loose sway bar

[WaterBrat]

Heard some new noises under front end in last couple of days. Crawled under my 2005 EB 4WD V8 and found the sway bar can be moved side to side with minimal effort. The sway bard end pieces were replaced within the last year along with tie rods and ball joints. The EB is mostly used for hiway driving. How urgent is the need to replace the bushings to tighten up the sway bar?

Skipper

 

[swshawaii]

Not urgent if it's only the sway bar FRAME bushings. Chances are if the sway bar can be moved laterally, or "side to side", you likely have other issues. Worn sway bar frame bushings only cause slight front to rear movement. Highly recommend taking a closer look, sounds like you may have a broken end link, again. Be careful, if an end link breaks while turning and under load, you could be in for a wild ride or at worst a rollover.

How to: Replace Sway Bar bushings (frame only) | Ford Explorer and Ford Ranger Forums - Serious Explorations

 

[WaterBrat]

Good call swshawii. Thanks for the quick response and heads up. I only went under 1 side. In checking the other side I see that the top bushing on the end link is missing. I am running to get parts now. Can I replace the end link with the car on the ground.

Y'all are the best.
Skipper in Mx

 

[swshawaii]

Wheels straight and on the ground is factory procedure. Use ramps or wide wood blocks if clearance is an issue. Do NOT over tighten.Torque spec on the hard neoprene OEM end links is only 18 ft/lbs. Thermoplastic or polyurethane end link bushings should be similar. If replacement end link bushings are difficult to find or too expensive, the newer design polyurethane Moog's (K700542 ) are widely used here, easy to install, and very durable. Both sides must be the same center sleeve length and should replaced in pairs. (Price is each)

2005 FORD EXPLORER 4.6L V8 Stabilizer Bar Link | RockAuto

More Information for MOOG K700542