Front Sway Bar Bushings?

[packman]

Is there an Energy Suspension part# for the bushings on the front sway bar for an '89 Country Squire. They have end links, but not the bushings that go into the frame on each side. I believe the sway bar on the wagon I have been picking apart is larger than the CV bar. I would like to snatch this bar and put new bushings on it. Perhaps I need to measure the bar and get some sort of universal bushing for that particular swaybar size?



Packman

[p71towny]

Shit, any parts store should have a couple of poly kits bushings and all for under $25. Just measure the length and go in and find the one that works. And yes, the wagon might have the larger hollow bar which is pretty much the same as the PI bar from what I understand. Its just to save weight I guess.

[87gtVIC]

What he said. I was actually surprised the other day when i went into autozone and saw quite a few products (endlinks etc) from energy suspension.

[gadget73]

Most of the ES bushings don't actually fit exactly right on a wagon bar. They have 1 1/8" and 1 1/4". I've used the 1 1/8 before, but I've also just gotten stock replacements that fit properly. Most stock replacements now are made of a thermoplastic thats damn near the same as poly. The bushings are just a generic piece, there isn't any vehicle-specific bushing for the sway bar.

[p71towny]

Orly? you talking the hole dia for the bushing?

[mrltd]

Is there an Energy Suspension part# for the bushings on the front sway bar for an '89 Country Squire. They have end links, but not the bushings that go into the frame on each side. I believe the sway bar on the wagon I have been picking apart is larger than the CV bar. I would like to snatch this bar and put new bushings on it. Perhaps I need to measure the bar and get some sort of universal bushing for that particular swaybar size?



Packman

FYI, that's the way it is for ANY SWAYBAR BUSHING, for ANY car.

[CheeseSteakJim]

Look up bushings on Summit Racing for a '92-'97 Vic. Not sure if there's ones big enough for a wagon bar but worth a look at least.

[1987cp]

Look up bushings on Summit Racing for a '92-'97 Vic. Not sure if there's ones big enough for a wagon bar but worth a look at least.

No, don't trust any vehicle-specific listings.

FYI, that's the way it is for ANY SWAYBAR BUSHING, for ANY car.

THIS is the only way to order your frame mount bushings! If you call somewhere like PST and order by phone, the guy on the phone will INSIST that you measure your actual swaybar before he processes your order. When I ordered ES bushings from Summit, I used a $20 digital caliper I got at AutoZone (they're more like $13 at Harbor Freight), or you can just span the bar with a crescent wrench and measure the opening with a tape measure. I got the greasable bushings like Mike recommended.

For the endlinks, just get whatever most closely matches the dimensions of your original stuff. I think mine used about 3" sleeves, and I got the larger diameter bushings.

[packman]

I'll see if I can get that bar off next week and measure it. I still have quite a bit of PB Blaster left to do the job. The wagon has the tow package, crossmember braces (one is severed), fender braces (which I snatched), but no rear sway bar.


Packman

[gadget73]

rear bars are not common. It came on handling package and police package cars only. Tow package didn't give any upgraded sway bars or anything like that.

[1987cp]

I'm still flabbergasted that wagons seem to have rarely, if ever, gotten rear swaybars. It's not like they have an extra 300 or so pounds of glass and steel waving around up in the air ....

[gadget73]

They were also marketed as grocery getters and herd haulers, not performance cars.

[1987cp]

True, I just figured that since at least some specimens had a truly horrific highway ride (constantly sawing at the wheel with the rear flapping in the breeze, and one college pal who liked big cars said my '87 wagon was about the only car he'd ever felt carsick in), people would be interested in a more stable ride from a comfort standpoint.

[gadget73]

A lot of people don't understand automotive handling, or how to change it. They just understand "feels bad". I'd bet a lot of people don't equate the crappy stock feel with the fact they did not opt for that handling package that was probably considered a useless option at the time. Honestly though, bone stock in a straight line you shouldn't be sawing at the wheel in a wagon. I've driven stock clapped out wagons that didn't do that. Bad rear and front suspension parts will do that, as will bad tires.

[1987cp]

Honestly though, bone stock in a straight line you shouldn't be sawing at the wheel in a wagon. I've driven stock clapped out wagons that didn't do that. Bad rear and front suspension parts will do that, as will bad tires.

Well, the Colony Park sure did it, though oddly enough, the considerably crappier '79 Country Squire did not. I did at one time drive the Colony Park a lot on a north-south portion of I-65 between Gary and Indianapolis where there tended to be lots of crosswinds, I don't suppose that could have contributed to the thing liking to dance around a lot?

Though admittedly, at the time it was running slightly inappropriate tires, the old BFG Touring T/A with its whopping 1-ply sidewalls! Whoever chose to install those on a 4000 pound car needs his head examined. Though I had in the meantime added my aftermarket rear swaybar, switching to Radial T/As did calm the thing down more than a little.