Sway bar bushing replacement 'How to'

[JackG]

I just installed a set of graphite impregnated polyurethane bushings on my 02 Jetta and thought I would share my findings since it took me a while to find urethane bushings for the 23mm sway bar.

The bushings are made by Energy Suspension part # 15.5106.G (http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/volks_wc.html)
and were purchased from Suspension Restoration (http://www.suspension.com).

Cost was $32 for parts and $5 for priority postal shipping (I received it in 2 days from CA to NY).

This kit is great for those of us with the 23mm sway bar. The kit contains sway bar bushings and end link bushings for both the old and new style of end links. Also included are long bolt and washers for re-installing the sway bar bushings.

The sway bar bushings were easy (as per the how-to), but the end links were a bit of a pain. I used the long bolts provided to get the sway bar bushing seated and then removed them and reinstalled the original bolts (a bit anal, I know....). I have the newer style of end link and found that I had to pound the old bushings out by setting the end link ontop of a large socket and hammered on the bushing with a smaller socket (used as a drift) ontop. Slicing the bushing flare ontop off with a razor blade helped a little. As for putting the new end link bushing in, I found I could do it with very large slip-joint pliers, but clamping it in a bench vise was much easier (the bench vise probably would have made removing them easier too, hind-sight being 20/20). Total time spent on this job (including rotating tires and adjusting tire pressure) was about 1 1/2 hours, taking my sweet time.

My car has 122k miles (35k since I bought it last year), and the front end has had a squeak for the last couple thousand miles. I replaced the front strut mounts and rear shocks last week - they were definitely wore-out, but it made no significant change in ride or squeaking. After installing this kit I was amazed at the change in the handling of the car. It now feels like it's riding on rails. This really tightened up the front end of my car, especially on hard cornering.

Did the squeaking stop? You didn't say and I am very interested as I have a squeak in my front end that starts when the suspension heats up and its driving me crazy. I'm hoping not to rip the whole front end apart.

 

[MikeS_18]

8Mx20 is just right. 16 is too short. Just bought some more today.

Does this also indicate the length of the bolts?

I was at the Depot and they had 8M x 20MM and they were 1 inch long. Is this correct???

Thanks!

 

[BlueCTTDi]

Mike - have you done this yet? I'm thinking of having IBW bring a set of bushings along with my konis this Saturday at Chill's.

 

[MikeS_18]

I have not. And while I would like to join, I will be driving from madison ct, to queens, NY to N. andover MA tomorrow and not able to stop by. dang it! at least I'll be dieseling away!

If you don't get them from IBW tomorrow, let me know. I ordered them and got two sets not realizing that impex sold them in pairs.

 

[STRANGETDI]

Do you guys know if a A4 Jetta GLI front sway bar (or rear for that matter) will be a direct bolt on For a 1999.5 A4 Golf?

 

[phat02jetta]

Did the squeaking stop? You didn't say and I am very interested as I have a squeak in my front end that starts when the suspension heats up and its driving me crazy. I'm hoping not to rip the whole front end apart.

Yes and no, the new parts had a different squeak (much less noisey) for about 2-3 weeks after installing them and then went completely silent. 30k miles later and they are still nice and quiet and tight.

 

[CinRG]

All,

Just wanted to let you know that I ordered these rubber bushings from www.busdepot.com. They were $2.34/each!!!! I couldn't find a part # on them but they appear to have the VW in a circle stamped on the side so they look OEM to me. This is a great price. I think TDIParts wants $28 for the pair.

When I got my suspension parts, Bus Depot was less $$ on most items than the other sites. Check them out.

I have no affiliation with them, just a happy customer.

Greg

 

[Dei_Solios]

I went to the Busdepot but I could not find the part. May be a link?

 

[justinperkins]

link it up

ditto the link request. figured I could find it on performance-cafe.com but they no longer carry the bushings.

 

[Wingnut]

FYI...more pictures just added to the beginning of this thread with how to replace the end link bushings too.

As for the part number for the kit I used, its a Prothane polyurethane bushing kit 22-1102:

 

[CinRG]

Bus Depot Link

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. To find the part on www.busdepot.com just put it in the parts search box. This is the link for the 1J0411314G bushing: www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=1J0411314G. I think someone posted that the T bushing superceded it.

Greg

 

[phat02jetta]

Did the squeaking stop? You didn't say and I am very interested as I have a squeak in my front end that starts when the suspension heats up and its driving me crazy. I'm hoping not to rip the whole front end apart.

Update on the Energy Suspension bushings for the 23mm sway bar: They lasted exactly 40k miles (no squeeking this time, just a knocking from the passenger side, the driver's side was still fairly tight). They lasted about as long as the strut mounts I had put in around the same time (passenger side also wore out faster than the drivers).

I'm trying the OEM's from Bus Depot this time, you can't beat the price ($8.99 including shipping).

The end-link bushings are still nice and tight (not much wear in that location, though).

 

[Tisey06]

Wing, where did you purchase the Red Poly bushings kit 22-1102?, and nice write up how to change them.

 

[Tisey06]

How can I tell what size my car is a 23mm or 21mm,thanks for all the info about how to change the bushings, I am new at this but I am learning.

 

[Wingnut]

Wing, where did you purchase the Red Poly bushings kit 22-1102?, and nice write up how to change them.

You can get it here: http://www.parts4vws.com/catalog/product_detail.asp?PartNumber=22%2D1102

But I think the description is wrong. The MKIV's are supposed to be 23mm sway bars, not 21mm.

 

[paramedick]

The MKIV's are supposed to be 23mm sway bars, not 21mm.

Man, I dunno. I'm seeing both sizes come into the garage to be changed. I'm having to stock both sizes so I'll always have the right ones.

 

[dabear95]

My 2002 Golf (made in Brazil) has a 21mm bar and had the smooth bracket...



Jason

 

[Wingnut]

So what does the size description mean? I thought it was the ID of the bushing aka the OD of the bar. I have never measured it, so I am just guessing here.

I know there are 2 kinds of bushings & clamps for the MKIV's. The smooth ones and the ones with the bumps. But they are still the same ID. Every MKIV I have changed bushings on I have used 23mm bushings with new clamps. I though the MKIII's had 21mm bushings as they have a thinner sway bar? I have some 21mm bushings and there is no way they are fitting on a MKIV sway bar.

Looks like I need some education on sway bar bushings.

 

[paramedick]

Looks like I need some education on sway bar bushings.

Nope, you're doing fine. Just be aware that the occasional car shows up with the 21mm swaybar. Odd thing is the new style bracket fits both sizes, so I only have to stock the one bracket (if they have the old style).

 

[Wingnut]

But the weird thing is, I used the Prothane kit that is supposed to be for a 21mm sway bar on my car which has a 23mm sway bar.

 

[Tisey06]

Does anyone know where I could get the longer bolt for the sway bushing? I have already ordered 1 pack of the poly bushings, and if if someone could tell me, what's the lenght of the bolt in order bolt it down with the bushing, thank you for all the reply, Let's go TDI,, TDI all the way

 

[davidlp]

I installed a set of the poly bushings anf they lasted a whole year before the squeaks returned. My factory bushings lasted three years. Hmmmm.

 

[Tisey06]

I just got done putting some poly bushings on my '06 GTO. I have used poly bushings in a few cars over the years and love them. I have seen some misconceptions here, so will add my two cents.
Poly doesn't deflect as much as rubber, so will give better handling.
Poly tends to "flow". This means that over time, it will deform. With sway bars, just check on them and tighten them after a few months, that's all.
Noise- yes, they CAN make noise. They don't squeek. Rather, they can make a creaking sound. The ones on my '96 Impala (a arm bushings) sound like an old mattress when it is freezing. But, sway bar bushings should be quiet if done right.
Some say that using grease will make them quiet. Yes and no. Any grease will make them quiet, but for a short time. Then they get noisy. The ONLY grease that should be used (write this down, kiddos!) that should be used is Energy Suspension teflon polyurethane grease. This will keep them quiet for years. It is thick, sticky stuff. It is pricey (around $5 for a couple of spoonfuls, plenty for sway bars), but it is awesome stuff. I even use it on interior plastic pieces (like door panals) to eliminate squeeking.
So, go ahead and get the poly bushings and install with the grease. Oh, and while poly can help the handling of the car in other areas immensely, keep in mind that there are huge differences in the quality of poly from different manufactors (hardness, noise, etc).


D. Clark Where do you get this energy suspension teflon grease? nice write up thanks.

 

[Tisey06]

Metal insert

I just took apart the old sway bushings from my golf, and I would like to ask anyone that has installed the poly bushings if the metal insert where the bolt goes in the old bushings needs to be inserted to the new red poly bushings? Go TDI"s

 

[Jettawolfs98]

Does this also indicate the length of the bolts?

I was at the Depot and they had 8M x 20MM and they were 1 inch long. Is this correct???

Thanks!

I have the same question? Can somebody clear this one, please.

I have a set of OEM bushings and a set of sway bar link from ecstuning.

 

[-=PYRO=-]

Tip the ball joint bolts are a bit longer and fit. Makes the swaybar bushings much easier to get in!!

 

[paramedick]

M8 x 25 are the size I use. Work well.

 

[sdeland]

Changed mine today with a set of poly's..

they are 21mm and not the 23mm which i needed.. using a 8x20 bolt worked fine but i still had to use channel locks to get it started.. it went easily though.. maybe with the poly's being too small they are wearing out quicker then the oems.. i also replaced the dog bones which were a pain in the a@@!! i reused the metal sleeve that was molded into the old lower dog bones.. it takes a little bit of elbow grease to get the rubber off of the metal sleeve.. i used a utility knive to make a couple cuts and then ripped it off using channel locks.. i then shaved the rest off with a utility blade. i used all the lube to make sure i would have squeaks in a few months but who knows my blazer has done it for years in the cold. well there you have it... they polys are listed for an mkiv but they are 21mm.. they seem to work on the 23mm sway bar but are a little tight..

Stan

 

[Doodledog]

Big Difference - So Glad I Tried It

I've got a NB with 92k miles on it and was convinced that I needed tie rod ends as I was getting some clunking when going over rough roads.

Then I stumbled on this thread and decided to try the prothane bushings. I got them here http://www.parts4vws.com/catalog/product_detail.asp?PartNumber=22%2D1102


After driving a week over my normal routes I now only have the sound of rubber tire meeting bumpy road instead of the clunking that I had before. It's a straight forward job and the parts are cheap. If you've got some front-end clunking noises you should try the sway bar bushings.

 

[bluenb1]

Ok...so I've got a 98 NB. Are the chances good that I'll need the new clamps as well? (I'll admit, I'm sitting at work and haven't looked yet) If so, where did you get them? Dealer item? I checked TDI parts and they don't seem to come up.
Later, J