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Squeeky 22mm Rspeed rear sway bar drives me insane! Maybe Energy Suspension bushings?
Hi there, I've checked all the threads on this issue, but nothing specific to my Rspeed 22mm rear sway that I got about 3 years ago.
So, I installed the bar by myself, and there were no noises for about 7 months. But once it started, it was so annoying. I would jack the car up and tried to stick grease everywhere around the fittings, but the problem with bushing is that it has no zerk fittings to inject the grease into the bushing. So the temporary fix of rubbing grease around the bushing only makes the squeak go away for weeks. The problem is that the grease doesn't go between the bar and the bushing without the zerk fitting there's no way to regrease the bar properly without taking the whole bar off again and regreasing the bushing like a new install.
Called Rspeed to see if they have any replacement parts with zerk--fittings. Was told that "sorry can't help you out."
VERY annoying.
Anyway, was hoping there was someone out there with experience with replacing the Rspeed polyurethane bushings with the ones from Energy Suspension ones with the zerk fittings? The one in 22mm? (http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/swaybbct.html)
Is it a direct fit?
[I just wanna take this squeaky bar out one time, and do it right once, and not have to worry about the squeak anymore. Thanks ahead for any help on this!]
The temporary fix of rubbing grease around the bushing only makes the squeak go away for weeks. The problem is that the grease doesn't go between the bar and the bushing without the zerk fitting there's no way to regrease the bar properly without taking the whole bar off again and regreasing the bushing like a new install. ]
When I was using the RSpeed bar (switched to a 19mm), I had squeeks also. What worked for me to get lubricant into the bushings fairly easily, was to first disconnect the end links. Then you can rotate/slide the bar to one side and coat that side of the bar, slide it the other direction and coat the other side.
Regarding the lubricant, regular grease is not the best choice. There seems to be two schools of thought:
Anti-seize (preferably copper-based, but aluminum-based is used also and is more readily available). Copper-based is what some Energy Suspension bushings come with.
The blue-colored marine grease that is used to lubricate wheel bearings on boat trailers is highly recommended for use with urethane also. This stuff has a different base-stock than standard automotive greases.
I have used both successfully on different urethane bushings, but since anti-seize is so difficult to wipe off of anything, I tend to think it will stay put once you get it between your bushings & swaybar.
You can fix this.
ps. If you decide you want to switch to the Energy Suspension bushings, go with the the black ones. they have slippery-stuff embedded in the urethane (molybdenum if I recall correctly), while the other colors do not.
__________________
'05 MCS.. Drivetrain mods: 16% Pulley, GP Intercooler, JCW CAI, RMW tune :-), and a one-ball.. Suspension: FSDs, Ireland fixed plates, 19mm bar, PowerFlex front bushings, JCW brakes.. Just for fun: Factory backup camera (via Nav display). Prior Mini: '67 CooperS
Last edited by Mini_Crazy; 07-18-2009 at 04:35 PM.
So I bought a set of the 22mm Greaseable bushings from Energy Suspension. 9.5158G. The bushings doesn't fit because the flat part (where the bushing lays flat against the underbody) is too thick. Shaving it down would not be practical because then the bracket would not go over the bushing correctly.
What the HELL. Did you buy the wrong Energy Suspension Bushing? I need a slimmer bushing that fits around a 22mm. Anyone have any idea?
I think the Alta 22mm bushing and bracket might do the trick to make this Rspeed rear sway go squeak go away? (alta's have zerk fittings also)
So I bought a set of the 22mm Greaseable bushings from Energy Suspension. 9.5158G. The bushings doesn't fit because the flat part (where the bushing lays flat against the underbody) is too thick. Shaving it down would not be practical because then the bracket would not go over the bushing correctly.
What the HELL. Did you buy the wrong Energy Suspension Bushing? I need a slimmer bushing that fits around a 22mm. Anyone have any idea?
I think the Alta 22mm bushing and bracket might do the trick to make this Rspeed rear sway go squeak go away? (alta's have zerk fittings also)
Shim it and get longer bolts?
__________________ -Rick
'03 EB/B MCS
Crap, gotta change my name to Not-so-rednwhite-or-darksilvernwhite-but-electricbluenblackcooper.
How about drilling and tapping zerk fittings into the r-speed bushings? Just drill through the bracket and through the bushing material then tap the bracket for the zerk fitting. There isn't a whole lot of metal for the threads of the zerk but it doesn't need to be torqued down anyway.
__________________
2005 MCS with LSD 2001 Yamaha R1
1971 Datsun 240Z Megan Rear control arms, TSW springs, Webb Motorsports Camber Plates, ALTA PSRS, HAI, M7 16%, Engine Dampener, Helix Short Shifter,
RSPEED Rear Sway Bar
Or just use teflon tape.....it's not very difficult.
- Andrew
So as to your teflon method. I assume you wrap it around the bare bar a little bit before you put the bushing around it with grease, then bolt the bracket down? Does this make the noise go around permanently? Just curious because seems like teflon tape wrapped around the bushing would be under a lot of twisting and friction, wouldn't the teflon tape just get ripped apart eventually?
Can't shim it at all because the problem is that it's already too thick to clear the flat part of the bushing where it sits against the subframe and the bar. Shimming the bushing/bracket would only make it thicker, not thinner.
Mine fit perfectly. I just got them today from Summit. I used non grease able ones because the grease able ones never work, the grease just sits at the top of the bushing.
My bar is 25mm too, so its even tighter than yours is.
__________________ -Rick
'03 EB/B MCS
Crap, gotta change my name to Not-so-rednwhite-or-darksilvernwhite-but-electricbluenblackcooper.
So as to your teflon method. I assume you wrap it around the bare bar a little bit before you put the bushing around it with grease, then bolt the bracket down? Does this make the noise go around permanently? Just curious because seems like teflon tape wrapped around the bushing would be under a lot of twisting and friction, wouldn't the teflon tape just get ripped apart eventually?
Hello, so i took the advice here and regreased using the super sticky stuff from energy suspension (they come in small one time use packets and they are clear/milky) and also wraped as much teflon around the bar as much as possible (i'd say about 6-8 wraps). It was very hard to wrap the teflon tape around flat because the bar was still sandwiched between the subframe and the body of the car when I was trying to wrap it. And without proper working room, the teflon tape would fold over on itself.
No matter, some folded over, but i kept wrapping it anyways. So far so good, it's been 2 months, and no squeeks. Lets see how this goes.
When first installing the bar and bushings, I'd suggest removing any paint where the bushing will fit. The get some dry molybdenum disulfide powder (the pure stuff that makes a moly grease a moly grease) and burnish the rub the powder into the surface of the bar where you removed the pain and cleaned it thoroughly first. The, also rub and burnish the moly powder into the ID of the bushings. Moly powder is super fine and can get into the tiniest of pores. And remember, moly is a dry lubricant to begin with. Finally, go down to your local Honda motorcycle shop and buy a small tube of what they call Moly 60. It's a light grease with 60 percent by weight moly in it. It's normally used on the driving splines of the wheel and final drive on shaft drive bikes. It stays put and does a fantastic job of lubing. After all that, I'd be totally shocked if the bar ever squeeked again.
Hey, so I noticed the other day that my Alta bushings are deteriorating away, so my rsb is loose in the bushings. They have squeeked like hell right from the beginning and I have put a grease fitting and have greased them often. I need new bushings, and I like the sound of the Energy ones. Which's one are an "exact fit" setup? Or what else do you recommend?
Thanks,
Scott.
__________________ 2010 R56 Cooper S Midnight Black w/t Redwood Leather, Escort 9500ix, Homemade CAI & turbo muffler delete, Alta 22mm R sway bar,Drag DR-20 on Nexen N3000 225/45/16, TSW 14-12mm studs, Alta SSK w/t homemade shift knob, M7 STB, Racing Dynamic carbonfiber R strut bar, IE SS Brake lines, Invidia catback exhaust.
What worked for me to get lubricant into the bushings fairly easily, was to first disconnect the end links. Then you can rotate/slide the bar to one side and coat that side of the bar, slide it the other direction and coat the other side.
2010 R56 Cooper S Midnight Black w/t Redwood Leather, Escort 9500ix, Homemade CAI & turbo muffler delete, Alta 22mm R sway bar,Drag DR-20 on Nexen N3000 225/45/16, TSW 14-12mm studs, Alta SSK w/t homemade shift knob, M7 STB, Racing Dynamic carbonfiber R strut bar, IE SS Brake lines, Invidia catback exhaust.
