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Front sway bar bushes

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 1:57 am
by RobTwin
Hi all

Anyone found an easy way of changing front sway bar bushes?

We can hack the old ones off but as the sway bar has a wider, flattened end, it's not readily obvious (to us, at least :tongue3: ) how to get the new ones on, which come in the same triangular shaped bracket.

First thought is something like washing-up liquid but dunno if that would be sufficient with the metal bracket retaining the bush :?

Stu asked Jim, with the Viper-blue 68 Charger, and he cut & rewelded his.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 8:51 am
by Anonymous
i was thinkin the same thing yesterday when i was looking at mine but im quite good at getting big bits of rubber into tight spaces so im told :D :D :D :thumbright: so im gonna give it a go later :thumbright: :thumbright: :thumbright:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:06 am
by steveo
the factory type , is a night mare , at worst you will end up in A&E , best you will get it almost in & it will slip off , vice grips , G clamps will go flying !! every time !! use some form of lubricant on the bush , just makes it worse !
what i done , was to cut the bracket also , prise it open , fit bush , close it up in a vice , & carefully mig it back up , one tack at time , & let it cool ,
15 minute job this way :thumbright:
the other way all weekend , muscle strain RSI in hands , possible A&E adventure other wise , & then order up an aftermarket swaybar :lol: :thumbright:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:12 am
by John
Ive just ordered some poly ones, are they the same?

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:15 am
by steveo
yeah :sad4: polly ones are worse !! as they wont compress at all to go in !! they are the ones i almost went to the A&E trying to fit :thumbright: :lol:
went all through this & still went with aftermarket bars front & rear , but thought i would use the OEM bar to get the car back togeather !! :roll:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:27 am
by John
steveo wrote:yeah :sad4: polly ones are worse !! as they wont compress at all to in !! they are the ones i almost went to the A&E trying to fit :thumbright: :lol:
A saw and welder it is for me then :(

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:30 am
by steveo
JohnS wrote:
steveo wrote:yeah :sad4: polly ones are worse !! as they wont compress at all to in !! they are the ones i almost went to the A&E trying to fit :thumbright: :lol:
A saw and welder it is for me then :(
:thumbright:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:41 am
by John
Cheers Steve :thumbright:


And Rob for the thread :roll:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 9:42 am
by John
JohnS wrote:Cheers Steve :thumbright:


And Rob for the thread, sorry for the hijack chap :roll:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 10:40 am
by Derek
Brute force and a lot of Bananarama!. :lol:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 12:39 pm
by latil
I carefully ground off the factory weld,fitted polybush and rewelded. No other sensible way to do the job.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 12:45 pm
by steveo
latil wrote:I carefully ground off the factory weld,fitted polybush and rewelded. No other sensible way to do the job.
yeah rings a bell !! think i did grind the weld away now rather that cut !!!
done mine a bout 10 years ago , so my brain could be remembering anything , will check later :thumbright:

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 10 1:07 pm
by steveo
steveo wrote:
latil wrote:I carefully ground off the factory weld,fitted polybush and rewelded. No other sensible way to do the job.
yeah rings a bell !! think i did grind the weld away now rather that cut !!!
done mine a bout 10 years ago , so my brain could be remembering anything , will check later :thumbright:
:thumbright: just had a look , yep no cut , grind factory weld

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 10 1:35 am
by RobTwin
Great, thanks for the advice all :thumbright:

Looks like it's a grinder & maybe a trip to Jim's to beg a favour with his welder :?


Anyways, need to avoid the A&E route since they shut down our local one :roll:

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 10 7:37 am
by ANTON
I drill one side of mine for a bolt and then grounf the weld off the same side and then opened up the bracket and fitted the new bush and that use a nut and bolt to hold it all together.

Drill the hole before you grind the weld off, to keep it all aligned. I put the bolt at the back so it can't be seen.