Sway bar bushing help!!

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SSG_Karg

SSG_Karg

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How do I replace the old bushings on my sway bar? The brackets that bolt to the k member do not come apart. I can't figure out how to remove the old rubber bushings, short of burning them out, or how to get the new poly bushings in. If I cut the bracket open to get the old ones out, won't it melt the new bushings when I weld it back together? By the way, it's on a 72 duster. Anybody?
 
Hum.
I just did a B body.
Is it like this? Seems like I had to cut them apart someway.
And weld it back together.
Maybe it will help.
I used machine screws to put them back together.
Yep. Getting those poly ones in was hard. Had to squeeze them together and put the bolts in.
Had to cut them apart because one was bent and need to straighten it.
 

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This is what I'm working with. I don't see any other way to do it besides cutting and re-welding. :wack:
 

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There is another way... Take the bar out of the rubber bushing and collapse the rubber bushing.
Reinstalling poly .... I just don't know, Haven't been there done that.
 
Yep. That's what I was afraid of.
Maybe someone has a good trick to get the hard poly in there.
Me? No way.
I remember now for sure what I did.
Exactly like you see it. The same thing.
See how I cut it apart and modify it with ears on both sides to squeeze back together on the B body with small bolts?
My rubber had to be replaced anyway, so that was trashed.
 
It's a pain to do, but you can slide the brackets off the sway bar. Lots of patience.....

You may still need to trim the new bushings a bit to fit them in the brackets. Use a good slimy grease to help the process. Take your time.

It took 2 people to replace mine on a 72 Demon. Good Luck
 
cut one of those welded seams, replace the bushings, then weld it back up. i just use a wet rag to isolate the heat from the bushing the best i can...
 
Lube them with the supplied grease. Get 2 pieces of wood with a notch cut in them and place one either side of the bracket and bushing. Squeeze then in your vice or use two wood type twist clamps and it will pop right together.

Thats how I did mine. No need to cut and weld.
 
drill a few 1/4" holes in the stock bushings and remove them in pieces
position housing over the sway right near the end where it is the narrowest
and slide new bushing on
put top of bushing in housing and using 2 pair of water pump pliers force the sides into the housing.
..nasty job!
..those bushings don't look too bad
 
ir3333 said:
drill a few 1/4" holes in the stock bushings and remove them in pieces
position housing over the sway right near the end where it is the narrowest
and slide new bushing on
put top of bushing in housing and using 2 pair of water pump pliers force the sides into the housing.
..nasty job!
..those bushings don't look too bad
Click to expand...

The bushings aren't totally wasted but I'm using poly everywhere else......heard you shouldn't mix and match rubber and poly.....

Think I'll try to cut the old rubber out and "pop" the new poly one in......if that doesn't work, going to cut/weld....
 
Been a couple years since I did mine but I don't remember it being to bad. Drilled/cut the old ones out, greased up the bar and slid the poly bushing to the mount. Used a big tongue and groove pliers and popped the bushings in. Grease the hell out of it. I had PST bushings.
 
I would not mix poly and rubber on the same 2 piece bushing or on opposite ends of a control arm shaft, but just replacing the bar bushings with rubber when the rest is poly will not do any thing bad; I can't think of another bushing against which the bar works that will casue any issues.
 
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