Give the folks at Energy Suspension a call...

http://energysuspension.com/

Part number 95161, for 1" -- 25mm grease-able, works in the LS/LT but I'm not sure of the part number for the 23mm SS sway bar. Hope this helps.

 

I just today attempted to replace the sway bar bushings on my 2008 LT. You really do have to drop the cradle in order to remove the 2 rear nuts. The GM inaccessability engineers worked very hard to make this job impossible!

The front BOLT on each side is no problem. The rear NUT does not have enough clearance to get off the stud. And the stud is really a bolt from the bottom of the frame.... but, a thin walled socket won't fit into the hole to get to the "bolt" side, and there is one of those "star" thingies on the other end (like on the top end of the struts). Evidently, they draw the "stud" bolt up through the cradle then attach the sway bar bushing then bolt the cradle onto the rest of the car.

BTW, the sway bar bushings are called "isolator, rubber, frame, sway bar" in MIL spec talk.

If I REALLY wanted to get those rear nuts off without dropping the cradle, and I had a lift...... Thank godS (lower case intended) for the INACCESSIBILITY ENGINEERS!!!

 

Found the right size for the SS it 23 http://www.energysuspensionparts.com...sp?prod=9.5159

When they get here this sound like a job for my favorite mechanic Chucky

 

Missed this earlier. I had these for about 80k miles on my last car, which was driven spiritedly on select weekends as well. I had the red poly ones, and the only thing you have to do is grease them about 2x a year, at least here in salt country. One set had the fittings but the other didn't, so I used a needle fitting inserted between the bar and the bushing most of the time. You can also disconnect the links, and work the bar back and forth to work it in. I decided that was too much work after doing it once in February... They start to creak when they need grease, so you will know when you need to do it. I'd get them again, though. They work.

 

The black ones are grafite molded in with a groove for grease, but I need struts now maybe next month?

 

I have the Energy Suspension black bushings. Had to have them greased after install, but so far no problems. Did'nt cure the noise problem I've been having, as the noise is comning from the top part of the strut. Will get to that before long. "Moon"

 

When we first got our HHR last spring there was some crunching noise that I was convinced was normal noise in the sway bar or maybe the struts.

Years ago my younger brother brought me a can of Permatex anti seize lubricant that has all manner of nice slippery thing in it.

http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut..._Lubricant.htm

Over the years I would always put a dab on lug studs and the area that my wheels fit on the hubs, it is terrific with the aluminum wheels that come on most cars now. A little goes a long way.

I took this magic elixir and painted it on either side of the bushings shown in that nice exploded view posted above and the noise is gone.

 

So I dropped the HHR off at the local shop along with the KYB struts, the strut mounts, end links and bushings...got a call from the mgr who said the existing end links and bushings were in good shape, so I gave him the go ahead to just change out the struts. The drive home seemed to indicate my "kachunk" problem is resolved. I'll probably hang onto the MOOG end links and energy suspension sway bar bushings since they aren't too expensive and the stocks are likely to go bad at some point.

 

Eric,

They are not hugely difficult to do just time consuming. You need the car up in the air with the wheels out of the way to reach in where they are and access em.

It is worth the effort, I'm pleased with the polyeurathane (sp) ones. It was the final puzzle piece to quieting the clunk in this 10cent front suspension design.

It handles and sounds pretty good these days.

QR

 

Give me a hint on how to remove the nuts on the rear of the bushing brackets. On my 2008 LT the "star" extension on the studs makes it so that you cannot get the nuts off, because of interference with the body (like less than a quarter inch). If the "star" extension was not there it would not be a problem for me.