Lube or replace stabilizer bar bushings?

Video Guy · **Posted:** Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:12 am

After putting up with two months of creaks and pops, I removed and cleaned the two big bushings on my stabilizer bar ("sway" or "anti-sway bar"). There was some dried mud in and around the area, so I cleaned both the frame, bushing brackets, and bushings in warm soapy (dish soap) water. After drying everything thoroughly, I sprayed a coating of silicone spray inside the bushings and mounted them back up on the bar and torqued down the brackets. I drove for about 20 minutes to work the lube around the inside of the bushings. This morning, the drive into work was quieter, but not like it was two months ago.

I've spent WAY too much work time researching the issue, and I'm getting mixed messages. Most people here recommend lubing the sway bar bushings when they get noisy. Another truck site (Ford Rangers) recommends replacing the sway bar bushings when they get noisy and soft. Some people say that lubricating the bushings is wrong because introducing a sliding motion inside the bushing reduces the bar's stabilizing ability. Hard (read, new) neoprene rubber should be in constant contact to hold the bar in place AND absorb some of the road impact. From rangerstation.com:

When the truck hits the bump, the wheels are forced up suddenly, putting forces into the bushings. Soft bushings just let the force pass through, so that the force hits the next link in the suspension with full force, then it can reflect back through the other way like a ball rebounding off a wall. The result is that the force of one bump was still rattling around the suspension when the next bump came up.

WholesaleMopar.com sells the stabilizer bar bushings for $5 each. Does anybody else think this might be the way to go? For $10 + shipping, it can't hurt to try. The original bushings served me well for over three years. $10-$20 is a small price to pay for another three years. I'll check with my dealership first to see what they recommend. I HOPE my control arm bushings aren't shot as well.

EDIT: I just ordered new bushings from my dealership. They're coming down from Chicago and I can pick them up tomorrow after work. The service advisor I spoke to recommended replacing the noisy bushings. He says many customers ask for grease, and they just come back and complain about noise a few months later.

Wish me luck... I will post a follow-up this weekend.

T.J.

jdumont · **Posted:** Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:20 pm

I ordered two today and they didnt charge for next day shipping. Total was $8 and change.... prob a mistake but get in there while you can.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:51 pm

Some people have put grease zerks in the bushing bracket to keep down noises. Ive never gotten around to it, but I plan on doing it sometime. I already bought the zerks, just need to find the time to do it.

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

If you go through the trouble of removing the brackets and cleaning everything out then use grease. Silicone spray is fine if you want a quick (short term) fix and you don't want to take the time to take everything apart. Grease is a much better solution.

Video Guy · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:58 am

Skyjump136 wrote:

If you go through the trouble of removing the brackets and cleaning everything out then use grease. Silicone spray is fine if you want a quick (short term) fix and you don't want to take the time to take everything apart. Grease is a much better solution.

Skyjump, do you mean white lithium grease or silicone grease?

Ironically, this morning's commute -- even crossing train tracks in sub-freezing temperatures -- was nice and quiet. However, I still plan on replacing the bushings this weekend to hopefully nip this problem in the bud for a few years. The Parts Dept. just called to say my order was in.

Lube or replace stabilizer bar bushings?

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