If anything the SS has the longer links, as far as anyone will say. But, I think that the 12" are really mis-labelled Cobalt parts. I could not feel any difference while I had 12" on, I just went back to 10" since I am basically rebuilding the entire suspension.

 

anyone know if the ,what i call CENTERING SLEEVES(that limit lateral movement of the sway bar) are available seperately from chevy..??...or only if you buy an entire sway bar. how are they affixed to the sway bar..?? they're plastic and become brittle and crack over time.

 

take this opportunity to ask.
You guys are talking about "lubricated bushings." Why stabilizer should move left and right? What is the advantage? We in Russia believe that the stabilizer should be fixed, bushings must hold fast to it. On the other hand, I trust the Americans when it comes to using an American car.
Please explain this to me.
And more. I ordered the bushings, they were delivered. But the weird stuff. bushings are slippery to the touch, feel - they are made of black paraffin or soap. I scraped them with a knife, I got a white wax shavings. I thought - this is a waxy coating, but mistaken, in the depths of that same white shavings.
Before, I only saw the rubber bushings. What is this stuff? Good product or junk it? My stabilizer is not fixed and it worries me.

 

Even the stock "rubber" bushings allow the sway bar to shift laterally. I personally I do not see any advantage to lubricating them. The ONLY reason I can think of is so they don't wear out before they rot at about 200K Miles. The bushings job is to create a fulcrum (hold it down), not to restrict any axial or lateral motion. Did I get the motion words right? In other words, the bushing allows the sway bar to twist and move side-to-side, but does not allow it to up and down.


The purpose of the "sway bar" or "stabilizer bar" is to damp the up/down motion of the suspension at a controlled rate. I.E. a transverse spring, sort of. So, left/right motion does not really matter, axial motion is all that really matters and should be unfettered (OK, an argument for lube).


Anyway, as long as the bushing keeps the bar pinched down to the frame member all is good. Worn bushing allows banging around, not good constant fulcrum.

 

On my 2008 LT, the limiter ridges seems to be forged into the bar. They are on the inner side of the bushings. I could not really see them, but it seemed to have been a part of the forging.

Come to think, maybe the control arm contact came from the Monroe strut problem you had?

 

on my 2006, the "limiters" are definately (hard) plastic and are held to the bar by ????? andyway. spent more time yesterday and today under the HHR...one of the limiters is cranked (left side) and the right side limiter is held fast...with the aftermarket greasable bushings, when i shift the bar completely to one side, it leaves 1/2 clearence between the limiter and the adjacent bushing. this 1/2 inch, with the wheels at full droop, alows the bar to contact the control arm...on either side when the bar is slid to the oposit end of it's "limited" travel. so, to cut this lateral travel down, i loosten the bracket screws and forced the bracket(s) inward while tightening.this took abot 1/4(total) out ot the bar's travel. this little bit was enough to cure the bar/control arm contact problem.now, just concerned about the cracked liliter(on the drivers side)........guess i'll see if chevy sells the limiters seperately............sure aint gonna buy a complete sway bar.......

 

maybe just a hose clamp? either over the plastic or instead of it.