So here is the odd thing; the Dorman part says it fits ALL years of HHR, is an exact replacement for OEM part #20902784, but on the Dorman website it lists the inside diameter as "23 mm"..... Why? very odd.

http://www.dormanproducts.com/p-7718...position=Front

 

A little confused here. Your bio says you have a 2LT. That should be the FE3 suspension.

Anyhow. You need to measure the swaybar to see if you have the 23 or 25mm bar.
Some of the earlier built models seemed to have the 23mm. Then GM apparently changed to the 25mm at some point. Nobody knows for certain when the change occurred.
So, just measure to be sure.

An FYI---23mm= .905 inches
25mm= .984 inches

 

My bio is wrong; I thought I had a 2LT, as it was advertised that way, but apparently in the 2006 model year alot of parts were "options" and I believe the FE3 was a factory option for the 2006 which the original buyer opted out on, as I have FE1 in the glove compartment. I will measure, but am 99% sure I will need the 25MM. Odd thing is that Dorman bushing states it is a direct replacement for the OE part but the site listed the diameter as 23 MM. The OE part number that both Oldblue and I linked SHOULD be for the 25MM. Hence my grand confusion.

 

I updated my bio btw. Turns out not even the auto parts store knows the diameter for that Dorman part; I may just go by the Chevy dealer and get an OEM set, as thats the only one that lists the actual size. They sell them for 8 bucks each which is steep but still cheaper to buy direct than pay for shipping. Pity.

 

Way too many books say ALL HHR. 2006 and 2011 were "grab one out of the bin" years. I still don't believe there is a difference between FE1 & FE3, maybe tires that's just my opinion.

Take a piece of string, wrap it around the bar, mark where it overlaps, measure length in mm; the do the Pi thing you learned in Grade School (hopefully). (Divide circumference by 3.14)

 

My early 2006/FE1 has the 23mm bar - definitely not the 1"/25MM one. I made the mistake of grabbing a set of 25mm bushings and installing them - big mistake - talk about clunks all the time.

I then threw in a set of 23 mm ones- energy suspension pn: 9.5159 (greaseable) - (alternative is 9.5115 (non-greaseable)). Major difference, and no clunks.

The progressive suspension units are commonly available at pretty much any auto parts store. I would not go back to using rubber GM ones.

If you try and eyeball the measurement with a ruler, it won't be at all accurate. There is not much visible difference between 23 and 25 mm - except once installed.

 

LS & 1LT were FE1
2LT was FE2

Since 2LT was an option, I guess it's safe to say the FE2 was an option, but only it you purchased the 2LT. Easiest way to tell is tire size. 16" was LS & 1LT and 17" was 2LT.

 

FE2? Cavalier? Camaro?

I still say the only difference to a human is really the wheel/tire size.

FE1 is "soft ride", FE3 is "sport", FE5 is "super sport".

 

Easy way to measure the swaybar diameter if you don't have a measuring gauge:
Large crescent wrench. Open the jaws until they just slip over the bar. Remove wrench, then measure the gap of the jaws.
Or, if you have a set of large open end wrenches, try those in the corresponding sizes.

 

Well the only place that had the 25 MM bushings was the local dealer and buying them was cheaper than having them shipped... from anywhere. They luckily fit like a glove and sure enough the old ones had 25 printed on them. I know since they are OEM rubber and will fail eventually, but lets hope that wont be for another 190,000 miles. Part number Oldblue posted was a perfect match! FE1 compatability confirmed. Also, I think donbrew is correct. FE3 and FE1 bushings and bar are the same; only the SS has a smaller diameter bar and bushings. All three have there own spring/ strut setup.