After experiencing major squeaks and diagnosing the source (thanks to members at dodgeforum.com!), I swapped out the sway bar (stabilizer bar) stock rubber bushings on my 2001 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4X4, upgrading them to polyurethane. It took about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Keep in mind that the nut and bolt sizes, and torque values are specific to my application and may not be the same for yours.

Parts and Tools Needed:
[ul][*]Application specific polyurethane bushing kit - Important - you must verify your sway bar diameter. Mine was 1.4" or 35mm.[*]22mm deep-well socket[*]15mm socket[*]13mm socket[*]1/2" drive breaker bar[*]1/2" ratchet[*]3" extension[*]torque wrench[*]wire brush[*]solvent[/ul]
Place truck on ramps, making sure to set parking brake and block rear wheels.



Make sure all tools are rounded up. I had to run to the hardware store
for a 22mm Deep-well socket.



Here are the bushings I used. They are made by Prothane.



Step 3. Remove the lower 15mm bolts that hold the bushing brackets to the frame (bar to frame retainer). Thenuts have a handle on them to help with installation. This will allow better access to the 22mm nuts within the frame.







Using a breaker bar, ratchet, and 3" extension, remove the 22mm nuts. The bolts that extend through the bracketare welded, so you do not need to put a wrench on them.



Loosen all of the 13mm bolts on the bracket holding the ends of the sway bar (bar to control arm retainer). Take out one on each end. Then, carefully support the swaybar and remove the last two bolts and remove the sway bar and brackets.



Slide the two end bushings off. I used a utility knife to cut through the inner two bushings. Also, to help line up the new bushings, I used spray paint to mark their location prior to removal.



Remove all traces of dirt, grease, and rust with a stiff wire brush. You can follow this up with solvent. Also, make sure and wire brush the two bar to frame retainer brackets and the bar to control arm retainer brackets.



Important: Liberally coat the inside and outsideof the new bushings with the grease that came with them. If you do not do this step, the polyurethane will squeak like a cave full of bats! I ran out of the teflon grease, and had to coat the outside with some anti-seize compound I had laying around.



Next, install the bushings onto the sway bar, and install the two inner brakets. Make sure not to get any dirtonto the newly greased bushings.

Apply anti-seize to all bolt threads, then lift the sway bar into place, guiding the bolts in the frame brackets into the holes in the frame. Install the bar to control arm brackets and 13mm bolts finger tight.

Note: It is very important to make sure that the sway bar is centered, by making sure that the amount of bar sticking out of the end bushings is the same on both ends.

Install the 22mm nuts through the frame holes and snug them up. Install the lower 15mm bolts and nuts with handles to secure the bottom of the brackets.

Again, after making sure the sway bar is centered, torque down all bolts and nuts.
My 2001 Dakota Quad Cab 4X4 has these torque specs - yours may be different!
[ul][*]Stabilizer bar frame retainer nut (22mm) - 140 Ft. Lbs.[*]Stabilizer bar frame retainer bolt (15mm) - 80 Ft. Lbs.[*]Stabilizer bar control arm retainer bolts (13mm) - 25 Ft. Lbs.[/ul]
(Note: Application of thread lubricants should lower the required torque to get the same clamping load, so use discretion with the above numbers. You may want to go with less torque when using anti-seize. Generally speaking, torque is a poor measure of the amount of bolt tension.)

Here is what it looks like now:




The annoying squeaks I had are now totally gone!

 

i am deffinently going to have to do that.....do you know how much it all cost...pics are going to help alot...thanks

 

The bushings were $18.00 plus about $9.00 shipping from Suspension.com. I had to buy a cheapo socket set for $11.00 to get the 22mm deep-wall socket. a few bucks for anti-sieze, total less than $45.00.

 

Great post really appreciate the step by step with the pictures! Very impressed will be a great help. Thanks!!!

 

That nut you've got labelled for a deep well socket... you don't need to access it from that side. The metal "finger" sticking out in the picture goes in the hole and it's designed to keep the nut from rotating while torquing the bolt from the other side.

 

Horatio,
the picture doesn't clearly show it, but the nut with the finger on it is for the bolt with the 15mm head that sticks straight up from the bottom. There is no finger on the 22mm nut, and the bolt sticking through the bracket and frame into this nut is welded to the bracket.

At least that's the way it is on this truck. Other years and models may be different.

 

I never buy oddball sockets. I find the size I need and buy it from Sears. When I am done with it, I take it back to Sears for a refund telling them it was the wrong size. I have done this several times. [8D]

 

How did you know what size sway bar it is??

 

Measure the end.

 

I went to Home Depot and bought some calipers for $7.00 to measure my sway bar.