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!

Dakota2ngGen