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2000 CSVT swaybar bushing

M

MadDog

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Jul 27, 2012
Messages
618
Location
Augusta, GA
I decided to replace the rear sway bar bushings on my 2000 CSVT. It was a little squeaky going over bumps, and I had a set of bushings I got with the PRT sway bar link set. I was able to replace them under the way without too much trouble, but managed to bend up one of my brackets (the U shaped piece) in the process. It turns out that the sway bar can shift slightly up along the sub-frame bracket and when I tried to put the U-bracket back on, it shifted enough that I had to use a hammer and block to tap it back over the bushing. I thought it was a tight fit, but since the sway bar shifted slightly, I ended up bending up the U-bracket. So, FYI, if the sway bar is lined up correctly you should be able to get the U-bracket back on by hand.

To make matters worse, once I drove the car with the new bushings, the car is so squeaky I am about to lose my mind. After investigating, I realized the PRT bushings are for 18mm, not 19mm. [FACEPLANT]
So, I need a new set of bushings. Can anyone confirm that Energy Suspension 9.5123 is the correct 19mm part ? The ES website says this is for the front, but the pics make it look like for the rear.

thanks,

Mad Dog
 
Amazon should have it here by [squeek] tomorrow. Then I can hit the [squeek] junkyard on Friday and restore whats left of my sanity [squeek squeek] by end of the Friday.

thanks,

Mad Dog
 
Bummer. ES #9.5123 is not it. The external dimensions are too big to fit the U-bracket. BAT doesn't sell 19mm bushings anymore. Moog doesn't have the 19mm. I need to keep looking. Or maybe I can sand down the outer bushing until it fits. Its still a bit wide, so it might not fit because of the locks. Or I can use the 18mm and widen out the center of the ones I have ?

Mad Dog
 
$(*#)(%*#)(FEOIH)#NCCN)WI(U)(*_)@)#*$ I can't be the first person to have said "the 1-bolt swaybar bushing bracket design stinks". When I put on the new bushings (18mm, unfortunately), one side went on with no problem at all. The other side gave me (is still giving me) no end of trouble. I tried 4 different U brackets and all struggle to get over the problem bushing, even when I use some silicone spray on the bushing. Good thing I picked up extra U-brackets at the junkyard because in the process of trying to get them over the problem bushing, I bent all 3 out of shape. So, I surrendered, and put the old bushing on. For the other (not-problem) side, I took the bushing off, and put on some of the Energy Suspension grease. So far, the car is not squeaky.

So if I had to guess, the manufacturing tolerances for bushings are not that great and the problem bushing is just a bit too big to go under the stock bracket. The problem wouldn't be so bad if the car came with the more typical 2-bolt bracket.

Mad Dog
 
Well I used these ES bushings and had no prob when installing them on my 'Tour with the 19mm SVT bar. Of course I took measurements of the bracket and used this in comparison to the ES link above.
 
No Title

Either they sent me the wrong part, or ES changed the part. The inner diameter is perfect, but the outer is just too big by far (I am using the stock subframe and brackets). I tried to sand it down using a drill press and drum sander attachment, but after over an hour of grinding I wasn't making much progress.

2 steps forward, 2 steps back

Mad Dog
 

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The problem is keeping the curvature of the outer side so it matches the stock U-bracket. When I did my grinding, I actually made a little jig that allowed me to turn the bushing smoothly against the drum sander. However, the polymer is really durable and its very slow going.

In the end, I really need to do the solo bracket mod on the extra rear subframe I have here. That way I can use the burly ES bushings and 2 bolt brackets. Like everything else, I don't know when I will get to that.

thanks,

Mad Dog
 
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