Sway Bar Bushing Replacement

[Lvnmarks]

My front sway bar bushings have been bad since I bought my TC 3 1/2 years ago (50,000 miles). So I finally got around to replacing them. Typically you can just put a socket on the nut and remove the bracket, if you have a southern car. Since mine is from the rust belt mine broke loose and spun. The bolts are just held captive by little metal clips which broke as soon as I started to try and loosen them.

So here is how I went and replaced them, I went a little overboard on the job but I had easy access at the moment so I said why not.

Tools:
1) Grinder/Cut Off Tool
2) 3/8ths Ratchet & socket to fit the nut
3) Anti Seize
4) Razor Blade

I first tried to just loosen the nut on each stud but after that failed I ended up just cutting off each nut. to remove the bracket. If I were to do it again,one nut would have to be cut off and the other some what loose, because then you can slid the clip out off the frame and remove the nut from the stud on a work bench.










This picture Is stolen from another site but these are what the holes look like after the clips have been removed.





Here are what the clips from Ford look like new, I went the cheap route and purchased the nuts
from a local hardware store instead of the dealer.

 

[Lvnmarks]

Since I had to cut the nuts off the stud I inevitability cut into the bracket and weakened it, so I sand blasted the brackets and welded the cuts back up. Then I ground the welds down and cleaned up the frame were they mount. Before reassembly I hit everything with a coat of paint and "bathed" the new studs in Anti-Seize before I reinstalled.

 

[Lvnmarks]

Re-installation was fairly easy, just cut the old bushings off with a good razor blade and install the new ones which all ready have a cut notched into them. The new clips (covered in Anti-seize) held good as I tightened the nuts down.

 

[Lvnmarks]

Some side notes, I purchased my bushings through rock auto but they were the wrong size. Luckily the local parts place had the set I needed with my bigger bar. The clips are part number N806729-S436 and come in a package of 4 from FORD but again, I just got the nuts from a hardware store.


The Old vs. New Part.




For future reference the stock front bar is 1.093" (or 28mm)