Shortly after installing a Tokico Illu's and Springs and also Energy Suspension Front Sway Bar Polly Bushings I thought I was victim to the infamous sqeaky strut bearing. I drove around for a while with this ghetto sounding sqeak on my Max. Finally I got a friend and we set out to find the sqeak. It was my stupid Energy Suspension Bushings. DO NOT use these IMO. I only put about 5000 miles on them before they were toast. I was lifting the front end of my car up and down from the front wheel well while he was feeling for the sqeak and he pulled out half of my new polly bushing. Needless to say I replaced them all with the OEM rubber bushings. Energy Suspension!!!! I know this might be a rare case, but hopefully it will help out someone.

Dub

 

Hmmm, I was going to install those ES bushings yesterday, but I ran out of daylight.

Anyone else have this problem?

Dub, did you lube them up before you installed the bushings?

- spk -

 

Yes, I lubed the inside (part that contacts the sway bar itself) before installing them. I have no idea why they came apart the way they did. I should have mentioned that the ones affected where the horse shoe shaped bushings, not the round ones. After going back to OEM I noticed no difference from when I 1st installed the ES Bushings. IMO stay with the stock rubbers. But I have a friend with a complete set up ES Bushings on his Honduh : and he swears by them. If yah feel lucky then go for it.

 

Thanks for the tip Dubbya, I'll keep an eye on my bushings.

I just installed the bushings during an oil change and have only a few hundred miles on them so far, but here is my experience.

Set up:
98 GXE 5 speed
Progress rear sway bar
Strut bar
235/45/17 Falken 512
struts & springs stock
100k on car

I was expecting a 5% improvement in handling (read: basically unnoticable) when I installed the bushings, but was happily surprised by even greater response from the Max. I have much greater confindence in turns, the car leans less, power stearing is tuned down and the stearing wheel wants to snap back to center. Not bad for a couple of bucks.

The downside is the ride is a bit more firm, but with my stock GXE struts & springs that is an improvement.

I wonder if I am feeling a greater benefit than most as the bushings firm up the front sway bar so it work better in conjuction with the rear sway bar. And because the springs & struts are so soft any improvement will feel like a lot.

I have only a couple hundred miles on mine and have no sqeeks so far, I'll check for deformation.

Note that the rear sway bar has Poly bushings with few complaints.

For a few bucks this is a great mod. And the my previous rubber bushings we shot (deformed) after 100k - they needed to be replaced anyway.

I wonder if one sees less results from these with a firmer suspension.

Mr. P

 

My ES center sway bar bushings crapped out too. They both split in half. Yes, I had them installed and greased correctly.

 

I should have mentioned also that I am running a RSB and FSTB and RSTB. I do indeed love the way it handles after all the mods. I just think its a safe bet to stick with stock bushings unless you are going to do a complete bushing kit. 6 bushings out of the entire set up is not going to give much improvement (rubber vs. polly). Even then my stock rubbers lasted over 100k miles, polly lasted less than 5000 miles.

 

It's terribly funny that this was posted today. A few months back I purchased the ES sway bar bushings and to my surprise last week I noticed the bushings had squeezed themselves outside of the swaybar brackets. I also noticed a bunch of sqeaking coming from my passenger side. The bushings are basically toast. I also noticed more NVH which surprised me because it's such a small mod to the suspension. I picked up all new bushings at Nissan today and I'm swapping about the bushing tonight. I'll post pics. And yes, I have a shop manual and installed these bushings correctly and torqued all the parts to factory recommendations.

 

Can you post the part numbers?

 

Maybe they changed the design. Mine look just like the stock one, and they do have a lip that sticks out of the bracket.

When installing these, was the front end up, both wheels off, with minimal tension on the sway bar?

Jae

 

I think I saw front sway bar bushings for sale online but not through Nissan. Has anybody tried these? They must be cheaper than dealer prices.

Thanks for the tip on Energy Suspension bushings. I was about to order them.

 

Hmmm... I've got the ES sway bar bushings too. I will have to take a look at them. They have a few thousand miles on them now. Good looking out, Dubbya.

 

What other kind would there be other than the split bushing??

FWIW, I have energy control arm and swaybar bushings. They make popping sounds much of the time.

Dave

 

My bushings are great. They made a huge difference between the OEM. I'd change them again even after 5k as long as i have stiffer steering.

 

The popping noise associated with polyurethane bushings is typically the pulling gripping, twisting, and then releasing. Poly is always a compromise - especially in a control arm type of situation. Aluminum bushings with the Nylon sleeve like "Del-A-lums" tend to work well as they are nice and smooth. Unfortunately, they are typically pricey, have limited applications, and transmit road bumps, etc. A harder durometer rubber bushing (whenever available - unfortunaltey rare) is usually my preferred solution or stock rubber.

 

Cab, does tapping and fitting a zerk typically help the popping issue?

Dave

 

I just bought ES LCA bushing, is anyone had problem with these?

 

i was thinking of buying them too

 

anyone know the part number for these? Are there replacement directions anywhere in the stickies?

 

i was going to do this this weekend but i might do more research on them before I end up doing the same work twice

anyone had any problem with ES LCA bushings?

 

Greetings, no offense but i had my ES for almost 3years and no squeaking issues or similiar problem like you have. i'm happy with them ES. Were you sure of your work(lube,etc)? did you buy your ES from Courtesy Nissan? because i bought mines from them 3 years ago and, to date, I haven't experience any problems. the ES i have on my 96 GXE are well intact and no signs of any wear.