How to Replace Sway Bar Bushings

Do the shocks makes noise when you test bounce them too? Rear Prius shocks get noisy when they get old...

 

Stab links don’t crunch they squeak or groan. At 270000 miles your gonna need more than new stab links.

Get under there and take pictures of front and rear suspension. Probably very rusted out under there.

 

Usually, worn sway bar end links or frame mount bushings cause a rattle noise, mostly over small bumps (like driving over a manhole cover). One way I diagnose that is to stand next to either front door, then "hold onto" the top of the door / roof drip channel and push-pull to make the car rock sideways.

If that's not what you have then you need to fully inspect the suspension for wear and looseness.

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I agree with others that I wouldn't suspect your sway bar end links.

I will take the opportunity here to say that rusty sway bar end links are a ***** to get off. The best answer is power tools and lots of penetrating oil. In my earlier DIY days I spent many hours over several days carefully, and unsuccessfully, attacking them with hand tools. Lately I've been very successful with a steel wire brush in a drill to remove most of the rust, some penetrating oil, and then blasting them off with an impact wrench. It is a very short and easy job if that works.

 

I only did the job once on my Gen 1. They were kind of rusty but it wasn't too bad. It is helpful that the studs are made to accept a hex key to prevent them from turning while loosening the nuts.

 

Here in the lower rust belt, experience would suggest that those little hex holes in the stud were designed to round out when you put real force on the attaching nuts with a wrench. Sometimes it works as designed (I buy a lottery ticket on a day like that).

Some end links have plastic injected around the ball stud. Those are great- just cut the link in half with my whiz wheel, then use the cut rod to lever the socket and pop it off the ball. Then grab the ball with vice grips and use an impact gun to spin the nut off.

Otherwise, clean the threads AWAP, try to grab some part of the stud with pliers, and work the nut loose. Or carefully cut the nut and stud off.

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