DaveTDG

As I am going through replacing steering and suspension components, I am learning that there is really no set size of a few of these pieces. Such as my stabilizer bar. The bushing were worn out, so bought some new ones. When I went to purchase them (rockauto) there were a number of different sizes. So measured the bar and it was just a hair under 1 inch. So when I purchased the bushings I bought them for a 15/16 bar (24mm). I am guessing I was wrong in my measuring because I have about an 1/8 of an inch gap in the bushing from being totally closed around the bar. A 1 inch bar bushing is 25.4 mm.

My question is, should I return these bushing and go with the larger size? Seems like a no brainer unless these bushings are suppose to close over time? Is this the way new ones are suppose to fit? I did a test drive today and got a death wobble at about 60 mph on a corner with a bump. Would over tight bushing cause this? I really dont wanna replace a bunch of components only to find out it was wrong sized bushings. Thanks

dave1123

Those bushings are supposed to be tight enough around the bar so you have trouble moving the bar by hand without the end links attached. Are you saying the bar is loose when the straps are pulled down tight? What size is the hole without the bar when the slot is closed? It should be about 7/8".

tom3holer

Just as a FYI. I bought an Addco 1" rear sway bar for my 99 GC and found the supplied brackets were bent wrong and the hole spacing was off. I contacted Addco and told them and asked for a new set. They emailed back and asked what the hole spacing was and i said standard 99 Jeep GC. They supplied a new set that was punched so poorly I had to file the back side quite a bit to get them flat. Bottom line is they made a big difference in handling.

DaveTDG

No, saying that the holes in the bushings seem a little to small for the bar. They are very tight. Cant move bar by hand. Watched a video by A1 auto and that dude said it was ok to have a gap, but it just doesnt seem right to me. I understand they are suppose to be firm, but if too tight, wouldnt that kinda interfere with their purpose? Or is it more like a compound bow stabilizer? Where its meant to send the vibration into the rubber and disperse it through the riser "frame"?

dave1123

No, those look fine. They are supposed to be tight. The way the bar works is when one wheel rises into it's wheelwell going around a corner, the bar twists and pulls the other wheel up too, keeping the body flat. The bushings have to be strong enough to transmit this twisting motion to the frame. They could be made of solid steel and do the job, but that would make for a very harsh ride.

Some vehicles today have truly massive bars, but they are hollow to reduce weight. I've seen those break way too often. You can tell if it's hollow by looking at the end where the connector link is. It will show it's a squashed tube. My wife's Dodge Caravan had a 1 and 1/2" bar that snapped twice!

DaveTDG

Twice!?!? Damn! Thanks Dave. Oh and for anyone who is going to purchase these from rockauto, dont order 2. At like $4 each and a picture of a single one with no mention of how many, I just figured that was the per price. Now I have two extras for later I guess

Got a new tie rod, tie rod and pitman bar ends coming next. I shoulda just bought the whole 11 piece kit from the start for $135 bucks and replaced everything. But the other ball joins and bushings all looked pretty good. Wont be to far over that price in the end. Speaking of ball joints, will do them last if this doesnt cure the death wobble. I wish there was a different way to test for it then actually making it happen. Have to clean my shorts after and I can only imagine what that does to all the other components... Oh speaking of tie rod, the one thing I over looked was the shock. I will test it when I get it out but in all the reading and videos I have watch, no one ever mentions it as a possible cause for the death wobble. Any input there? Thanks

dave1123

That shock is a steering damper that just absorbs steering wheel kickback when you hit something with one wheel. It's specially designed to work horizontally and is pretty cheap. Some guys figure a honking big one will stop death wobble. Nope! All that does is make it hard the steer! I smashed the one on my 97 ZJ on a rock, removed it, and drove it for a week without one at all. I never noticed the difference.

The track bar is the most common culprit for death wobble, but it could be as simple as tire balance that starts it. Make sure the track bar bolts haven't worn the holes oversized and they must be tight on the bushing sleeve ends when torqued. Check your wheel hub bearings as well.

The Dodge bar broke twice because the first time I replaced it with a junkyard one. The second time it broke, I bought a Mopar part from the dealer. It didn't help that my wife likes to corner fast!

DaveTDG

Well decided to go ahead and do anything and everything that had bushings or ball joints. Just about ready to take back all the "borrowed" tools to Autozone. For the most part, everything was pretty easy to do myself. Having a high mechanical aptitude but no actual experience meant that I had to battle through a few things and make more trips back to the parts store then I would of had I known. But everything went well. My shoulders are a little sore from pressing out and then in all 4 ball joints. One steering knuckle came off easy. The other not so much. I fought with it until I decided to make another trip back to to the parts store for the $10 ball joint separator. Which of course took less then 10 wacks with the hammer to pop the knuckle free... Will have an alignment done on Monday and have them go through the breaks. After that, the only thing I really need to do is get the slop / loose steering delth with. having replaced everything underneath, am guessing I will be focusing on the steering gear box. Thanks for all your help Dave!