1LE Swaybar w/ Poly bushings & Endlinks

**Joe K. 99 Zeee!!** · 11-30-2005, 04:24 PM

Found a good deal on 1LE swaybars at E-bay ($30). So I thought I'd give it a try. I also purchased Energy Suspension Bushings and Endlinks (2 7/8") from lmperformance.com. The bushings come with zerk fittings for easy greasing later on.

I followed the instructions on installuniversity.com with one exception. That site says the bolts for the bushing brackets should be torqued to 18 ft/lbs. The GM maintenance manual says 41 ft/lbs. The manual is correct. You cannot torque the bolts down adequately without using at least 20 ft/lbs. The install took me 2 1/2 hours. I try to always take extra care to install everything correctly. Most people will take less time to complete it.

Impressions? Incredible, amazing. I didn't think it would make this much difference. The car is now much flater in the turns. I feel much more confident when I'm driving the car. Highway lane changes are much smoother. I feel the car is not only more fun to drive now, but also safer. The poly bushings and endlinks do not add any extra noise. I lubricated the bushings with some synthetic grease. Endlinks are not lubricated. If you do this mod go with poly, rubber is just a waste on this application. The ride is only slightly harsher.

Now, all that said, I want to say that this is a great bang for the buck mod. There are better swaybars out there...32mm solid & 35mm hollow come to mind, BUT, if you're on a budget like me, I don't think you can afford to overlook this mod. It gets an A+++ from me. Probably the best mod to date bar none!!! (no pun intended)

**t/as&dds** · 11-30-2005, 04:36 PM

Sounds awesome!!! I'm going to be doing this mod over the winter on my 01 T/A. Out of curiousity, do you know what the thickness of the bar is? Is it hollow or solid? Any other tips you can give to make the install go smoother?

Thanx

**Joe K. 99 Zeee!!** · 11-30-2005, 05:33 PM

The 1LE bar is 32mm and is hollow. The same bar was installed on WS6 cars. I've heard the aftermarket solid bars, while stiffer, are much heavier. 35mm hollow is a good compromise, but it's expensive. I shopped around for bushings and endlinks and LMPerformance.com seemed to have the best pricing.

It may just be me, but I found that with the front suspension compressed, placing the bar and tightening the bolts was easier. I put the front wheels up on blocks. Make sure your surface is level too. Torque endlinks to 17 ft-lbs and bushing bolts to 41 ft-lbs. Other than that, the install guide is very good.