Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech

Sway bar bushing?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 10:20 AM
  #1  
Vanover's Avatar
Vanover
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 964
Likes: 124
From: Chesapeake Va
Default Sway bar bushing?

Changing all 4 bushings,I had no problem with the back 2 but the front 2,the brackets won't pull all the way up.there is about 1/4 inch from being all the way tight.any thoughts?
Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 10:29 AM
  #2  
imlowr2's Avatar
imlowr2
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 296
Likes: 6
From: Valencia CA
Default

Do you have the correct size bushings? I believe the bracket also has a ridge that the bushing sit into. It also needs to be torqued to 43 ft lbs. The bushing and bracket should pull up flush when you get to that torque setting. I use a torque wrench on mine. I also apply silicone grease to the part where the sway bar goes through the bushing and I apply a thin coat on the bushing and bracket itself. Hope this helps.

Last edited by imlowr2; Jul 4, 2016 at 10:32 AM.
Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 10:36 AM
  #3  
Vanover's Avatar
Vanover
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 964
Likes: 124
From: Chesapeake Va
Default

Originally Posted by imlowr2
Do you have the correct size bushings? I believe the bracket also has a ridge that the bushing sit into. It also needs to be torqued to 43 ft lbs. The bushing and bracket should pull up flush when you get to that torque setting. I use a torque wrench on mine. I also apply silicone grease to the part where the sway bar goes through the bushing and I apply a thin coat on the bushing and bracket itself. Hope this helps.
It is a 03 coupe,I'm not sure if there are more than 1 size for coupes.these are the ones a CF vendor gave me.
Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 11:38 AM
  #4  
Vanover's Avatar
Vanover
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 964
Likes: 124
From: Chesapeake Va
Default

Pulled the new ones back off,there about 3/8 bigger than the old ones.is it possible to be wear.the old ones were not loss they just squeaked.
Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 12:42 PM
  #5  
imlowr2's Avatar
imlowr2
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 296
Likes: 6
From: Valencia CA
Default

Originally Posted by Vanover
Pulled the new ones back off,there about 3/8 bigger than the old ones.is it possible to be wear.the old ones were not loss they just squeaked.
The overall size of the bushing (outside diameter) shouldn't be that much bigger? The hole size matters and needs to be the same as the diameter of your sway bar. Even with a larger diameter sway bar, the overall size of the bushing should be the same. The hole will only be larger to accommodate the sway bar. Not sure the condition of your old bushing, but you may only need to apply some silicone grease to get rid of the squeeking. Those bushing tend to dry out and that causes the squeezing noise, not to mention wear on the sway bar from rubbing. I'd take those bushing along with your original ones back to the place you got them.
Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 02:12 PM
  #6  
My Vette Life's Avatar
My Vette Life
Safety Car
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3,638
Likes: 245
Default

Originally Posted by Vanover
Changing all 4 bushings,I had no problem with the back 2 but the front 2,the brackets won't pull all the way up.there is about 1/4 inch from being all the way tight.any thoughts?
This should help you.

Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 02:31 PM
  #7  
73Corvette's Avatar
73Corvette
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
Default

Put some dielectric grease on the olds ones and put them back in...if they are in good condition and only squeaking...
Reply
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 04:04 PM
  #8  
seagem's Avatar
seagem
Advanced
10 Year Member
Veteran: Army
 
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 51
Likes: 4
From: Hampton VA
Default

Another CF member recommended wrapping the bar under the bushing with yellow Teflon tape. I did mine (original bushings) and have never heard a squeak since.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jul 4, 2016 | 06:55 PM
  #9  
Vanover's Avatar
Vanover
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 964
Likes: 124
From: Chesapeake Va
Default

I miss stated the difference in size it was 3/16 not 3/8, sorry.anyway,I greased the old ones and all is fine.when I return them I'll find out if there is more than one size and report back.
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2016 | 03:14 PM
  #10  
Gordy M's Avatar
Gordy M
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 358
From: Northville, MI
Default

For the front bushings I find that I have to tighten them gradually, front, back. front, back, etc and they will snug up, if I try to tighten one and then the other there is always about a 1/4 inch gap.
Reply
Old Jul 5, 2016 | 04:24 PM
  #11  
Vanover's Avatar
Vanover
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 964
Likes: 124
From: Chesapeake Va
Default

Originally Posted by Gordy M
For the front bushings I find that I have to tighten them gradually, front, back. front, back, etc and they will snug up, if I try to tighten one and then the other there is always about a 1/4 inch gap.
I tryed that it didn't work.were your new ones much bigger than the old ones?
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2016 | 08:32 AM
  #12  
Gordy M's Avatar
Gordy M
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 358
From: Northville, MI
Default

I went from standard bushing to poly and had a devil of a time getting them correct. Went a little at a time on each side and they finally compressed correctly. Before that I would always end up with a 1/4" gap or more.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Sway bar bushing?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:44 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE