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?

 

End link bushings should be a definite "press" fit..I put 30mm bars on my 88 and bought new bushings and they were press fit.

Check out this link

www,vettenet.org/susp_chart.html

:cheers:

 

I couldn't get the parts at my local Corvette parts store. Oh, I suppose I could have ordered them, but I went to the local Chevy dealer and they had a set of new bushings and the metal sleeves in stock. They charge more, but at least I have them in my hands. The part is called an "Isolator". It came with the bushings already pressed in. The dealer wouldn't normally have the part in stock, however that's a different story all together. Curious? Here's what happened. I had a tire/ suspension repair shop "look" "examine" "detemine" whether I needed new ball joints or bushings for my suspension system. I called them threee times that day, wanting to know what repairs if any were needed. They never got back to me. So, at 6:30 that night, I drove over to the shop to find out what was going on. Needless to say I was just a little :mad that they hadn't responded to my inquiries. When I got there, the mechanic had circled all of the things that needed to be replaced on a print-out, but he hadn't called me to inform me of what needed to be done and "You can't just buy the bushings and replace them. You have to buy the whole assembly from the Chevrolet dealer". I began to smell a rat. I said "I'll go to the Corvette parts store and get the bushings". So today, I go to the same Chevrolet dealer and tell the clerk I need the "Isolators" for an '85 Corvette. The clerk asks, "Do you have that black one that was at the tire store the other day?" I said "Yah, how did you know that?" He says "They came in and ordered about $600 to $700 worth of parts and never picked them up". I guess they thought they had another fish on the hook. "Don't call him back, just go order the parts" Yah sure!!

 

By the way, thanks for the advice on whether the bushing "isolators" are supposed to be tight or lose. I figured they should be tight but I wanted to make sure before I pursued new parts. :thumbs:

 

I looked at the box today and realized that the metal sleeve is called an "insulator" not an "isolator". If you need the part, ask for an "insulator".

 

:thumbs:

:seeya

:steering: