Sway bar bushings

[Awesomeness]

I've ALWAYS stood up and stated support for anyone making products like that.

Where I ridicule and point is at the vendors who purchase this crap at auction for $100 a pallet of 10,000 and then mark the individual items up to $100/ea. I give zero f''s about "supply and demand, capitalism at work", and all the other excuses when I see a blatant case of ripping the community off.

I'll shout it from the rooftops every time. And I'm far from a new member here or anyplace else I frequently point out such wallet rape of the surplus community.

But I fully support vendors who make their wares (I always have). People like you and Plasa who actually MAKE their stuff get my money and my praise. Someone who is just in the flipping business of buying a pallet of crap with an NSN then making it up 1000% and 5x what the equivalent civilian commercial truck part cost....well, they don't get much support from me.

Bottom line in this case, if you or someone else makes these I''ll buy them. Hopefully it can be done fur under $400 for eight rubber grommets, though. But if not, I'd rather pay someone making them than flipping them.

The upper bushings are smaller, and will require less material (and cost). Getting custom machined/lasered washers and spacers is another story, especially in small quantities (e.g. 100).

 

[Third From Texas]

The upper bushings are smaller, and will require less material (and cost). Getting custom machined/lasered washers and spacers is another story, especially in small quantities (e.g. 100).

Agreed. Much smaller compared to the lowers.

I known if can be done but who make their own washers?

I've always just gone to Lowes. Or f it's a specifically odd size, I go to the local Bolt Company (we're a refinery town and hardware like washers, nuts, bolts can be found in pretty odd sizes). If all else fails, Amazon sells just about every size and thickness washer that applies to most situations.

But on my truck and trailer, the metal bushing/spacer and washers are intact. I know on my other trucks and trailer were in the same state.

The only thing that needs replacing on any of the trucks/trailers that I've owned were the two pieces of rubber that make up the bushing.

 

[Third From Texas]

Geo brought up an interesting point earlier.

Is there any bushing for the lower forward connection point?

I know that there are busing in the upper rear hanger (this topic) as well as the lowers that stabilize the bar (that you sell and I fully recommend). But what about the forward lower pivot point? As best I can tell, it has no bushing and appears to be a solid part of the sway bar.

The ad for the uppers indicates that there is only one upper but what about the actual pivot point (that is forward/lower)?

 

[Awesomeness]

who make their own washers?

Automotive companies, and any kind of mass-production manufacturer really. To them, when they are going to make tens (or hundreds) of thousands, they'll just have a custom metal stamping die made to create the perfect washer they need, at a similar price to buying off the shelf washers.

You can call it a "custom, single-holed, circular mounting plate" if it gets your mind of it being a "washer". But if there isn't a similar suitable washer size available at McMaster-Carr, we have to custom make them. It looks like the ones in the picture above have been laser-cut (or perhaps really nice CNC plasma cut).

 

[Awesomeness]

Geo brought up an interesting point earlier.

Is there any bushing for the lower forward connection point?

I know that there are busing in the upper rear hanger (this topic) as well as the lowers that stabilize the bar (that you sell and I fully recommend). But what about the forward lower pivot point? As best I can tell, it has no bushing and appears to be a solid part of the sway bar.

The ad for the uppers indicates that there is only one upper but what about the actual pivot point (that is forward/lower)?

Yes, there is a pressed-in bushing and sleeve in the front eyes of the bar too, similar to what's in the eye of a leaf suspension spring.

(Ignore the red highlight... this picture was pulled quickly from my eBay posting for the lower bushings.)

 

[coachgeo]

Yes, there is a pressed-in bushing and sleeve in the front eyes of the bar too, similar to what's in the eye of a leaf suspension spring.

(Ignore the red highlight... this picture was pulled quickly from my eBay posting for the lower bushings.)
View attachment 887079

that's the one (#13) I had to burn out to remove the bar from the truck cause bolt would not remove, hence why i suggest replacing the bolt with one that has built in Zerk for grease. IMHO that one you could create a fixture to hold a too long metal sleeve centered in that part of the swaybar.., add sealed card board base, coat inner walls and cardboard with mold release, pour in 90? durameter poly. once dry.. do same on other side. Once both dry. trim down the metal sleeve. guess you could do both at same time; not much more work to jig it up for that. might could do with correct length sleeve too.. just think to long/cut later would make it easier to create jig to center it before pour.

ps.. if i recall right.. there is no part number for that bushing. my guess is because it is inserted or poured at factory by who makes the sway bar. so it never was a separate insert-able part in reality. again if i recall right.. am wrong often (..times a day) so check. Advantage if I'm wrong is with the military part # you might can find a drawing with measurements.

 

[Third From Texas]

Automotive companies, and any kind of mass-production manufacturer really. To them, when they are going to make tens (or hundreds) of thousands, they'll just have a custom metal stamping die made to create the perfect washer they need, at a similar price to buying off the shelf washers.

You can call it a "custom, single-holed, circular mounting plate" if it gets your mind of it being a "washer". But if there isn't a similar suitable washer size available at McMaster-Carr, we have to custom make them. It looks like the ones in the picture above have been laser-cut (or perhaps really nice CNC plasma cut).

It was sort of a rhetorical question...

The equipment to stamp or laser cut washers is not a common toolset found in most people's garages. If I need a washer, I go out and purchase it. Washers are surprising inexpensive. Making them can be done, but most people I know would just go to Amazon and purchase the correct size. But some do in fact purchase the same washers for $50/ea from a vender as long as they have an NSN stamped on the package. Because mil-spec washers are super better...

 

[Awesomeness]

It was sort of a rhetorical question...

The equipment to stamp or laser cut washers is not a common toolset found in most people's garages. If I need a washer, I go out and purchase it. Washers are surprising inexpensive. Making them can be done, but most people I know would just go to Amazon and purchase the correct size. But some do in fact purchase the same washers for $50/ea from a vender as long as they have an NSN stamped on the package. Because mil-spec washers are super better...

I know it was rhetorical, but it just shows why you're having such a hard time understanding/accepting the pricing. You're still mentally comparing it to a washer you buy at Home Depot for $0.50. That's fine if it is a similar size, or common size. But in a lot of these assemblies, just because it looks like a washer doesn't mean you can actually find a $0.50 washer to the job, it may take a $5-10 custom laser cut part just to fit the same way.

Mil-spec washers have reasons they cost a lot. Material traceability, strict specifications for alloy composition and coatings, quality control requirements, destructive strength testing, and even military standards on how they have to stamp part numbers on them and the ink they can use. It all costs money, and they are absolutely "super better" because you can guarantee exactly what you're going to get. It's ok to say you don't need those things, but naive to say (or not be clear to others who are reading) about the differences. I have to cite all these standards onto all my design drawings, all the way down to NAS 850 which tells the manufacturer exactly what kind of plastic bag they have to use to package it.

Those custom laser cut washers in the kit above are already a "cheap" alternative to the mil-spec one. They make a lot of the actual mil-spec ones though, so there are economy of scale savings.

 

[Third From Texas]

Those custom laser cut washers in the kit above are already a "cheap" alternative to the mil-spec one.

Another reason to reuse the ones in my truck.

 

[Awesomeness]

Another reason to reuse the ones in my truck.

Absolutely! If you can reuse them, and want to, do it. I haven't taken mine apart, but if they are anything like my cab mount bushings, water got in there and sat and rusted them to death. My cab mount sleeve was so rusted I couldn't even get measurements off it... it was a brittle "cake" of layered rust that just crumbled.

 

[serpico760]

You know the bottom cab bushing it gone when you put the cab up and the flex step hits the tire, that’s how I knew they were shot!

Hmmm,
Mine hit my tire. Thought that was normal... I guess I need some bushings

 

[Third From Texas]

Absolutely! If you can reuse them, and want to, do it. I haven't taken mine apart, but if they are anything like my cab mount bushings, water got in there and sat and rusted them to death. My cab mount sleeve was so rusted I couldn't even get measurements off it... it was a brittle "cake" of layered rust that just crumbled.

The look pretty clean. And I was able to reuse the cab bushing washers and sleeve on the rear bushing point (A1R) which is most exposed to the elements.

 

[Third From Texas]

Hmmm,
Mine hit my tire. Thought that was normal... I guess I need some bushings

Throw some hockey pucks in there temporarily. Cheap and easy overnight fix. I've been running them as a lower for months now awaiting the bushing order to arrive. Inspection shows that they are holding up fine. Granted, I'd not use them as a permanent replacement (we had an old mechanic at the 4x4 shop whose head would explode when he saw that someone had used a hockey pucks to do a body lift and he would rant about how unsafe it was). It kinda stuck with me all these years.

In any event, the first order of OEM cab bushings should be ready soon. It's possible that their will be additional orders. And at least one "point of compass vendor" also sells them.

Lots of threads and video with tricks to get in there to replace them. The pass side is pretty much cake. The driver side is a bit more difficult and has a few tricks to make it easier to get in the hard-to-reach space.