I would like to get some ES sway bar greasable bushings. I measured my 83 Z28 with a cresent wrench as suggested and came up with a ~32mm front. It actually looked a little closer to 1 1/4", which is 31.5mm. ES has both these sizes but the local autozone only stocks the 31.5mm one. Should i just pick that one up, or is 0.5 mm significant in this suspension stuff?

thanks for your help.

phil

 

Just a FYI, Energy Susupension greasable bushing kit has a "universal-fit" bushing retainer bracket that won't fit the offset bolt pattern used on 1983-92 F-Bodies. It will only fit some early 1982 F-bodies, which had a straight pattern to the mounting bolt holes. You'd have to cut and weld the bracket (as Steve Spohn does) to get them to work. I sell both the 1982 and 1983-92 style front greasable kits that use stock GM brackets which fit your car without modification. The kit I sell for your car is TDS 200170 Greasable Front Sway Bar Bushing Kit for 1983-92 F-Bodies .

Here is a picture of the offset bracket used for 1983-92:


Comapare that to the Energy Suspension 32mm front greasable kit p/n ENS-9-5166 you're considering:


Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

Thanks for the response. Btw I just ordered your Wonderbar last week, it should be here tomorrow. I see on your order page that I can get red. Are they all poly-graphite?

The other question is that on your drop down menu there is only a selection for 34mm and 36mm. I don't see a 32mm. What should i do?

Also seems pretty pricey at $41 a pair.

thanks,
phil

 

Oops. I wasn't aware that 32mm wasn't an option on my online catalog. To answer your question, the red color is polyurethane. Black is poly-graphite. Give me a couple of minutes to add the 32mm option. I just did a stock check and found I'm out of the 32mm bushings. But it only takes a day to get them and modify them to be greasable.

Lon

 

Does the poly-graphite need to be greasable?

 

Im about to order some from you...I have ES reds on my rear swaybar....so which is best for the front...your red or blacks?

 

The black ones do have a little graphite in them which does reduce the potential "squeak" problem. Having them greasable in either color solves the problem of them squeaking after driving through wet conditions. You have a much easier time greasing them since you don't have to remove them to grease the bushing. You just lube them along with the other chassis components at oil change time.

Lon

 

Lon, you said you use stock gm brackets. I read in another post that the ES brackets are much stronger than the GM brackets. Does that mean your brackets are not as strong? I doubt it, but its a valid question since I just ordered your greasable bushings and brackets.
Thanks

 

The poly graphite bushings are actually worse once you get some wear and “wear off” the exposed graphite.

The GM bushing shells are thinner, but they also have a profile pressed into them to make them more rigid. I’ve never seen one break unless there was another problem also. Even the TTA style ones (the tta’s had a longer bracket that fit around the bushing and a 1” spacer to clear the intercooler, I’ve even cut the stock brackets and extended them for the TTA guys and none of them that I know of have broken).

As far as getting a greasable bushing in there… go to a parts store and get some zerk fittings (I think I’ve gotten boxes of 20 for like $2), drill the bushing shell and the bushing and thread it in. I usually take a dremel and cut a small grove around the inside of the bushing to give it an easy path all the way around the thing. Here’s a set of ES ones that I did for the rear axle years ago (before ES sold greasable ones):


(FWIW, I put the zirks on the side to keep them from hanging down under the axle and getting messed up… next time I would use 45 or 90* zerks in the same locationto make those usefull I had to shorten the U bolts some)

If you want to use the ES ones, the easiest thing is to just weld the hole shut on one side and drill a new one, but if you’re in a hurry/lazy you can literally weld a washer in the right location (do it in the back also to eliminate the slot so it can’t move around at all) and then just drill a hole through the washer hole.