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OK, this job has a rep as a bitch. Just did mine, and want to pass on a couple of tips to speed things up. 4.2 engine, NA. Can't speak for other types. This avoids any disassembly except the tires and the fender shroud. You don't even have to remove the belly pan.
1. Get a right angle power wrench. 3/8th is fine, you can drop it to 1/4 when needed. Have several lengths of 13mm sockets and some short extensions for that miserable bolt on #18. Power wrench makes a big difference on the bolts you can reach with it.
2. Obviously, remove the wheels. Then the fender shroud screws, halfway back. T30 bolts. Fold both shrouds back of the brake discs.
3. #20, below, is easy with the wrench. Both bolts on the bracket are reachable and can be removed in seconds. Swapping out the bushing is easy. Took me 15 minutes.
4. #18, below, is a PITA. The wrench will likely reach the rear bolt; no problem removing it. Can take forever because of the damn front bolt access.
5. Front bolt has a fluid pipe right above it. Use a 13mm and what ever combo works to loosen the bolt halfway. It may take awhile if the best you can get is 1/4 turn at a time.
6. Push the #18 bracket up as far as it can go. Spray the bushing with a water soluble lube. Shove in a pair of sharp nosed vice grips and grab the top of the old bushing. Then rip the damn thing out along the swaybar. Mutter "ya miserable f$%#@er". No nicety needed. This saves a lot of work.
7. Put the new bushing around the swaybar. The opening faces forward. Lube again, position in right place, then push it in as far as you can under the bracket. Use a 3/8" extension and a hammer to evenly tap the bushing into place. There is a rim on the swaybar, so it only moves as far as it has to. Couple of little nubbins on the bushing top that should end up on either side of the bracket. If I had done this the right way at first, it would have been 30 min, most of which is coaxing the front bolt out halfway.
8. Make sure you position the rear bracket bolt right so you don't crossthread it. Crank down the rear halfway, then alternate to set the bracket tight.
9. Replace the swaybar links. You're there anyway. <10 min each, including torquing. 43 NM torque.
10. Button it up when done. Bushing bolt torque is 50NM, but you can't get a torque wrench in there on #18, so just crank 'er down. Do it on #20, 'cause you always torque when you can, right?
The 6 pages of instructions in the manual have you dropping the front subframe while you support the engine, blah, blah, blah -- looks like 3 hours work. Secret is two things: water based lube (like always....) and a good pair of sharp nosed vice grips for the bushing. Or regular needlenose pliers if you have a strong enough grip. No other coating needed on the bushing. Use only water based lube. This makes it a job you can do on jackstands in your garage.
No more "thunk" on bumps.
Good luck.
Last edited by panthera999; Oct 27, 2023 at 10:07 AM.
Definitely a b***h of a job. I wasn't able to torque that one bolt tightly, and it oosened over time. That allowed the bushing to walk out, so now I'm doing it all over again.
Follow up. The damn thump is gone, which definitely makes the hassle worth it. Surprising how not having a thump every time I hit any kind of an indentation in the road helps the car feel far smoother than it did before. Much quieter. More like what a gentleman's GT should feel like.
Definitely a b***h of a job. I wasn't able to torque that one bolt tightly, and it oosened over time. That allowed the bushing to walk out, so now I'm doing it all over again.
Hmmmm. Use blue or red threadlocker on the part of the bolt that's visible when loosened halfway. Then crank 'er down as much as you can. Should hold.
Fair enough: everyone has their own level of DIY. With this method, I'd estimate 60-90 minutes including time for a refreshing beverage of your choice. On a scale of 5, where 1 is changing your oil and 5 is rebuilding your transmission, this is a 2.
Fair enough: everyone has their own level of DIY. With this method, I'd estimate 60-90 minutes including time for a refreshing beverage of your choice. On a scale of 5, where 1 is changing your oil and 5 is rebuilding your transmission, this is a 2.
OK my friend rebuilding the ZF, I mean a full rebuilding, is off the 1-5 scale but point taken. The beverage of choice could quickly add nap time under the car, so some of us will have to factor that in. Nice write up. I've saved it for the spring.
OK my friend rebuilding the ZF, I mean a full rebuilding, is off the 1-5 scale but point taken. The beverage of choice could quickly add nap time under the car, so some of us will have to factor that in. Nice write up. I've saved it for the spring.
Ha! (It's a log scale, I guess.....) Good point. Maybe by "rebuilding" I'm talking about a basic drop the mecha and replace the 5 seals job....
BTW, 3 weeks later and the thump on speedbumps is still completely gone. Guess we have a cause-effect established.
Last edited by panthera999; Nov 11, 2023 at 07:28 PM.
Doing the swaybar bushings....
