Powerflex black series front anti-roll bar bushes - fitting?

[svvg]

Hi All - I’ve just bought some powerflex black series front anti roll bar (sway bar) bushes in order to try to stiffen up the front end of the car a bit. They’ve just arrived - and they are seriously solid. They are so solid that they won’t separate enough to slide onto the anti roll bar like the originals do (where you can open them up along a precut slit). I replaced them about 5 years ago with either bmw or lemforder items (forget which) and they were easy to separate and fit - but bmw now want over £60 a bush for them - and powerflex are literally less than half the price….

Anyone fitted the powerflex black versions before? Do you have to remove the anti roll bar and slide on from one end. This seems like the only way of doing it…


Grateful for any help/experience on this!

[andrewwynn]

Do they have instructions maybe online? I don't think you'd be able to slide from the end due to the curve but if they are that stiff I'd prob cut another slit maybe 60° off of the first and nest the two slits in the "U" part of the bracket.

I'm curious what you figure out.

Oh: before cutting I would try heat. Maybe soak in some near boiling water .

[Bdc101]

I would warm them up too. I have installed them on other makes without problems though.

[svvg]

Thanks both. No instructions on line for these bushes - have fitted standard ones to the x5 previously and also a couple of e46s and they are very much softer/more supple and easy to open up. Will see what happens with some hot water. I did find a video of some guys fitting to an older e34 5 series - and they had to slide onto the roll bar from one end - which might be the way to do it - and the slit might give the extra few mm needed to get round the corner on the bar - it a sokutely wont open up more than maybe 2-3mm though!

[Themoog]

I wouldn't use them. Too much NVH - stick to originals.

[svvg]

Originally Posted by Themoog

I wouldn't use them. Too much NVH - stick to originals.

For anti roll bar bushes would have thought should be alright?? I must confess I am starting to reconsider… assuming I can actually fit them, will they add much harshness, bearing in mind they’re not a load bearing bush in the same way as a subframe bush or control arm etc?

[Bdc101]

Sway bar bushings won't negatively affect ride quality or NVH. You probably won't even notice a difference. They just hold the sway bar, they don't transmit forces from the suspension into the body the way a control arm bushings does. Honestly they don't really make any difference at all, except the old ones may be dry and squeaky and these new ones won't squeak.

[svvg]

This was my thinking. Thanks. They’re half the price of oem. Although at the moment, they’re a little bit….. very worthless, as I’m really not sure I’ll be able to fit them, as they're so hard I can’t get them on the bar!

[Clavurion]

Would it even matter if the part was originally in two halves.

[svvg]

Good point actually. Unless it might completely separate and move about under load?

I think I’ll have a go at sliding it along from the end of the bar and see how that goes.

What I’ve failed to mention is that I’m doing this as part of the alternator gasket repair(!). Might well have set fire to the car before I even get a chance to look at the bushes!