squeeky rear beshings

[eszoom]

hi all, my question is when replacing the rear sway or stabilizing bar bushings with new ones, do you just slap it on or grease them first?

thanks, rod

 

[bwalt]

Yes, you will want to lube the bushings first. White lithium grease or marine grease work quite well.

 

[eszoom]

thanks, will do!

 

[tweety2300]

Take some rough sand paper and sand the sway bar where they sit and throw some grease there too. It will keep it there and help keep them lubricated for longer

 

[eszoom]

one more question, did you have to take off the bar for the install?

 

[tweety2300]

Pretty much. It's only held on by the 2 brackets that go around the bushings and the 2 end links. I would look into replacing the end links while you're there

 

[eszoom]

thanks, tweety, i was hoping i didn't have to take off the bar. i'm afraid the endlinks will be frozen or rusted. befor i do this i better have new end links. anybody else try to do this without taking off the bar?

 

[tweety2300]

It's not possible, at least one of the links have to be removed. It will be easier to remove them both. Cut the old ones off and put the new ones on. You will have to do it eventually anyway and now is the best time

 

[njaremka]

you should not HAVE to remove the bar to replace the bushings - at least, not in the rear. also, you can just wrap the bar with 1-2 turns of teflon plumbers tape under the bushing. the teflon tape is much less messy, and will last much longer than any grease you stuff in there.

 

[hornsfan10609]

Removal of the sway bar is not required for replacing the bushings, front or rear.

 

[tweety2300]

No but when you remove end links and brackets what else is holding it there?

 

[MaxPower]

The OP was asking only about replacing the rear swaybar bushings, in which case the endlinks do not have to be removed.

 

[tweety2300]

Well unless you cut the bushings how do you plan to get them on the sway bar?

 

[03protolx]

the sway bar bushings have cuts in them already (well 99.3% of them do) so it is super easy to unbolt the bracket, pull the old bushing off, new bushing, then bracket.

The energy suspension grease-able bushing + bracket is a great upgrade. Did it on my '03 and my clunk is completely gone.

 

[eszoom]

ok, i changed both rear bushings and it still clunks. what i did was clean and wrapped some electrical tape on the bar. shot the inside of the bushing with white lithium grease. tighten everything up. what went wrong? next day off i"ll shoot lithium on the outside of the bushing between that and the bracket, and if that don't work, change the sway bar links which i thought i could get away with, haha.

 

[tweety2300]

the sway bar bushings have cuts in them already (well 99.3% of them do) so it is super easy to unbolt the bracket, pull the old bushing off, new bushing, then bracket.

The energy suspension grease-able bushing + bracket is a great upgrade. Did it on my '03 and my clunk is completely gone.

I bought mine from Mazda and they didn't have a cut in them

 

[03protolx]

thats weird... the front sway bar bushings i bought directly from mazda had cuts in them.

 

[tweety2300]

Never did the front just rear. Might be different with the racing beat sway bars though

 

[03protolx]

I was just about to say, I totally forgot you had an MP3 with the RB sway bars.

 

[eszoom]

after changing the bushings and end links, it was the strut making the clunk. thanks all, for the help.