Sway Bar End bushings

[Bitsyncmaster]

I now have the new LCAs installed and now working on the sway bar. I have new poly bushings for the ends of the sway bar. How do I get the old bushing off the ends of the sway bar. I think the metal tube is a split tube so maybe I can separate it with a cold chisel. It's really rusted on badly.

[robscott]

I used WD40 and mole grips, just kept twisting it.

if your not using the origional bushes, you can yeah it up with a blow torch too.

[Mark D]

A pair of vice grips should do the trick. I must have gotten lucky that I was able to pull everything apart without many parts that were rusted together.

Make sure you take a few photos of how the washers are supposed to fit on the sway bar too. They are oddly sized and I think one has a special size ID with a champher that has to be in the correct orientation. They cost 12 bucks each to replace so make sure you hang on to them :-)

[Bitsyncmaster]

Those are split pipe inside the OEM bushings. There is a split pipe in each bushing. A cold chisel makes easy work removing them but you have to cut off the rubber if it's still attached. My outside rubber was not attached or else I would not have be able to pull the sway bar off.

Now should the new steel pipe on the poly bushing be a press fit? It is a one piece pipe so the poly bushings just slide on it. I think I still have some rust on the bar (even after wire bushing) so the new pipe does not slide on by hand.

I chased the treads on the bar (M12 1.75) and it looks like some red locktite was on them. Do I use locktite installing the two nuts on each end?

The inside washer is frozen onto the bar. I'm guessing this is the one that is special cut. The outside washer looks normal. I'm not going to force that inside washer off.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I lightly used a file to remove the rusted high spots and now the new bushings just slide on easy.

So I'm ready to put it back into the car. Do we use locktite even with the double nuts?

[Grover]

Those are split pipe inside the OEM bushings. There is a split pipe in each bushing. A cold chisel makes easy work removing them but you have to cut off the rubber if it's still attached. My outside rubber was not attached or else I would not have be able to pull the sway bar off.

Now should the new steel pipe on the poly bushing be a press fit? It is a one piece pipe so the poly bushings just slide on it. I think I still have some rust on the bar (even after wire bushing) so the new pipe does not slide on by hand.

I chased the treads on the bar (M12 1.75) and it looks like some red locktite was on them. Do I use locktite installing the two nuts on each end?

The inside washer is frozen onto the bar. I'm guessing this is the one that is special cut. The outside washer looks normal. I'm not going to force that inside washer off.

Per the service recall
1.) Coat bar threads with loctite and torque thin nut to 44ft/lbs (60NM)
2.) Recoat remainder of threads with loctite and install thick nut and torque to 68ft/lbs (90NM)

I use Blue since it is a bit easier to get off, red is a bit more Permanent.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Per the service recall
1.) Coat bar threads with loctite and torque thin nut to 44ft/lbs (60NM)
2.) Recoat remainder of threads with loctite and install thick nut and torque to 68ft/lbs (90NM)

I use Blue since it is a bit easier to get off, red is a bit more Permanent.

Thanks. That is the only thing left to do for a road test.

[Bitsyncmaster]

One last question. Think I got it correct but do the bends in the sway bar go down at each LCA? If I flip it the other way the sway bar gets close to the steering rods. Not really clear in the diagrams. Would think with the bends down the geometry looks better.

[Mark D]

The bar will fit upside down but when you go to attach it to the crumple tube it will hit the steering arms. It should be like in these photos:

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26892&d=1398975758


http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26893&d=1398976042


With the poly bushings being so much firmer than the stock rubber I had to use a floor jack to push the bar up far enough to align it with the holes in the crumple tube front mounts.

[Grover]

The bar will fit upside down but when you go to attach it to the crumple tube it will hit the steering arms. It should be like in these photos:

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26892&d=1398975758


http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26893&d=1398976042


With the poly bushings being so much firmer than the stock rubber I had to use a floor jack to push the bar up far enough to align it with the holes in the crumple tube front mounts.

:worship: That is quite nice. Good job keeping it clean!

[Mark D]

:worship: That is quite nice. Good job keeping it clean!

Well thanks! It's not so much "keeping it clean" but more like "hadn't gotten it dirty yet". Those photos were taken about a week before I finished a year and a half long restoration on the chassis so everything was brand new.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Thanks for your beautiful photo. That does confirm I installed the bar correctly. I left the end nuts loose when I bolted up the front of the sway bar. It still to a little mussel to get those bolts started.