Sway Bar & Bushing

[TumblrDucks]

Hi All,
Does sway bar suppose to rotate a little bit when under load, even if the busing is hugging it tight? The sway bar I have right now need to rotate clockwise a little bit to make the sway bar link fit, is it ok to use some penetrate lube on bushings, so I can adjust it by hand after mounting the brackets on the frame?

 

[researcher]

Yes those bushings that hold the sway bar allow it to rotate. If you need to add some grease because it's binding, then yes add some. Energy Suspension sells some nice synthetic grease for bushings, doesn't wash off. But if you are just going to add some penetrating lube, make sure it's compatible with the rubber, don't want it eating it away!

Other than those things.. you're on the right track!

 

[Lubener]

Hi All,
Does sway bar suppose to rotate a little bit when under load, even if the busing is hugging it tight? The sway bar I have right now need to rotate clockwise a little bit to make the sway bar link fit, is it ok to use some penetrate lube on bushings, so I can adjust it by hand after mounting the brackets on the frame?

I would not lube the bushings. Most bushings are meant to be dry. On a new installation, some silicone grease can be applied to them to aid in installation. That is all I would put on a bushing.

 

[Jetronic]

I liked to use ceramic paste, irt dries out quickly and just keeps the boron nitride there. keepsthem squeal free and play free for longer

Some installations come with bushings molded to the bar btw...

 

[TumblrDucks]

Yes those bushings that hold the sway bar allow it to rotate. If you need to add some grease because it's binding, then yes add some. Energy Suspension sells some nice synthetic grease for bushings, doesn't wash off. But if you are just going to add some penetrating lube, make sure it's compatible with the rubber, don't want it eating it away!

Other than those things.. you're on the right track!

Thanks! May I ask what tool would I need to separate the bushing from bar a little bit to add grease in it?

 

[researcher]

Thanks! May I ask what tool would I need to separate the bushing from bar a little bit to add grease in it?

I'd probably use a thin rubber spatula to smear it inside (dollar store has them), if you won't remove the bar from the bushing. All of my vehicles have bushings that can come off the bar and all have to be lubricated. The comment from @Lubener about dry, that's a first, since the bar has to rotate inside the bushings to work. Unless that bushing was impregnated with something like graphite already.

and you're welcome

 

[Dave9]

This is an odd topic. What did you replace, the end links or the primary bushings for the sway bar itself?

If the primary sway bar bushings, are the new ones rubber or polyurethane? Polyurethane should definitely be lubed with silicone grease, and may need that reapplied every so often to get rid of squeaks, because the bar is supposed to twist within the bushing. Rubber bushings give more and are not as susceptible to squeaking. It won't hurt anything to use silicone grease on the rubber ones but a lot of people don't w/o issue.

What do you mean by "need to rotate clockwise a little bit to make the sway bar link fit"? Do you mean you have attached one end to a link already and the other end, doesn't mate up? Is it possible that you just have the wheel arms jacked up to different heights? If not, the bar should be easy enough to rotate by hand, even with no lube.

Carbon black is often put into rubber bushings to strengthen or colorize it, and into black polyurethane bushings for color as well, and provides some lubrication... nowhere near what silicone grease does, but better than nothing.

If the bushing as a slit in it, just pry up a little there and smear some silicone paste grease, then rotate the bushing around to spread it. If the bushing does not have a slit, it might have a ribbed interior cavity and the grease is applied before it's slipped onto the end of the sway bar. If it has neither of these features, then odds are it doesn't need lubed to accomplish your goals.

 

[TumblrDucks]

This is an odd topic. What did you replace, the end links or the primary bushings for the sway bar itself?

If the primary sway bar bushings, are the new ones rubber or polyurethane? Polyurethane should definitely be lubed with silicone grease, and may need that reapplied every so often to get rid of squeaks, because the bar is supposed to twist within the bushing. Rubber bushings give more and are not as susceptible to squeaking. It won't hurt anything to use silicone grease on the rubber ones but a lot of people don't w/o issue.

What do you mean by "need to rotate clockwise a little bit to make the sway bar link fit"? Do you mean you have attached one end to a link already and the other end, doesn't mate up? Is it possible that you just have the wheel arms jacked up to different heights? If not, the bar should be easy enough to rotate by hand, even with no lube.

Carbon black is often put into rubber bushings to strengthen or colorize it, and into black polyurethane bushings for color as well, and provides some lubrication... nowhere near what silicone grease does, but better than nothing.

If the bushing as a slit in it, just pry up a little there and smear some silicone paste grease, then rotate the bushing around to spread it. If the bushing does not have a slit, it might have a ribbed interior cavity and the grease is applied before it's slipped onto the end of the sway bar. If it has neither of these features, then odds are it doesn't need lubed to accomplish your goals.

I try to replace the whole bar. This is actually an upgrade, I browse through Hyundai forum and see successful story of swap a thicker sport trim sway bar for better body roll control. I suspect the sway bar is not perfectly perpendicular with the bracket, which cause sway bar end too low for the sway bar link.
This is the bushing I have. Should I try to lube it, or forcefully rotate the bar to fit sway bar links?

Thanks!

 

[Dave9]

I'm not understanding the situation. Why wouldn't it be perpendicular to the bracket? Is it defective? It should line right up with both end links, as long as the suspension on both sides is equally compressed or extended. If it is equal and both sides have the same amount of gap to mount the bar to the end links, then yes just move it by hand, which should not require much force at all.

However if you have installed a larger diameter sway bar and are trying to use the smaller I.D. bushing from the original smaller diameter bar, that could be the issue?? A larger diameter bar needs a different bushing and ideally, different mounting brackets as well.

 

[mblgjr]

While this feels like English is a second language situation...

The Photo shown is where the swaybar frame/chassis bushing mounts to the frame/subframe of the vehicle using 2 bolts for the bushing clamp. These bushings can be rotated into position and the flat face part will be against the frame mounting point.

The swaybar end-links will connect to the very end (outer-ends) of the swaybar at a single-hole attaching point.

Honestly this is a remove and replace situation so once you're looking at the bar you're removing it should make sense as to how the new one is going to be reinstalled in the exact same way.

 

[TumblrDucks]

I'm not understanding the situation. Why wouldn't it be perpendicular to the bracket? Is it defective? It should line right up with both end links, as long as the suspension on both sides is equally compressed or extended. If it is equal and both sides have the same amount of gap to mount the bar to the end links, then yes just move it by hand, which should not require much force at all.

However if you have installed a larger diameter sway bar and are trying to use the smaller I.D. bushing from the original smaller diameter bar, that could be the issue?? A larger diameter bar needs a different bushing and ideally, different mounting brackets as well.

Yes it should line up, but if I tried to put the bracket on frame first, I couldn't put sway bar link in because swaybar outer-ends too low. If I put on the link first, the bracket would not perfectly against with the frame.

 

[TumblrDucks]

While this feels like English is a second language situation...

Ouch that hurts lol

The Photo shown is where the swaybar frame/chassis bushing mounts to the frame/subframe of the vehicle using 2 bolts for the bushing clamp. These bushings can be rotated into position and the flat face part will be against the frame mounting point.

The swaybar end-links will connect to the very end (outer-ends) of the swaybar at a single-hole attaching point.

Honestly this is a remove and replace situation so once you're looking at the bar you're removing it should make sense as to how the new one is going to be reinstalled in the exact same way.

Thanks for correcting my terminology. Yes, it's supposed to lined-up very easy and be a straightforward job. Will try again this weekend and take more pics.

 

[TumblrDucks]

Updates, I didn't lube the bushing. Instead, I pried the bar end to be high enough for sway bar link. Despite this, I observed sway bar link was under high stress and sway bar end was moved so out of position that I can't torque the end bolt, due to insufficient space between sway bar and sub frame. By then it's clearly that this is an incompatible part. What a bummer but it's a lesson for me.