I trolled thru the search and couldn't really get a straight answer out of it. I basically wanna replace all the bushings for my sway bars front and back. Is it as easy as goin to Autozone picking up some new bushings and installing them? Will I new links. I had an old probe and one of my links busted and I went to Autozone picked up a couple of new ones and installed it was like a 5min job is it going to be similiar ?
Some pics of the back the front don't look bad
Right Rear
Left Rear
The rrs are easy but the fronts are a bear. This is because the the bolts holding the frt sway bar "straps" are too long to be removed WITHOUT dropping the front subframe down to gain the requisite chassis clearance.
The procedure is to loosen the 2 frt subframe bolts, remove the 2 rr bolts and gently pry the subframe down so you have enough clearance to get the bolts out. If you ever have to do this job again, you'll do what I did and cut approx. .5" off the end of the 2 offending bolts. Then the next time you won't have to worry about the subframe.
Also, you should be aware that the nut/bolt interface for the subframe often gets rusty and the nuts are blind. So you can end up with the situation where the bolts are turning and so are the nuts. At this point you're screwed unless you want to cut a hole in the chassis to secure a wrench on the nut(s).
Have fun!
I went to Autozone today and I saw pretty much everything Im looking for except the bushing for where the end link connects to the sway. I also bought the end link bushings set for connecting to the lower control arm. They seem kinda big but then again there really isn't any of the factory stuff left. So does anyone have a pic of what it should look like ?
I think I figured it all out hehe. I looked at my car some more and the illustrations at ford parts online. I pretty much have to buy the new end links cuase the top of it has the bushing built into it and you can't buy it seperate. The bottom uses a generic bushing but they are like $4 a piece from ford. Will the ES bushing from Autozone work? I bought this set for $14.
They'll work if they're thin enough. The stock end links don't allow for very thick bushings. If you want to upgrade, talk to stazi, he sells his endlinks w/ spherical rod ends for $70.
Im running those on the rear. They are almost too thick, but they will work. Just make sure to grease them before installing them.