Hi
I am changing out my rear sway bar bushings in the drop links on my 01 XJR today and I am trying to decide if its a good idea to grease the inner surface like it says on JTIS or not too that I have seen recommended for rubber bushes.

If the consensus is to grease, what is an equivalent to Castrol NTR? that I can use.

Also is there a torque recommendation for the top and bottom bolts?

 

Last time I bought polyurethane sway bar bushings, they came with silicone grease.

So your post got me searching, and it looks like silicone grease is compatible with all common rubbers :

eFunda: O-Ring Materials Compatibile with Chemical Silicone Grease

The stock bushings are probably butyl or nitrile rubber.

You often see silicone grease sold as dielectric grease :

 

Got a tube of Kleen-Flow brake caliper grease lying around? It's silicone grease.

Install stabilizer bar mounting bolts.Install but do not tighten stabilizer bar LH mounting bracket securing bolts.Install stabilizer bar RH mounting bracket securing bolts and tighten to 30-40Nm.Tighten LH mounting bracket bolts to 30-40Nm. Secure link arms to stabilizer bar.Tighten LH link arm ball joint to stabilizer bar securing nut to 60-80Nm.Tighten RH link arm ball joint to stabilizer bar securing nut to 60-80Nm.

 

Rubber grease is perfect.

It is also reccomended that all sway fixings are secured with vehicle in normal
on road position.

 

Conventional rubber bushings are designed to grip their mating parts and NOT slip. The rubber distorts in torsion as the suspension moves. Is there something different with this installation?

 

Thanks for the offer of the grease. I ended up running to crappy tire yesterday and getting a tube of synthetic grease designed for bushings.

I am glad I asked for the torque specs because what I had found in my searches yesterday was the 30-40Nm for the top bolt, but the bottom was 20-28Nm and is what I set my wrench too. I guess I am crawling under the car today to bump up the top bolt to 70Nm and the bottom nut up too 35Nm. Fortunately I did get the order correct but I did drive the car about 100km from my dads workshop home with the incorrect bottom torque.

 

For anyone coming along later, the answer to greasing according to JTIS:

1. Apply suitable lubricant to mounting rubbers.

2. Install mounting rubbers on stabilizer bar.

 

Conventional rubber bushes that are pressed in....yes, they opeate through a twisting action.
Anti-sway bar bushings operate in a different fashion, they swivel,
hence the need for lubricating.
I give mine a spray with CRC silicon lube evy once in a while as it lubes the bushes and helps stop deteriation.

 

This is not typical of most cars I've worked on. The bushings are designed to flex in torsion, not slide. Why else the recommendation to tighten them while in normal on road position?