Bob D Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Well, I'll get going on the Arnott struts and shocks, as soon as they're all here...Sruts arrived, shocks didn't... In the meantime, I'm getting a box of misc. parts together to tackle all at once. New ceramic brake pads all the way around, crossed drilled rotors?...I haven't decided yet. Also, (and now to the real question) I'm replacing all the stab bar bushings and end links with polygraphite replacements. The original stock ones aren't noisy yet as the car only has 85k miles on it, but it is eleven years old now and it's just a matter of time..that's seems to be a certainty. The discrepancy is, after much archival searching and reading are the bushing size for the 1993 STS... 19mm, or 23mm? I find information on both! There seems to be some reference that 23mm is not available front the dealer anymore, so some have made 19mm bushings fit. What is the OEM size? This seems to apply to 1993 only, as some changes took place again in 1994... I know I can crawl underneath the thing with a piece of string, but before I do that I wonder if any of you have first hand info of 1993 STS stabilizer (sway) bar bushing and end link diameters and after market replacements. You all know if I apply the 50/50 rule, and use my logic and just order them, I have a 90% chance of being wrong... '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Bob, I'd just take a few open-ended wrenches down there and see what the diameter of the bar is. If my math is correct, a 4mm difference is at least 1/4", so you should be able to quickly see exactly what size your bar is...either the 19 or 23. BTW, in '97, the STS was 23mm (front) and the SLS was 19mm (front), the exact two choices you gave. I'd be 95% sure on the 23mm bushings for your '93. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted March 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Yeah Jason, If I were to make a bet (which I may end up doing..) I'd have to wager that the STS has the bigger (23mm) stab bar. I'ts just that when searching the archives I find reference to both sizes on an early STS. Perhaps the poster was confused. I never had time to go poke around under the thing this weekend, too much other stuff going on. '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJPut Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 I just did mine but I forget what the diameter was. I believe they are 19mm. They are purposely smaller than the bar so the bushing can compress itself around the bar very tightly for better performance ( less movement) . Again, I am guessing but I think that they are 19mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 1mm=.0397" If I'm not mistaken the reference (19mm) is the diameter of the bar. rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97sts_oh56mann Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 Just bought the bushings for my 97 STS at the dealer, the tag in the trunk (under -side of the spare tire cover lid) has FE3 code, meaning the sport suspension, and the dealer part number for the bushing is 03545380 color code orange. I get the wheel off, and the stab bar looks fatter than the hole in the new bushings, so I get the calipers out and measure. The bar is .90 inches (23mm) and the hole in the bushing is .75 inches (19mm). So I take the bushings back, and tell them that they are the wrong size. After searching the computer for 20 minutes, they can find no bushings for a 97 that are 23mm diameter. Now it's time to talk to their Service mechanics. They say that the orange coded bushings have a smaller hole than the bar size, so it will pinch the bar tight and compress when the retainer is bolted down. (and to look for a sleeve colored orange wrapped around the bar near the end). Got back home, and sure enough, there is a strip of orange tape around the bar. Haven't gotten around to completing the bushing (insulator) job yet, will let you know the final outcome later, when I have time to finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted April 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 Just bought the bushings for my 97 STS at the dealer, the tag in the trunk (under -side of the spare tire cover lid) has FE3 code, meaning the sport suspension, and the dealer part number for the bushing is 03545380 color code orange. I get the wheel off, and the stab bar looks fatter than the hole in the new bushings, so I get the calipers out and measure. The bar is .90 inches (23mm) and the hole in the bushing is .75 inches (19mm). So I take the bushings back, and tell them that they are the wrong size. After searching the computer for 20 minutes, they can find no bushings for a 97 that are 23mm diameter. Now it's time to talk to their Service mechanics. They say that the orange coded bushings have a smaller hole than the bar size, so it will pinch the bar tight and compress when the retainer is bolted down. (and to look for a sleeve colored orange wrapped around the bar near the end). Got back home, and sure enough, there is a strip of orange tape around the bar. Haven't gotten around to completing the bushing (insulator) job yet, will let you know the final outcome later, when I have time to finish. Very interesting, mann. I haven't put all the parts together yet for the entire suspension project that starts with the Arnott shocks and struts. (Waiting in the boxes for me to find the time..) You may beat me to the conclusion of the bushing diameter, but it makes sense that they'd be 19mm, with the bar diameter being 23mm..Thing is, I am thinking about going to polygraphite materials for the stab bar bushings, and endlinks as well. That poly material may be REAL tough to do a 19-23 mm interference fit.. In any case I'll look forward to what you come up with, and I'll post the details and results of this project as soon as I get it done... '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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