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changing sway bar bushings

3.3K views 36 replies 8 participants last post by  irvreynold  
#1 ·
has anyone done this? i took the links off and the car was a lot quieter over bumps and everything else,,put them back on and i run over the rubber filler they put in the cracks in the road and its a constant noise...
 
#2 ·
Yes...but on an older Mustang and Impala. You might get mixed opinions on this but did you put the car under load when torquing to specs? Im unfamiliar with the newer impala suspension someone else may chime in with their expertise.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Energy Suspension makes greaseable poly bushings. I put them on my '06 from their universal selection.
You need to measure the sway bar diameter at the bushing mount section of the bar.
Didn't need to drop the cradle on the '06. I used a 90* zerk fitting for easier greasing.
 
#12 ·
rockauto does not have ones that look like mine,not sure if you can use the regular ones that have been around forever..
 
#18 ·
Are you working on a 2014 or 2015 - the link you posted is for a 2015 but the information in your post shows 2014??
If you enter the GM part # 22810906 (shown for front in your link) on Rock auto it shows the bushings only - you could email rock auto and confirm they are 1" - just a suggestion
RockAuto
 
#21 ·
I asked a question on their website there is only 1 bolt holding the front one and i cant see in there to tell how big it is..
 
#24 ·
I got to say this car sucks over bumps..my 04 monte carlo ss i think was better...more rubber between me and the road..
 
#25 ·
I've done this on my 2013. It's a gen older, but it's essentially the same process. You don't have to drop the subframe for the front sway bar, but the extra space does help a lot. I got my car up on jack stands and then used my floor jack to help support the subframe. The engine mounts should be enough to keep the engine from shifting too much, but you'll definitely want a jack to support the frame, jic. Lowering it 2" - 3" was enough for the 2013, hopefully the same for the 2014.

One thing I found that helped was adding a bit of dielectric grease around the bushings, both to the sway bar and to the metal straps that hold the bushings to the frame. Any neutral grease that doesn't eat rubber should work. Made it easier to get the straps in place and to let the sway bar move once all was tightened back down.

Also, you should tighten the bolts in this order:

1. Get the bushing strap bolts hand tight, but not torqued
2. Put the subframe back in place and torque to spec
3. Reattach the end links to the sway bars and and hand tighten, but not torqued
4. Do any final adjustments to the sway bar so it's centered between the struts
5. Torque the end links to spec
6. Torque the bushing strap bolts to spec

I would also make sure the sway bar link geometry is where it needs to be in relation to the struts. I replaced my rear sway bar with this ZZPerformance one and these adjustable links. I made the links the same length as the stock ones, but didn't account for how much bigger the zzp sway bar was from stock. So when I connected the links to the sway bar, the angle they sat at was around 15-20 degrees more shallow than before. That was enough to make the sway bar smack into the trunk when going over bumps and caused all kinds of clunking and scraping noises. Fortunately I took some pics before I started so I had a reference for what angle the links were supposed to be.
 
#27 ·
No, they're not attached, though the old bushings may be hard to peel off due to age. The bushings should wrap around the bar and then U-shaped straps are used to secure the bushings and bar to the chassis.

It gets really hard to move the bar by hand once the straps are fully tightened, so I strongly recommend using some grease and getting everything in position before the final torque down. I mean, you don't need to slather the grease on, just enough of a film to be able to tap it into place with a mallet once all starts going back together.