Sway Bar Bushings

Sway Bar Bushings – How to Change

It's true that many people decide that something on their car needs to be repaired just by the sounds that it is making. While cars are machines that are bound to make all sorts of different noises as they age, just like homes, there is some wisdom to the fact that a noise that sounds like something is wrong is usually an indication that indeed a repair is needed. Some systems of the car are set up in such a way that they can't really make noise when they're worn or broken, but the suspension is not one of them. When your sway bar bushings need to be replaced, you will surely be able to hear it.

If you're not used to doing your own car repairs before, all the sounds of the car might blend together into one big mysterious hum, but as you get better at isolating the sounds, you will be able to associate certain ones to the suspension and more specifically the sway bar bushings. If you notice that small holes or bumps in the road cause your wheel to knock or clunk when you drive over them, there is a good chance that your bushings need to be changed.

Despite what most professional mechanics will tell you, replacing the sway bar bushings yourself is a relatively quick and inexpensive process. Of course, if you've never looked underneath your car before and this is your first attempt at a car repair, it might take you a little bit longer. Replacement bushings for most cars will cost about fifteen dollars and will come in a box of two rubber bushings at once. It should be encouraging to you that there will be only two bolts that you have to remove from the car during this repair job.

First, you will need to jack up the rear end of your car and secure it so that you can work underneath it safely. This is usually accomplished with a floor jack in your driveway or garage. Once the vehicle has been lifted, you will unbolt the old sway bar bushings which will be located right in the center of the vehicle's sway bar. Remove the bracket and set it and the bolts aside somewhere where you will be able to find them at the end of the repair process. Pry the old bushings off and prepare the new ones for mounting.