Easy to replace front sway bar bushings?

48357 Views 43 Replies 20 Participants Last post by plplplpl, Oct 10, 2020

syllinx

Discussion Starter · Mar 11, 2014

I'm just curious if you can slide under with a wrench and swap them out or do I have to loosen other parts etc.
I'm getting a clunk and everything else looks good. Keep getting told it's the sway bar bushings. Can't look now cause i'm at work lol.

1 - 20 of 44 Posts

05220713

· #2 · Mar 12, 2014

It is not a hard job but space is tight especially on the passenger side. Make sure you have both front wheels off the ground and as close to level as possible at the same time to relieve tension on the sway bar or you will have safety issues.

syllinx

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 13, 2014

Thanks. Can't wait to order the bushings. Should be cheap.

syllinx

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 13, 2014 (Edited)

Not sure I can do it lol.

I see just about no room at all to undo the bolt on the driver side under the a/c lines. Is there a secret? Going to buy two types of flexible extensions just for the hell of it and try them lol. I don't want to lower the control arm or cross member if thats what has to be done.

Rocky

· #5 · Mar 14, 2014

I watch my buddy do it. He dropped the subframe and inch or so to get access.

05220713

· #6 · Mar 14, 2014

Space is tight. I used open end wrenches but the flexible box end type with the ratchet would have made it easier. I did not lower the sub frame.

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/099198/099198855608lg.jpg

stubble

· #7 · Apr 13, 2015

Hey all, resurrecting this thread just to say thanks for the info. Did my 2005 Pilot EX-L sway bar bushings today. Used OEM Honda bushings ordered from Majestic Honda. I didn't drop anything, just took my time on the one problematic bolt driver's side, using a thin 9/16 box-end wrench. It's not bad at all. It has to be a 12 point wrench because you only get one point out of each turn. My ratcheting box-end wrench wouldn't fit sadly, so it was old-school time!

Anyway thanks. The clunk/rattle I've been hearing when going down bumpy roads is GONE. Sweet!

clavalley

· #8 · May 16, 2015

Sway bar bushings

Hey Stubble just did my sway bar bushings on the front of my 05' pilot. Passenger side was not bad. Driver side was a little more involved. Dropped the sub frame an inch for much better access. Took a few hours on both. Drivers side 14mm box end on bolt near a/c lines, front bolt 14mm socket. Took wheels of both sides. This was not a fast job. Just take your time. Patience will prevail. I tried to do the rear sway bar bushings,? much more challenging than the front. Tried dropping the sub frame a little but couldn't budge the 4 bolts. Going to my friends with a lift and bigger torque wrench. I can't see any other way to do it.

nheric

· #9 · May 21, 2015

dealer just quoted me an hour to do it. I'm letting them fight with it for that short amount of time

nheric

· #10 · May 24, 2015

just had the dealer do mine this morning. 90% of my clunking in the suspension is now gone. feels better too. dealer labor came to $142. worth it to me, feels a lot better and took them about 1 1/2 hours. maybe 1 hour 45 minutes. would have been all day if I was lucky trying to struggle with it myself!

cofetym

· #11 · May 24, 2015

Be weary out there Piloteers! When I took my vehicle in for the airbag recall, they told me I needed sway bar bushings and a few other things.
I declined the suggestions and took the vehicle to my mechanic. He told me in good conscience he could not recommend any of them.:headshak:

nheric

· #12 · May 24, 2015

I could see mine were oblong shaped. Mine were surely needed.

plplplpl

· #13 · Jun 1, 2015

Gotta say, while I love my new-to-me Pilot, this front end clunking sound going over potholes (can't avoid 'em here) and other less than level surfaces at slow to moderate speeds is starting to get on my nerves. It feels like the mighty and steadfast Honda Pilot SUV has feet of clay.

Reading the present thread, this one and several others has led me to believe that it's probably the front sway bar (i.e. stabilizer bar) bushings. Thanks to all who contributed. :29:

Then I remembered the guy who sold it to me left me some in that little trunk. I uploaded pictures I took of them below, OEM part number 52306-S3V-A00.

However, those appear to be for the rear, and I think the Inner Diameter is .76", whereas the front ones have an Inner Diameter of .91", according to the specs on Rockauto.com, which is therefore why I ended up ordering a couple of the Moog front stabilizer bar bushings there, OEM part number 51306S3VA00. These:

The front and rear bushings sure look alike and the part number is the same except for one digit. Glad I double-checked.

The vehicle handles very well, clunking notwithstanding, so I'm not sure I should switch out the inner tie rods as well. Maybe I'll wait to see if the new sway bar / stabilizer bar bushings solve it, as many here have testified they do.

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Reactions: 1

nheric

· #14 · Jun 1, 2015

Yeah, mine has a little clunk left over after the sway bushings. Headed to Honda tonight to check, needs to be ready for about a 2k mile round trip in a few weeks!

Rocky

· #15 · Jun 1, 2015

Those pothole manhole clunks that sound awful will go away with new sway bar bushings. It took some time to figure out the cause, and to be honest the $20 bushings and 45 mins of time to remove and replace was a case of let's suck it and see after we'd eliminate alternatives. Relatively cheap even if we were on the wrong track.
The old ones had a hole that was oval in shape allowing excessive movement.
You'll like the improvement.

Reactions: 1

nheric

· #16 · Jun 4, 2015

my final noise was cured with a new inner tie rod. silent over the bumps now. I love that feeling.

Reactions: 2

plplplpl

· #17 · Jun 6, 2015 (Edited)

nheric said:
my final noise was cured with a new inner tie rod. silent over the bumps now. I love that feeling.

Just ordered a couple from Rockauto.

It's not too expensive for the parts, I figure the next time my mechanic is in there doing the stabilizer bar bushings and other things, I may as well ask him to do the inner tie rods at the same time, since labor would be the biggest part of this repair anyway. Or maybe do it myself.

2004 PILOT

· #18 · Jun 14, 2015

Been getting a "bad strut noise" for a few years now. I put in KYB's which one was bad, so fast forward to yesterday I put in Monroe quick struts, and new sway bar end links, real easy, still have the "bad strut noise", its better but still there. Going to try the sway bar bushings and see if that helps!! I still have to put an inner tie rod on the drivers side, it has a tiny bit of play also.

2004 PILOT

· #19 · Jun 18, 2015

The sway bar bushings did the trick, noise free!!! It drives like a new pilot.

Reactions: 1

plplplpl

· #20 · Jun 18, 2015

Now I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble installing the inner tie rods right way, even though I already have them. Maybe just doing the sway bar bushings might be enough.

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