some advice needed...front sway bar donut (1 Viewer)

i dont really know what to call it but where the front sway bar connects to part of the steering gear on the right (and left as well) side, there is a rubber bushing/donut thing.

while crawling around under my cruiser the other day i notice the donut was distorted and all squished out from the joint.

obviously i need to replace this. they were just installed a few months ago (not by me im afraid or i would probably be more knowledgable about it) and last i checked they both (sides) looked fine but now the passenger side is as i said mashed up.

so a couple questions:

1. what would have caused this? i dont recall any radical articulation since i last looked at it and at that point it was fine (looking anyway).

2. if i think im going for a joy ride on say barney-riley (as i am) this saturday, am i looking at this breaking and me being SOL or is this just something that in worst case scenerio will squeek or groan or something?

3. ok more than a couple questions: is this under load? if i loosen the top and bottom bolt and nut will i be able to easily sneak this back into the cups it (from memory) would appear to be supposed to sit in? or will the whole thing spring apart, knocking me out in the process? is there any point in just trying to get it to look right before the trail ride? any hints (like for instance removing the tire/wheel and performing the operation like that)?

many thanks in advance!

one love
jah bill

Sounds like you are talking about the place where the sway-bar connects to the front axle? These are under a little load. Not enough to hurt you if you remove the bolt, but enough to be hard to reinstall. Easiest is to remove the outboard end - this has a vertical bolt that connects the sway-bar to the frame. Once this is removed, the axle mounting is a piece of cake to remove/reinstall.

No harm in trying to fix it before you head out on saturday. If you can't fix it, then maybe just leave the swaybar off until you can get a new bushing. The front will be a little looser on the highway, but you'll have more axle flex when in the fun stuff.

Don't know where you are, but AutoZone as well as many other parts stores sell them, in polyurethane. Very easy to fix. Many fail because they were cranked down too tight.

pic

48817 it appears to be! i will be off to auto zone after work with my fingers crossed!

many thanks for the tips folks!

one love
jah bill