kmcrae476

Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to replace the front sway bar bushings yourself? I have never worked on suspension parts before, but am mechanically inclined and capable. My local reparir shop wants $67.00 plus parts to replace them, and I am wondering if it's worth it to do myself and get familiar with the front suspension since I will probably have to replace them more than once during the life I own the car. Any advice or pictures of the process would be greatly appreciated.

stanvalp

the sway bar runs across the top of the k-frame. i saw mine up on the hoist when haldimand did my sway bushings. the mechanic said a couple of the bolts were hard to access. not an easy task with the car on ramps in your driveway but not impossible. you just have to hold your tounge the right way.

jay loukakis

I bought the MOOG regreasable and had Midas install guoted $40.00 but it was more difficult than they thought and charged me $60.00, would only do it myself if I had a hoist.

843de

To echo Jay, go with the MOOG bushings than can be greased, and consider having the job done for you....did them on the '06 myself....never again will I try that without having my head examined first.

kmcrae476

Do you guys have the part number for the MOOG greaseable sway bar bushing? I have an 06 2LT with 2.4Liter (FE3 suspension).

Zagohhr

Wheel, I did it myself. Here are the instructions:

1. Jack the car on the front, and remove the front wheels.
2. The bushing are inside a metallic shell, holding the sway bar. You´ll need to remove the nuts and screws. You´ll requiere a 15 mm socket and other of 10 mm.
3. Remove the shell and then remove the lower nut of the sway bar link. Could be the nut attached to the strut or to the sway bar. You´ll require a 18 mm socket and WD40.
4. After this, you´ll be able to remove easily the bushing from the sway bar.
5. Re-install.

It´s not really hard, but you need to have some skills, and also, BE SURE THAT THE CAR IS LIFTED WITH STAND JACKS.

jay loukakis

I made an error. the bushings I had replacede were bought from energy suspensions part number 9.5161 universable-greaseable swaybar bushings in. / 25mm black grafite gty. 1 as they come as a pair $15.99 plus shipping.

marcsmith

old thread but had the thunk. and did the sway bar links. ordered from moog..they were about an inch longer than the one I took off. no rubbing or clearance issues... so I left em in place.

Still have the clunking, but I did look at the sway bar bushing and they are shot at 40K...

so maybe later this week I'll get the bushings installed...

marcsmith

got the car up in the air and did the sway bar bushing. not sure how Alldata came up with a book time of 1.2 hours for both sides it was closer to two... and not really sure why the Gm dealership wanted to charge 275 bucks to replace them???

I will say if you have a twelve year old who can get their hands into tight places hire them...

it wasn't a difficult job, but a couple nuts you had to loosen 1/4 turn at a time... I guess I could have put a socket together that used 2-3 universal joints but somehow I figured I'd still end up busting knuckles and cussing the engineer at GM who decided that putting the sway bar above the frame was a good idea???

Oh well in any case...its done and the clunks have all but dissipated...

donbrew

GM wants that much money because their procedure is to drop the frame so you can use air tools on the nuts. Really!

You probably should send the 12" links back and get the "right" ones. 10" is the correct length, the parts books ASSume that all Cobalt parts interchange with HHR.