Front Sway Bar Question

[netnarc2]

I'm replacing the bushings in my front sway bar ('85 Corvette Z51 suspension). I have the upper bushings out. These are the ones that go into the holes at each end of the sway bar. The metal outer bushing sleeves just slide in and out of the hole with no resistance whatsoever. Aren't they supposed to be pressed into the hole so that the bar doesn't slide back and forth on them? I don't want to waste a new poly bushing, pressing it into the sleeve if the sleeve is too worn to do any good. I don't know if it's relevant or not, but it's the 30mm sway bar. Any suggestions? Buy new sleeves?

 

[Ken]

Well folks, any suggestions? Surely someone must know!

 

[scorp508]

That definitely doesn't sound right to me. I know people who have had to cut out their old bushings and then freeze the new ones to get them in.


Hmmm what could cause THAT to happen.....:confused

 

[netnarc2]

I went to the Chevy dealer and bought new "sleeves" for the bushings to go into. They're actually called insulators or isolators. I replaced them right after I posted this question, but yes, the metal sleeves were worn enough that they no longer fit tight in the sway bar ends. Thanks everyone.

 

[ydphtwl]

I replaced my rear bushings yesterday with an Energy suspension kit. What I discoved was, the large bar bushings were already polyurethane (96 Z51), but the end links were rubber. There are 4 total on the rear. Some of them I could just pry out with a screwdriver. Others, I used a socket and a vise and pressed them out. The new ones don't have the outer metal sleeve but have an inner sleeve. I sprayed the new poly end link bushings with silicone and pressed them in. The front is probably the same. LPE sent me the wrong size for the front, so I am still waiting on them.