Repairs

Energy Suspension Front Sway Bar Bushings

Preface:

The Sway bar's purpose is to balance the force in a turn between the two sides to reduce body roll. The stock bushings are too small, cheap material and don't do much even right out of the factory. Polyurethane bushings such as Energy Suspension have much longer lives, are a tighter (almost too tight....read on) fit and perform much better.

Tools needed:

14mm socket	14mm open end wrench	breaker bar
Jack and axle stands

	Jack up the car and secure. There really isn't any reason to pull the wheels off if you don't mind working on the ground (which you have to do anyways....) I have the ball joint type of end links on the sway bar with no play in them so I didn't do anything with them. You will have to remove one end of the end link on both sides of the car so you can move the sway bar around. There is a place the open end wrench on one side and use a socket on the other so the end link balljoint doesn't spin. (both 14mm)
	Remove the 3 (14mm) bolts on the triangular support member
	Remove the 14mm bolt that holds the bracket on the sway bar. Lift the bottom end up and it should pull out. The steering dust boot may be in the way a bit but a little force will get it out. Remove the stock bushing.
Stock Energy Suspension	Here are the two bushings in the bracket, you can see the stock bushing doesn't come close to filling the bracket and when I took it out the center was all squished. Way too much play around the sway bar, the bracket alone would have held the bar as much as this bushing and bracket.
	Put the grease on the inside of the new bushing, clean the sway bar then fit the bushing on the sway bar. It will take force to get the bracket over the bushing but it will fit if you are patient.
	You will need a longer bolt to finish pulling the bracket over the bushing. It is next to impossible to use the stock bolt.
	Reattach the triangular support, end links and away you go. If you have the bushing type end links these are so simple to replace I won't even entertain the idea of writing instructions.

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This page was last edited 08/03/2001 05:12 PM