hacksaw, burn, cut, or chisel, though - I assume any of those steps means finding some new links to replace the unfortunately shortened bits.

I saw a reference in a website to "Moog" bushing kits - can I assume these are good?

 

[Silent]

Should be an easy job since it was just replaced. Should be new nuts and bolts.