Replaced Sway Bar Bushings - Amazing!

[gtobey]

While performing the service of my 2006 SRW 3500 Mega Cab with 70K miles, I noticed that there was a slight gap between the sway bar bushings and the bar itself. Upon close inspection, it appeared that the bushings had worn "egg-shaped", and as a result, no longer supported the sway bar as they should. I ordered the 33mm Energy Suspension bushings (ES_95186G) from Geno's and installed them last evening. My sway bar end links were still tight at the ball joint for now, so I purchased Moog K7300 kits for each side and replaced the bushings on the sway bar end links also.



If you haven't done this yet, don't wait! Order them and get them on there!!! There are lots of things to spend it on, but this is simply money well spent! I had no idea it would transform the ride and steering quite that much! No longer do I have as much "sway" in the front end, but best of all, it made the ride much quieter when riding over normal interstate bumps and washboards (all the "normal" things we drive over now that state budgets have been cut so much that our roads are worse than they ever were!). I found that I didn't need to "cringe" when anticipating going over railroad tracks anymore!



As far as driveability goes, it transmits less of the impact shock from bumps to the steering. That in itself is worth the small investment in parts and your time to have them changed. This correlates to feeling more in control of your steering.



I will eventually save to get a pair of the Maxx links from Geno's the next time I need end link bushings or when the ball joints begin to exhibit some looseness.



Check yours out next time you roll under your truck!

 

[JFought]

i went with the maxis. i not crazy about them.
i am about to order the BD ( i think) new kit. it allows one more pivot point.

 

[gtobey]

What was your experience with the Maxx links that is not right?

 

[Prairie Dog]

I have the Max too. Some have said that if you off road much where you can get some hard articulation, the Max links will break.
Since the BD parts aren't much more expensive I would go with them next time. They seem to be a much nicer built part.

 

[gtobey]

Thanks for the reply. That would not be good if they broke! Seems like that little ball joint would come apart before the link would break, but strange things do happen...

 

[JFought]

they hit my wheel well liner.

i believe the bushings are wore out.
i do get on very uneven spots pretty often.
i am going to order them tonight.

 

[brillmtb]

Thanks for the info. Since I have an 03 changing the bushings may be a goo idea now. My complaint is that despite two new shock replacements it seem that even the blue billsteens work for about a couple months then I feel like there is little dampening. Ranchos after a short time wore out and when I went to the billsteens I could move them in and out with my hands and I am no body builder. Anyone else with similar feelings.

Now the same blue billsteens I put on my Montero still feel great. I think that the companies are not spacing these right for our heavy trucks

 

[Prairie Dog]

No, my Bilsteins have about 10K on them and still work great. Sure made a huge difference over stock or the Rancho's I had.

 

[BHowayeck]

I installed some BD end links back in March. On my way home from the lake(on road)the drivers side broke. They look stout, not to sure?

 

[gtobey]

My bilsteins have been on there for quite a while, and still are performing better than the original shocks. I found that by putting the new sway bar bushings it helped the shocks to control the bounce while the sway bar keeps the wheels on the ground. When those bushings were worn, the sway bar would allow the axle to bounce up and down end to end while the bar moved up and down in the bushings and made noise into the steering and cab. Now all that is gone, the front suspension feels like new shocks are on and it's quieter.