Yidney

If you car creaks over speed bumps or when crossing drainage dips at intersections (basically whenever the suspension gets compressed),especially on cold mornings, it is almost certainly your sway bar bushings. Often people just replace them, but unless the rubber is actually cracked or hardened it is not necessary to replace them, and new ones will creak in time anyway. Mine have 42k miles on them and are nearly 5years old and look like new. Dealers lube them to cure creaks, and it's such an easy job anybody can do it. It makes a big difference.

I'm not sure when the change was made, but at some point MB started bonding the bushings to the sway bar. That's how mine are. That's good, because then you know the creak is not coming from between the bar and the rubber. The creak is coming from between the rubber and the bracket/clamp that holds them on. The clamp does not really compress the rubber, it's just a nice glove-tight fit, so the rubber can flex against the aluminum clamp. If yours are not bonded to the bar, then slide them over and lube in there too.

Skill level: No more than an oil change, maybe less.

Time required: 20 minutes.

Tools needed: 8mm socket, ET12 socket (reverse torx socket), synthetic grease, ramps or some way to get under the car.

Do not use a petroleum-based grease. They deteriorate rubber. I got Super Lube at True Value Hardware. Or plumbers grease will work. Or even dielectric grease.

1. Remove six 8mm bolts holding front plastic belly pan. Set pan aside.

2. Remove four 12ET bolts holding clamps over bushings (2 on each).

3. Slide clamps straight down.

4. Clean everything off good. I used electrical contact cleaner spray and a rag.

5. Smear lube on bushings and clamps - make sure to put some on top of bushing where it contacts the frame.

6. Put back together.

Pics are of bushing with clamp removed, clamps, grease, and after reassembly.

Yidney

Yidney

Rudeney

Nice write-up! I haven't investigated the lubricants, but there are plenty of options. I wonder how the convertible top seal lube would work?

Yidney

Have seen that one - I use that Gummi Feldge stuff on weatherstrip - but any silicone grease ought to work fine.

Klinh

How about the lube that use in CV joint? It can withstand heat and protect rubber, no?

Glyn M Ruck

No. The CV joint elastomer/cover is designed to tolerate petroleum products. Suspension bushings are not.

Even buying products called "Synthetic Grease" can be misleading. Is the thickener synthetic or the base oil synthetic or both? Some synthetic b/o's shrink elastomers & others swell them.

The best thing to buy is a product like Castrol Red Rubber Grease. All components of the product have been selected to be neutral to natural & synthetic rubbers.

Good DIY.

Warning. Don't overtighten bushing clamps. Threads are easily stripped.

Yidney

The topic of curing squeaky bushings is discussed a lot on other car fourms, so I did a general Google search of the subject to see if there was a concensus lube. I would not call it a concensus, becuse every time someone suggested one, others suggested something else. But the Super Lube was a popular choice, and was suggested by someone who claimed to have really researched the subject and even consulted with some manufacturers. It's totally clear - like what you would associate with silicone - and about the consisntency of toothpaste - but feels super slick between your fingers.

Glyn M Ruck

The Super Lube may well be fine. I can't see enough info on the pack shot. I notice it has PTFE in it. PTFE is a useless additive for many applications but absolutely ideal for this one.

Most synthetics are water white unless dyed.

Glyn M Ruck

There Website gives no real data but this seems the ideal product from their range.

Silicone Lubricating Grease with Syncolon® (PTFE)

Silicone Lubricating Grease with Syncolon® (PTFE) has a wider operating range than petroleum based lubricants; Excellent water protection and moisture barrier. Use on Plastic gears, plastic threads, as a damping medium for Dash Pots, lubricate O-Rings, electrical motor bearings and rubber components.

mguerrero

question, do you have to disconnect the sway bar at the links at all? or do you just remove the bushing brackets? looking to do this this coming weekend

ambit

Thread revive!!
You can do it without disconnecting the end links.

mguerrero

Thx!

cobrab19

U might not be over tightening them I think your missing the nuts that go on top of the sway bar bracket bolts. Their a pain to get to but I wasn't able to get them off with putting a wrench on the nut on top, hope this helps. I was also missing one myself

ryan83

Great write up! How are your bushings two years later?

Yidney

I have redone them once, which only adds 10 minutes to an oil change. But I would modify this in one respect. I discovered they squeak not only because of no lube, but because the rubber flexing polishes the aluminum clamps. If you use like 320 grit sandpaper and just a few swipes to take the sheen off the fix will last much longer.

Martin_F

Alright, this sounds like a fix for the front axle.
But my car is squeaking when I hit bumps with the rear end. Any ideas?

Yidney

It is almost certainly your rear sway bar end links. The bushings in the rear are cloth lined and don't creak as easily, but the rubber bushings in the end links do. But do the bushing at the same time. Your car will feel stiffer. If you are a DIY person, it will take an hour. Lemforder end links are the same as OEM (maker for MB) but cost less. Links and bushing will be under $100 total.

Martin_F

Thanks Yidney, I'll look into it to find some part numbers.
DIY should not be a problem.

EDIT:
Here is what i found:
Sway Bar Link Left, Part #: 203-320-07-89-M69
Left
Sway Bar Link Right, Part #: 203-320-08-89-M69
Right

I couldn't find the bushings you mentioned. Do you have a link you could share?
Thanks

NickLouis

How do you remove the sway bar bushings to replace them. The bushings on mine are warped, which causing the car the veer right. They seem be on there pretty good.

ryan83

I found a detailed list of the plastic and rubber compositions that Super Lubes work with: http://www.super-lube.com/files/pdfs...lity_Chart.pdf

Anyone happen to know the exact composition of the elastomer (rubber) bushings so we could get the best of the two products between Super Lube Synthetic Grease and Super Lube Silicone Grease - for the bushings as well as all around use?

I mean, we know the Synthetic Grease works fine here - so the bushings are likely NOT: "Butyl (IIR), Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), Natural rubber (NR), or Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)" - but so long as there isn't "Silicone rubber (FMQ, PMQ, MQ, VMFQ, VMQ)" in the bushings, I think we'd be better off with the Silicone Grease considering it is more compatible with almost every other kind of rubber...

What do you guys think? @Glyn M Ruck @Yidney @Rudeney

ryan83

To answer my own question, I bought both.

The Super Lube Silicone Grease is significantly thicker/more viscous than the Super Lube Synthetic Grease.

I used the silicone grease on my bushings about two weeks ago and the sounds are all still gone. I liberally applied to all front bushings and did not wipe of the excess. Also, I did not open, remove or sand anything. My rear suspension isn't making any noise but I will do the same thing back there the next time I need to lift the car to protect those components as well.

I also put the silicone on my window, door and headlight seals (and then wiped of the excess) and I believe they seem a bit rejuvenated and I am sure that it hasn't caused any premature degradation.

I used the synthetic grease on my sunroof, that would get stuck on closing (I previously had to hold the close button or else it would incrementally stop as if my arm was in the way), and now it closes with one press of the button - so nice.

After using both I personally believe that the Silicone Grease would be better for the bushings as it's more heavy duty, and the Synthetic Grease would be better for lighter applications where you would not want more friction.

NickLouis

Im having trouble removing the sway bar links. The bolts keep spinning but not coming off. They are lose and i can see the threads turning with bolt. Why is this.

Yidney

Front or rear end links? They are spinning in the rear because it is just a nut and bolt though a hole. You have to have wrenches on both ends.

Yidney

Just saw this now, but since you seem to be under your car today, it may still be timely. Again, front or rear? I'm pretty sure warped sway bar bushings - whatever you mean by warped - are not causing your car to pull to one side.