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Bad sway bar bushings?


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Here is a photo, the bushings are held in place by two bolts (see circles), the slit in the bushing faces the rear of the car.. The bar does not come out, do one side at a time, get the car up so you can get under it and use a SAFETY JACK. You can see them from the wheel well also and may be able to do the job from the wheel well with the wheel off. The bushings are about $20 a pair (one each side).

post-3-1113496758_thumb.jpg

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I did the bushing replacement last year. You need to put it on jack stands and take the wheels off. The work (replacement is done from underneath) is not complicated but I believe I followed my Helms proceedure. I think that one of the steps was to not remove both bushings at once.(Sway bar drops ands you lose position)

I'm not a mechanic,but some of the people that claim to be aren't either. It is probably easier than doing all four brakes. I think the bushings totaled under $20.

Check my posts.

Kent

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Easier than doing all four brakes, is an understatement! Its a cake walk compared to the rear brakes and way easier than doing the front brakes.

It's 4 bolts going through 2 U-brackets! A monkey could do this job with one 13 mm socket and a 3/8" ratchet wrench, and that comes from someone who doesn't claim to be a mechanic!

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FGB,

I just changed mine last week. It was easy. Just remember that both wheels must be off the ground, or both wheels need to be on ramps. If you just jack one side of the car, it will load the bushings to where they would be impossible and or dangerous to work on.

When you take the brackets off, you will notice that the bolts are really long. This is so the bolts can compress the bushing as they are tightened. I removed both of my bushings at the same time. My swaybar had flanges on them. The bushings were next to the flanges, so loseing alingment of the bar should not be a problem. When you are ready to install the new bushings, you will notice that one of the corners is rounded more than the other. The rounded corner goes down and toward the front of the car. When reinstalling the clamps, make sure that the sway bar is centered and start the bolts. Alternate tightening the bolts to draw the clamp down evenly. On the drivers side you may want to turn the steering wheel to the left to retract the tie-rod boot. This will get it out of the way of the ratchet when removing/installing the bolts.

I would suggest the use of jack stands and remove the tires. Place the jack stands forward of the wheels so you will have plenty of room to work. I worked through the wheel wells and from underneath, as the situation called for.

Remember, use jack stands or ramps. (It will be harder with ramps.)

NO CONCRETE BLOCKS, PILES OF 2X4's ETC. Concrete blocks have a habit of breaking when holding up a vehicle. When they do, it will be without warning. Every year, I hear of someone maimed or killed because he didn't support the vehicle properly. :( Be careful and use common sense.

By the way, the nuts are shot welded to the cradle. So don't try to remove them. Just remove the bolts, the nuts will stay right there. (I know of one fellow that used an impact wrench on shotwelded nuts. <_< ) Not me. ;)

(I think that it took me longer to write this than the actual job takes.)

Britt
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$400 to replace two sway bar bushing is a crime. It's hard to tell if the old ones are bad. You won't know until you take them out. I did mine and the old ones didn't look that worn. Are you sure it not the links or the struts that is causing the problem. I think I paid around $14 for the two bushings at the dealer. Just make sure you get the right diameter and you keep the bushing centered in the bracket during installation.

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$400 does not sound right at all, the parts are $20 and at worst on a lift this is a 30 minute job, probably more like a 15 minute job with an air ratchet. Maybe they are not speaking about the stabilizer bar bushings.

I would expect the strut mounts to be $400. I can say this however, the job is SO small, that maybe they don't want to do it, and they throw out a high price, if you take the bait they win big.... Personally this is the type of thing that I would report to Cadillac Assistance but get it in writing first as they will deny it, saying OH we meant, control arm bushings or strut mounts or, or, or.... This is the reason GM has problems, service! This is the type of job that an apprentise should be doing, NOT a first class mechanic.

Print the picture I posted and show them the circled bushings, they are stabilizer bar bushings, there are two one on each side

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The sway bar bushings are a dealer only item. You can order them online from Brasington Cadillac in Gainesville FL, or you could go to your dealership, get insulted, <_< and have to come back later because they are not in stock. Your choice.

The other part that gives trouble are the swaybar links. These links look like small tie rods and hook the sway bar to the control arm. Look at about $90 apiece from GM parts and well over $120 from a "stealership". If you buy from Brasington, you don't have to pay sales tax, unless you live in Florida.

There are probably other places to buy GM parts from online, a search should show you any others.

I have always delt with Brasington, you fill out a parts request form, supply the make, model, year and VIN. They will Email you back a quote, complete with shipping costs. If you have a problem, there are two 800 numbers to call. They have always been very courteous and helpful.

http://www.gmotors.com/

Good Luck,

Britt

Britt
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Howyadoin,

I'm going to be doing this to my car next week. While I'm "in the neighborhood", are there any other checks/replacements I should pick up parts for?

Thanks!

-Mark P.

Salem, MA

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"Refined Sugar" - '96 SLS, 175K

"...the Caddy is dedicated to relentlessly -- and comfortably -- converting time into distance." -J.J. Gertler

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Howyadoin,

I'm going to be doing this to my car next week. While I'm "in the neighborhood", are there any other checks/replacements I should pick up parts for?

Thanks!

There is nothing else in the neighborhood except to check your links for looseness, Mike

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http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/swaybbct.html

You will have to measure your bar to buy from these folks.

Thanks Jim for the link to the poly bushings, I am going to put them on the front and back of my car.. I just bought a digital caliper that reads in INCH and MM so getting the correct bushings should be easy.. The greasable bushings look interesting.. thanks

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http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/swaybbct.html

You will have to measure your bar to buy from these folks.

Thanks Jim for the link to the poly bushings, I am going to put them on the front and back of my car.. I just bought a digital caliper that reads in INCH and MM so getting the correct bushings should be easy.. The greasable bushings look interesting.. thanks

Very good. But we really DO NOT need a pix of the caliper!!

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/swaybbct.html

You will have to measure your bar to buy from these folks.

Thanks Jim for the link to the poly bushings, I am going to put them on the front and back of my car.. I just bought a digital caliper that reads in INCH and MM so getting the correct bushings should be easy.. The greasable bushings look interesting.. thanks

Very good. But we really DO NOT need a pix of the caliper!!

:lol: Please? :lol: I'll keep it off my lap!

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