No, the bar pushes left to right in the bushing. To be clear: The sway bar is a long bar with bends in it to fit around things like the engine. The sway bar bushings are just "rubber" inserts in U-clamps that hold the sway bar "down" to the frame. When you turn the steering wheel, the sway bar links move around, that's why the joints wear out. One of the ways they want to move the sway bar is up & down; that is the sway bar bushing's job, but allow it to flex, and incidentally back & forth. It's the back & forth that I theorize about.

If you look down inside the hood pass. side, have a helper turn the steering wheel, and push up & down on the fender. You can sort of see the geometry going on, also take a wheel off and watch the movement of the sway bar & and the sway bar links when the steering wheel is turned. It is an incredibly complex set of movements!

Once again, I have not done the job. I just noticed the movement by accident, while doing a completely different procedure (flushing the radiator).

 

hey don , thanks i wanted to tell you that the car is lowered to it actually sounds like the spring but i dont know i have to get into it next weekend the car sits all week thank god for company cars looool