Struggling with new sway bar bushings

[thehairyman22]

My 320's been on sitting on stocks the last two months as slowly been restoring the front suspension (slowly because we buggered a tie rod and a control arm while removing the front strut housing). So with new koni yellows, and new control arms and tie rods i thought bugger it and i'll grab a Whiteline 24mm sway bar with urethane bushings. i am currently putting this in, but i'm having a lot of trouble with it being too large, meaning the distance between the flat edge to the top of the curved. it over hangs by around 6mm, so when i go to install it i can't get the bolt hole close enough to the one on the chassis to finish it. Starting to get really frustrating and need some advice.

I've already checked with the bloke i bought it from and he double checked part numbers and it recon's it's the right bushings.

this is the only photo i have on the new sway bar, i'll put another up on saturday afternoon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhysosborne/8389552054/

[jlevie]

Common problem. Engage the front end on the bracket, put a jack under the middle of the bracket and push it up. Or start with a longer bolt to pull the bracket into place. Then clamp it with vice-grips and replace the longer bolt with the correct one.

[thehairyman22]

Thankyou, I'll give it go tomorrow after work. I'm just a little worried i'll bend the front of the brackets though

[thehairyman22]

I tried today and had no joy, when jacking the bushing up it lifts the whole car and wont rotate to sit against the chassis. it seems that the bushing is cut on the locator flange side (OE is on curved side that sits in the bracket) and catches on the inner edge of the bracket. this is either making it very close - impossible to stick the flange in or stops the bracket from rotating to the chassis. Do you have other ideas?

Has this happened to anyone else?

[Saascat1]

I simply used vice grips, no jack. If you're really struggling use two pairs, first one and then the other and so on. It is a realPITA but you'll get there. They are meant to be tight.


'85 E30 Coupe 331ir
'90 E34 Sedan 525i

[jlevie]

It helps to lubricate the bushing with liquid soap so it will slide on the subframe.

[thehairyman22]

Success! thanks fellas, i got there today with a combination of jacking further out from the pivot point and clamping (and cable ties between bolt holes) so i could adjust the jack position, in the end i could use the bolt to pull it in line. The soap worked brilliantly helped so much. thanks again.

[Saascat1]

No probs, glad to help.


'85 E30 Coupe 331ir
'90 E34 Sedan 525i