AU front swaybar maintenance/replacement pictorial

[Silver']

This info is not quite right for series 1 AU's as they're different, but the basics are no doubt the same.

This is such a simple job that I thought I'd throw up a few pics that I took while I was at it to perhaps encourage someone to have a shot at this themselves. It doesn't take long, I spent more time cleaning the front wheels and brakes than I did on the actual swaybar change. The swaybar D-bushes are prone to knocking over bumps so even if you aren't wanting to put in a heavier bar as I am, this info could still be useful to change the bushes.

Firstly, don't do this without jack stands (or ramps) and be sure to do it on firm level ground.

What's going in - Whiteline - BFF21XZ, 30mm thick and adjustable between two settings: http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_detail4.php?part_number=BFF21XZ




What you get;



The new D-bushes are solid. I wasn't keen to cut them so I left them sitting on the warm engine's intake manifold while I jacked the car - this enabled me, with some difficulty, to slide them over the end blades of the swaybar.



They also come with grease that's very necessary. It also must not taste very nice as the dog took only a small sample!



This is your best jack stand positioning and why I removed the wheels - as wide as you safely can and under the lower arm so that the suspension is as close to driving ride height as possible. If you want do it the right way;
1. Loosen wheel nuts.
2. Raise one side on the jack.
3. Remove wheel
4. Place wheel under the sill at the front door so that if you jack fails you will probably not die.
5. Place jack stand as indicated in the below pic.
6. Let the car down onto the jack stand.



To remove the old bar, it's a 14mm nut on the swaybar link that you see in the foreground of the above pic, and then the two 13mm nuts that hold the D-shackle thingy in the background. The second last pic is a better one for seeing them.

Here's the D-bush fitted to the bar. You could also warm it in hot water to help soften it enough to get it over the swaybar end. It needs to be well greased and you'll note that the bush is designed to seal around the edges to keep the grease in. Hopefully you don't lose too much grease when sliding the bush over the end of the 'bar. I also greased the outside of the such but these fitted so snugly once tightened that I feel that wasn't really necessary.


A comparison of the bars showing relative thickness and also the length to the swaybar link. You always put an adjustable swaybar on at it's softest setting so I'll be using the hole closet to the end.



Another shot, trying to highlight the difference in thickness between the standard Series 2 TE50 bar and the new one. You can also see the wear on the old bar caused by it moving within the D-bushes. Unlike most of the bushes in your suspension that are thick and soft enough to flex across their range of movement, these are designed to 'slide' over the swaybar so the bushes do wear once the grease hardens - and that's when the knocking starts.


To refit to the car, fit the ends first and then place the D-shackles over the bushes that you slid onto the 'bar and tighten. As you can see, the dog is still standing so the grease hasn't killed her. Yet.



This is my glamour shot of the bar, though the background also serves to show that I really was responsible and initially fitted the bar on the softest setting;)


After a quick spin, my initial impression is that even on the softer setting it corners MUCH flatter now and the moderate knocking that I had over corrugations (particularly leading up to a roundabout just near home) is now gone. It will be interesting to me to see if I pick up any harshness or other downside to having a heavier bar as I've never fitted one to a road car before.

For anyone thinking of replacing their bushes only, if your new bushes are cut as the old ones on my car were then you won't even need to take the bar all of the way out - just undo the shackles, whip the old one out, clean up the inside of the shackle, lubricate the inside of the bush and refit.

Next job is the rear bar and that's no picnic on an IRS car so I'll leave it for a weekend.

Al.