So I replaced all four shocks on my 04 X(2WD). The rears were the originals and the fronts were 2 year old ranchos. This time I followed the advice of others on the board and got some Bilstiens.

The main reason I did this was for the past few years it has been riding way more rough than I remember when it was new. What I mean is its not so much bouncy when I go down the road, but I can feel EVERY bump in the road. Like I said I never remeber it being so bad when it was new, although my recollection might have been clouded by it being new.

Like I said it rides very rough. I never take it offroad, just street driving. If I drive over the smallest bump or crack in the road I swear the dashboard is going to fall off. Going over railroad tracks...forget it. My girlfriends Jeep Commander, and my work Trailblazer ride like heaven compared to my X. To put it perspective...I have one of those rubber mats that holds sunglasses and cell phones on my dash. When I go over a bump, they "jump" off the pad. It's getting to the point where I'm starting to resent the old girl.

Is there anyother component to think about changing out for a somewhat smoother ride.

What kind of tires do you have and what pressure are you running them?
Have you done any lift?

^ x2 ^ Per Fzzt comments

Check your front bumpstops, you could be resting on them..This is more of a possibility if you lifted or leveled out you trucks front susp..

Tires are BFG all terrain. Tire pressure is whatever it says on the door (33 I think) and no I never lifted it.

what size of tires? and you said you already replaced the shocks and you still have bump issues? can you dial down the stiffness on your bilsteins?

Could the torsion bars be worn out or maybe slipped so when he hits a dip he contacts the bumpstops? CMD is that what you were talking about?

@ Trexterra, I would have to go check but I think they are 265/75 R15's regular size I didnt put any big tires or anything.

Is there a way to dial down the stiffness on the shocks?

@Fzzt, I am thinking the torsions bars as well. Do you replace the whole bar or just the end links?

@ Trexterra, I would have to go check but I think they are 265/75 R15's regular size I didnt put any big tires or anything.

Is there a way to dial down the stiffness on the shocks?

@Fzzt, I am thinking the torsions bars as well. Do you replace the whole bar or just the end links?

Tires shouldn't be any problem then that's for sure.

I don't know about your bilsteins, my Ranchos have a manual dial on the side to adjust stiffness and it worked to soften up my ride a bit.

The torsion bars could be a problem, check your bump stops under the UCA and see if they are touching. Here is a pic of what it normally looks like

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs133.ash2/40001_553410479324_52302788_32221315_1433553_n.jpg

This is what my clearance looks like. Sorry not the greatest pic.

One thing that I notice which is different from your pic and what I would consider normal, is my lower control arm is parallel to the frame vice a slight downward angle. I don't know if that is significant. The vehicle doesn't seem to be sagging or look lowered at all.

You have a fare amount of room from your UCA and your bump stop. You should lift the truck up so that there is about a 1/2to 3/4 gap and see how it rides..
I think you may be hitting your lower bumpstop, try that and you should see improvement..

Lifting the front requires the steps of indexing the front end..

There is a "how to" on the DIY forum..

Re-index your T-bars. Here is the link to do it. It might help and is good to do anyway. Here is that link that CMD was talking about. Good luck!!
http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2554&highlight=reindex

I am assuming the problem is not with the shocks as my X rides smoth as silk on rough dirt roads.

Check for broken or cracked leaf?

X2 you have something else going on...

im guessing inproperly balance wheels. Do you have new tires on them or had them rotated recently.

Re-index your T-bars. Here is the link to do it. It might help and is good to do anyway. Here is that link that CMD was talking about. Good luck!!
http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2554&highlight=reindex

You may not have to re-index it..
Just index it.. Much easier..

you could pop the bump stops out and take it around the block and that will tell you if they are hitting... they look like it has good clearance though

Thanks for all the replies. I think I might try the index thing. Looking at the guide it almost makes sense because the way my LCA's are parallel with the frame which does not seem right to me. What mean is when you look underneath from the front I see this _._._
Should I just try to index them, or buy some new torsion bars since I will be doing the work? My X has 86k miles on it(don't know how long the orignals are supposed to last.

You may not have to re-index it..
Just index it.. Much easier..

Whats the difference?

This is what my clearance looks like. Sorry not the greatest pic.

One thing that I notice which is different from your pic and what I would consider normal, is my lower control arm is parallel to the frame vice a slight downward angle. I don't know if that is significant. The vehicle doesn't seem to be sagging or look lowered at all.

Well, the LOWER bump stop looks a bit close in the pic (Might be the angle?)...which would also make the ride harsh.

The front of the truck is supposed to be lower than the rear...most people thing that this is sag by the time they notice it...

If the truck looks level, and the front lower stop looks close, that might mean the REAR has simply sagged to the point where ITS hitting the bump stops.

Also - Depending upon the load range of the BFG AT ko's, 33 might be high, or OK, or low.

On the sidewalls, what does it say about load and max psi?

Take some pics of the Front LOWER stop clearance (If sagging, the uppper stop gets a BIGGER gap, and the lower gets a SMALLER gap, etc...)...

...and some pics of the REAR stop/axle clearance, and leaves, to also show how flat/arched they are.

---------------

While we're at it...WHICH Bilstiens did you get?

(The model # is on the shock - the front,and the rear shocks are of course very different, and will have different part #'s)

They come in several valving options. If, for example, you accidentally got the ones with 20% stiffer valving, to handle larger tires and a higher center of gravity, well, the ride WILL be more harsh....as you have wee tires and stock, or even lower than that, height.

:wink-big:

----------------------

Punch List:

1) Load range/PSI on tire sidewalls

2) Part #'s off of shocks

3) Pics of front LOWER stop gaps, and REAR stop to axle, and leaf spring pics...include rear shackles in pics.

4) Pic of truck from side to show overall rake, etc.

Whats the difference?

All re-indexing, and indexing do, is rotate the bar...they are really the same thing.

We tend to consider it RE-indexing when the bar can't be rotated any further, as the adjuster is all the way up into the cross member...and we take the bar OUT of the adjuster anchor, rotate it to a new position, and then re-insert it into the anchor.....to make more room to rotate again.

So, the X has a built-in adjuster...if you just use it, its indexing the bar...

...if you max that out, you RE-Index it, and then adjust again as before, rinse/repeat.

Its essentially like turning a wrench on a bolt under the hood...you turn the wrench until it hits something or you run out of wrist, etc...take the wrench off, and put it back on at a new starting point, so you can turn the bolt some more....

...That would be RE-indexing the wrench.

Just TURNING the wrench is the adjustment/indexing.

Make sense?

:wink-big:



PS - If you replace the bars...most of the aftermarket bars are 20 - 30% stiffer than stock....which can exacerbate your situation.

If the stock bar can be adjusted via indexing/re-indexing, I'd just do that.

Personally, I recommend taking the bars out even if you don't HAVE to, as they tend to get rust welded into the anchors...and this is a good time to take it all apart, slather it with anti-seize compound, and re-assemble it.

It takes longer of course, but makes all the times AFTER that a breeze....and makes sure you see what you have to work with, now.

The longer you go w/o removing the bars, the harder and harder it gets to get them out.

Sounds like I have a similar problem. I'm getting a lot of vibration/shaking with every little bump. Almost like there is no shock absorption. Also, feels like its mainly in the rear. I can visually see the passenger seat vibrating and the ride quality is poor, especially at high speeds (60-70 mph). I had the tires freshly rotated/balanced and dropped it off at the local dealer. They could not find anything wrong with the suspension or alignment. They initially said it was driving fine, but did agree with my observation after we took it for a joint spin around the block. They just don't know what to do about it. I will check out the stops today. Just wanted to post about a similar issue. I should note that I pull a pop-up trailer and it seems to be worse during towing. One other thing, it seems to "shimmy" and vibrate a lot more in a turn with bumps in the road. Sort of like riding on a gravel road. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Robert

Hsv... has your X been offroad or in mud? My X began riding something awful over the past couple of months. Had an alignment, balance and rotation done last weekend and it took care of everything. I had the same symptoms you describe as the passenger seat shaking almost violently as I would drive. The tire shop had to break two of my wheel studs off and when they removed the rotors to replace them, there was mud caked inside of the rotors that they said could have been a factor in the ride quality. They cleaned them out and my X rides factory smooth now.

Do you have a lot of play or shaking in your steering wheel? I would also inspect your upper and lower ball joints on the control arms as well as all of your steering linkage. A bad ball-joint at any of the links can really create some wobble and rough rides.

BTW... going by your screenname, are you in Huntsville, AL?

I just installed Bilstein shocks and it rides smooooooth :D

Drake, yes I am in Huntsville AL. My X has never really been offroad except for gravel/dirt type roads in the smokey mountain parks. No real mud type environments at all. There is no vibration or shaking in the steering wheel and have not noticed any play. The vibration is not constant. Seems like it is associated with bumps in the road and not just the big ones. Thanks for the response.

Based on all I have read online, sounds like I should replace the shocks regardless. Everything right now is factory with approx 94,000 miles.

I'm in Huntsville as well. The factory shocks are... well let's just say they aren't that good. :) I would definitely recommend upgrading to Ranchos or Bilsteins.

Are the shocks an easy DIY job?

The rears are cake. I did mine in my driveway in about 25 minutes and didn't even jack up the rear. The fronts are a little more involved but still not a major hassle by a stretch.

Thanks Drake. I just found a nice write up in the how to as well. Looks straight forward. I'm going to give it a go.

Just finished installing the Bilstein shocks from 4x4 parts. It was pretty easy. Did not even have to remove the wheels. Front ones were a little difficult to get in the slot, but not bad. Ride is smooth! Thanks for the input!

:thumbsup-big:

@ TJTJ Sorry it took so long to reply. I have been without internet for a few weeks. Here are some pics.

These are the part numbers from my order from 4x4parts

2 x Bilstein Rear Shock (SPKBX2WDNLRR) = $122.00USD
2 x Bilstein Front Shock (SPKBX2WDNLFRT) = $122.00USD

This problem is really starting to get on my nerves. If I go down the road at 65 and hit a bump I will be airborn for a split second and if this happens in a curve I will even screw sideways ever so slightly so I know something is not right.

Again just to clarify, I never take it offroad and everything but the shocks are still stock? 87k miles. I know it could use an alignment but I have a hard time believing that is the only problem.

I have the same problem with the vibrating passenger seat. ha.
I also have a strange problem, (that I think the the t-bars), but my front end seems to ride harsh. Like if I hit a bump, the front end will absorb it, but pop back up very quickly and harshly. Especially speed humps, which you could normally do about 25-30 over, i have to slow down to about 10 or 15, seems like the front it is very tight. So I'm thinkin the t-bars are cranked to much, i have the 3" lift, with bils and sway-a-way.

@ TJTJ Sorry it took so long to reply. I have been without internet for a few weeks. Here are some pics.

These are the part numbers from my order from 4x4parts

2 x Bilstein Rear Shock (SPKBX2WDNLRR) = $122.00USD
2 x Bilstein Front Shock (SPKBX2WDNLFRT) = $122.00USD

This problem is really starting to get on my nerves. If I go down the road at 65 and hit a bump I will be airborn for a split second and if this happens in a curve I will even screw sideways ever so slightly so I know something is not right.

Again just to clarify, I never take it offroad and everything but the shocks are still stock? 87k miles. I know it could use an alignment but I have a hard time believing that is the only problem.

1) Remove your rear sway bar...in your pic, it is up against your rear passenger side shock...this is how the sway bar breaks the shock.

2) The the bar also jams your travel, making your ride harsher.

3) You got the regular 2wd shocks, not the upgraded ones we always recommend...so you have less travel and different valving.

I have the same problem with the vibrating passenger seat. ha.
I also have a strange problem, (that I think the the t-bars), but my front end seems to ride harsh. Like if I hit a bump, the front end will absorb it, but pop back up very quickly and harshly. Especially speed humps, which you could normally do about 25-30 over, i have to slow down to about 10 or 15, seems like the front it is very tight. So I'm thinkin the t-bars are cranked to much, i have the 3" lift, with bils and sway-a-way.

Yeah, that's what it sounds like.

You might want to measure your upper bumpstop gap and see what you have...

Some people get away with 1/2", some need 3/4"....that bouncing is what is associated with too small a gap.

If you have the 30% stiffer SAW bars, some people find them harsh, some prefer them over the 20% versions, etc (A personal preference...whatever works for you).

:D


I see you list a 3" SL...but I don't know what its made of.

Some ride harsh, like the Rancho single leaf AAL, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a longer shackle to soften it up, etc.

Generally, the more leaves, if they are each thinner, allws more flex/a softer ride for the same weight support...

...as more thin leaves can allow the pack to flex more progressively, and fewer/thicker leaves make the resistance the hard for the entire length of wheel travel - as its just bending one piece of thicker steel, etc.

What 3" SL did you install, what options/what shocks, etc?

You mean remove the sway bar completely?

The guy at 4x4 parts told me those were the only shocks that would fit a 2WD. Plus I'm not willing to drop another $200+ for something that might not correct the problem. So I didn't get the top of the line bils, but You would think even some cheapo run of the mil shocks would improve my ride somewhat right?

What 3" SL did you install, what options/what shocks, etc?

It was the AC SL. UCA and regular bils as far as I know.
I have no idea about the 30%/20% t-bars?
and for now I just have a single aal with the bils that came with the kit.
still waiting for the 3 pack...but I'm not having a problem with the rear.
just the front. it rides okay, just seems bouncy and stiff.

When I had it aligned the guy told me they were cranked up alot, so thats probably what my problem is. The front is much higher than the rear. Which idk if thats because of the single aal, or to much t-bar cranking.


Might be a dumb question, but did I have options when you order kits from them? I bought it as a kit so I didn't think I really had options.

Are these the correct shocks? 3" lift plus 20% damping? I'm replacing mine asap....

SPKBXLFTFRT
https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/bilstein-front-shock-p-1924.html

SPKBXLFTRR
https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/bilstein-rear-shock-p-1925.html

You mean remove the sway bar completely?

The guy at 4x4 parts told me those were the only shocks that would fit a 2WD. Plus I'm not willing to drop another $200+ for something that might not correct the problem. So I didn't get the top of the line bils, but You would think even some cheapo run of the mil shocks would improve my ride somewhat right?

I would not remove the sway bar. It does not change the ride quality you are feeling. TJTJ is right in that it hits the shock. This is easy to remidy by "sliding" it slightly to the drivers side (I think thats the side, I haven't had one is so long I forget.)

Shocks, Bils are what everyone seems to like/recomend at the moment. They are good shock, I've had several pair. They are however (IMHO) meant for harder use, and thus "stiffer" than a "stock" shock.

I will probably get flogged for this, but oh well. After reading through the whole post, there is a ton of great info......for a modded X. Not for a stock street driven X. For your vehicle I would strongly recomend stock shocks. Either factory replacements, or find out who makes the factory shocks and buy them direct. The Bils are just to stiff for you, thus you are feeling the "harsh" hit.

That is the best advise I can give without seeing the truck. On a plus side, if you do decide to get another set of shocks you should be able to sell the Bils for close to what you paid.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos
:bubblegum-big:

I would not remove the sway bar. It does not change the ride quality you are feeling. TJTJ is right in that it hits the shock. This is easy to remidy by "sliding" it slightly to the drivers side (I think thats the side, I haven't had one is so long I forget.)
It'll just slide itself back over... Sway Bars are pretty much self-centering so whatever caused it to slide over there in the first place will cause it to eventually end up back over there again... You can literally put one in cock-eyed and it'll work itself back to where it was originally, unless there's something on the bar that holds it in place against the brackets...


Shocks, Bils are what everyone seems to like/recomend at the moment. They are good shock, I've had several pair. They are however (IMHO) meant for harder use, and thus "stiffer" than a "stock" shock.

I will probably get flogged for this, but oh well. After reading through the whole post, there is a ton of great info......for a modded X. Not for a stock street driven X. For your vehicle I would strongly recomend stock shocks. Either factory replacements, or find out who makes the factory shocks and buy them direct. The Bils are just to stiff for you, thus you are feeling the "harsh" hit.

Aren't the Bils HD series a bit softer than the 5100 series??

New sway bar bushings (the ones in the brakets, not the ends) will prevent this. And should be changed on a regular basis anyways. My sway bar, when I had it, never hit the shock. Don't get me wrong, I think removing the sway bar for an offroad rig is nessesary. But for for a truck that does not go off road it's pretty dumb. It does nothing but make the suspension worse.

A quick search on the Bilstein site shows me they do not sell an OEM shock for the X, only a HD (heavy duty). I believe you just have the wrong shocks.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos

Aren't the Bils HD series a bit softer than the 5100 series??

Yes, they are softer then the 5100's, but still much stiffer than the OEM.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos

New sway bar bushings (the ones in the brakets, not the ends) will prevent this.
How do they prevent it?? Is it worn bushings that cause it in the first place?? If you stick a pole into a polyurethane hole and that pole is constantly twisting, there has to be some sort of notch, groove, or something that keeps it from sliding further into or out of the hole, it will slide as it rotates until it finds it's center of balance...

I've intentionally put my sway bar in a little lope sided to watch it re-center itself... Just wondering if the rear sway bar or bushings on an Xterra is designed different...


... A quick search on the Bilstein site shows me they do not sell an OEM shock for the X, only a HD (heavy duty). I believe you just have the wrong shocks. ...

I don't know about OEM , but the 5100 are Offroad shocks and are stiffer than most OEM shocks... I was curious if it was the HD that you found to be stiffer than OEM... I guess it might be more noticeable on a 1/4-ton than a 1/2-ton...

Yes, they are softer then the 5100's, but still much stiffer than the OEM.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos

Good to know... Thx!!!

The design of the bushing itself it was keeps it in place. They are designed to alowe twist movement, but not side to side movement. As it wheres out it allowes movment in many directions, thus not being as effective, and also moving sideways to alow it to hit the shock. If it were designed to slide in and out, then the sway bar would be less then effective because of the way it attaches to the body. The upright arms are not ridgid, in that they will move side to side if allowed. As the suspension cycled, the bar would just push left and right (like it does with worn out bushings) I have never been good at explaining things, so I hope that makes sense.



Anyway, just what I was taught. Replaced my sway bar bushings every 15k, it never hit the shock, and I am not exactly "nice" to my X.

Shocks, here is the page I was looking at. Bilstein, 2002 shock recomendations (http://www.bilsteinus.com/cart/ymm.php?year=2002&make=NISSAN&model=XTERRA&zenid=)

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos

Interesting, my bracket bushings are just smooth inside with no grooves or anything... I helped install a pair of those same model line Bilstein front coilovers on a member's Titan and it rode very smooth when we took it for a test ride and he sent me a message a few days later commenting how much smoother they were than OEM.... Sounds like maybe the Xterra's aren't valved as soft....

Just to clarify - the HD's are not softer than the 5100's.

ALL of them have different model designations, so you can order a HD shock, and a 5100, and the HD can be stiffer than the 5100.

Mechanically, the HD is the same as the 5100, it primarily just has a different external appearance.

The REASON for this is simple, the HD's are OEM REPLACEMENT SHOCKS...meant for a specific application.

..and the 5100's are AFTERMARKET UPGRADE SHOCKS, NOT meant for any specific application.



--------------------------


What AC, etc...do, is find an OEM shock that has the same extension/compression size and valving as one of the 5100's.

So, lets say the OEM sized shock for a larger pickup truck or SUV works out to act as a longer stiffer shock for a smaller lighter truck...

...all they do is use the HD meant for the larger truck on the smaller truck.

:D

--------------------------

There are about 4 std ranges the HD and 5100 come in...they are the same ranges.

That means that you can get the HD or 5100 in the same ranges, and, that performance-wise, they can be interchangeable.

It also means that depending upon WHICH HD you get, it can be any of the same for configurations as the 5100.

If we simplify the ranges to 1, 2, 3, 4, with 4 being stiffest for the example...

An HD with range 4 will be stiffer than a 5100 with range 3, and so forth.

An HD with a range 4 will be the SAME stiffness as a 5100 with range 4, and so forth.

--------------------------------------------

On another note:

If the rear shackle torque is too tight, it makes the ride rougher...as the swing of the shackle softens the ride, hence Goodyears' invention of "Velvet Ride Shackles" back in the day, etc.

The rear sway bar does stiffen the ride, and it rides smoother w/o it.

The front sway bar also stiffens the ride, but, the HANDLING w/o it gets worse, so its worth keeping.

I did notice the bushings on the front bar seem aftermarket...its possible there is too much tension on it, but that's hard to tell from here.

I don't remember seeing the actual load range for the BFG AT ko's either?

:wink-big:

Interesting, my bracket bushings are just smooth inside with no grooves or anything... I helped install a pair of those same model line Bilstein front coilovers on a member's Titan and it rode very smooth when we took it for a test ride and he sent me a message a few days later commenting how much smoother they were than OEM.... Sounds like maybe the Xterra's aren't valved as soft....

As I said, I suck at explaining things. Sway bar bushings allow the sway bar to move by the bushing twisting itself, not by allowing the bar to spin in the bushing. My bad as my explination doesn't say that (and truth be told, I had to get the text books down and look it up last night). If the bar spins in the bushing, the bushing is bad.

The rear sway bar does stiffen the ride, and it rides smoother w/o it.

The front sway bar also stiffens the ride, but, the HANDLING w/o it gets worse, so its worth keeping.

I did notice the bushings on the front bar seem aftermarket...its possible there is too much tension on it, but that's hard to tell from here.

I don't remember seeing the actual load range for the BFG AT ko's either?

:wink-big:

Good info on the shocks TJTJ. Gives me something to look up. Bilsteins site says these shocks are stiffer then the OEM. I have to repectfully dissagree on your swaybar comment though. The only suspension "dampining" the sway bar does is through the rubber bushings that mount it to the axle. I sincerely doubt anyone out there, save maybe a formula one driver can tell the difference in a vehicles suspension "dampining" with the sway bar on or off. For a truck that is not offroaded, or not looking for extra flex there is absolutley no reason to take the sway bar off. It does nothing to improve the drivers experiance, and in fact makes the handling charactoristics worse. This is not an opinion, but a fact. I realize people are trying to help, but advise should be given on "his" vehicle type, and "his" driving style and prefferance. Not on what is cool, hot and the next big thing to do to an Offroad rig. He doesn't use it to the extent some of us do.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos

As I said, I suck at explaining things. Sway bar bushings allow the sway bar to move by the bushing twisting itself, not by allowing the bar to spin in the bushing. My bad as my explination doesn't say that (and truth be told, I had to get the text books down and look it up last night). If the bar spins in the bushing, the bushing is bad.



Good info on the shocks TJTJ. Gives me something to look up. Bilsteins site says these shocks are stiffer then the OEM. I have to repectfully dissagree on your swaybar comment though. The only suspension "dampining" the sway bar does is through the rubber bushings that mount it to the axle. I sincerely doubt anyone out there, save maybe a formula one driver can tell the difference in a vehicles suspension "dampining" with the sway bar on or off. For a truck that is not offroaded, or not looking for extra flex there is absolutley no reason to take the sway bar off. It does nothing to improve the drivers experiance, and in fact makes the handling charactoristics worse. This is not an opinion, but a fact. I realize people are trying to help, but advise should be given on "his" vehicle type, and "his" driving style and prefferance. Not on what is cool, hot and the next big thing to do to an Offroad rig. He doesn't use it to the extent some of us do.

Cheers,
Josh
&
Porthos

The sway bars THEMSELVES are not damping, they are stiffening the ride.

They are transmitting forces from one side of the axle to the other.

:D

An IFS rides better generally than a live axle BECAUSE what impacts one side is NOT transmitted to the other side.

Adding an anti-sway bar essentially re-connects the two sides, and transmits the forces, making the IFS ride more like a live axle than it would have w/o the bar.


A softer bushing absorbs some of the impact essentially by the rubber crushing slightly....and harder bushings transmit more road impact by crushing less.

Using hard/urethane bushings, etc...makes it almost like the bushing is metal as far as impact transmission, but, w/o crushing, it has less play, and therefore, despite the harsher ride, it is more precise.

:D

Now, the bar itself has to TWIST, or else the two sides of the axle could not move at all, and you'd have no suspension compliance at all...you'd have a little red wagon axle, etc.

:D

So, to PIVOT one end of the axle UP, that in turn pivots the OTHER END of the bar DOWN.



This of course means that the bar has to turn within the bushings, or, it can't transmit the forces, or, allow suspension travel.

This would relate to the horizontal part of the bar...in bushings along the cross member, etc.

At the end links, which drop vertically from the ends of the bar...the forces are more inline with simple up/down motions, with the added IFS twist due to the camber changes on droop and compression.

This twist requires that the end links turn within the bushings.



If you look in the worn bushings for the front sway bar links, they actually look like the link ends were put into a pencil sharpener from this action....and the bushings themselves are wallowed out by the action.

If you look at the worn bushings clamped to the cross member for the horizontal sections, they too are wallowed out by the twisting action of the bar going up on one end and down on the other.



So - to be more accurate, in the case we are discussing here, the bar and links turning are what make the bushings bad....

...and its not bad bushings LETTING them turn, as, they are DESIGNED to turn in the bushing.



If it didn't need to turn, the bar could have been bolted in place.

If it didn't need to damp ride impacts, they could have used a steel clamp instead of a rubber bushing inside a clamp.


But, the fact is, the sway bar mounts were required to allow the bar to twist, so they had to use bushings, and to absorb/damp ride impacts and soften the ride, so they used rubber bushings.



- Hope that helps!


:wink-big: