Stabilizer bar bushing placement

Hey everyone I'm the new guy here..
Pretty new to getting greasy under tacoma trucks..anyways.
-so in the Haynes manual for 1st gen tacomas re the stabilizer bar bushing replacement.. it says to position the slit towards the front of the vehicle.. but on my truck..its definitely the original rubber bushing.. the slit faces the rear. So my actual question is which direction is correct for a new/modern material replacement bushing? I bought Mevotech and have yet to find an answer to this question. I'm under my truck today and could really use an answer asap. Thanks!

 

FSM shows them facing toward the rear of the truck.

 

Yes! And those are Def my style links.. I've noticed alot of other same gen trucks have a different style of link.. a vertical pin w little bushings squashing the end of the stabilizer bar between them. Did they only make this kind of link for 2001 4wd?

 

I don't know which trucks have the other style of links.

 

Sounds like those are likely quick-disconnect endlinks to allow you to get more articulation when offroading.

Quick disconnect sway bar end links | Tacoma World

 

The 1st gen links are too short to easily make quick disconnects like you are describing.

There is another style for the 5 lug trucks that looks like this:


I just don't know if that's limited to 5 lug trucks, or if some 4wd/pre runners had them as well. I didn't want to make a statement that only 5 lugs have them, when I don't know if that's correct.

 

Gotcha. Well thanks Andy I really appreciate that schematic. I wonder why there always has to be reputable sources with contradictory directions. I'd love to know the 'why' behind which direction the bushing should fit and what the difference is in the end.
Thanks again!

 

Ahh cool. I just googled quick disconnect for the 1g and this popped up so I figured they'd all be the same for that gen. My tC has this same style in the rear. Reading more into that thread it looks like Toyota changed the sway in 2001 for the Tacomas. But the part about the pin made me think quick-disconnect. Never seen a factory endlink that uses a retaining pin.

 

No problem.

While the FSM is probably right- even it contradicts itself sometimes.

As for the sway bar bushings- I really don't think it would make a difference... It's not going to fall off. It's captured by the bracket.

 

Yea it Def seems that's the actual physics when you come down to it.. if the bracket holds it in... who give a flying -"F!" Just try one way and see what happens. Lol!

 

Oh yeah.. duh.. it just occurred to me that the schematic you posted from the fsm.. is for and using the old style rubber bushings w those big wings on them.. which I can't even find online on rockauto,etc.. &they are all new space age super crazy poly material now.. so maybe Haynes takes that into consideration with their instruction of slit direction placement. ... ??? Who knows.. but it sux I don't have the time to sit on this site and ask everyone more questions.. I need to get dirty and ding a few knuckles b4 I even have the sway bar off. Lol! Good talkin!

 

I never heard of the sway bar bushings having an orientation on which way the slit "should be" installed. Then again I don't have a Haynes manual & if the FSM says it somewhere I've never noticed it. Just because the diagram in the FSM shows the slit towards the rear, doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be that way.... unless it specifically states somewhere.

Older Tacomas came with end link bushings. I always buy the ES poly sway bar bushings & it comes with the older style end link bushings. I just toss em in a box in case they might be useful for something someday. I don't see why it would matter which way the slit faces. I always install mine with the slit facing towards the front, simply cause it's less likely to see the slit. But then again it's under the truck anyway & no one else is gonna look at it. IIRC the slit on the ES bushings aren't in the same spot as the OEMs anyway.

If there is a reason why they are supposed to be installed in a certain direction, then I have been doing it wrong for the past 15 yrs.

 

Haaaa!! Yeah I usually just try to research my sheet as best I can b4 doing a project. Haynes must be writing it due to new polymer bushings..not like these old soft rubber ones that have seemed to meld w my crusty metal boxes tht extend off the frame.. I just had to pull off my sway bar and cold chisel the old rubber,paint &rust that formed into a solid where the old bushings were..Def oem. I got this truck from its original owner &he was an old man. He died last year or b4 at 96.. so he got it new when he was 76. His son (my customer) who is now 75 sold it to me after his dad died. Anyhw.. I of course snapped off one of the damn super long bolts thr hold the bracket on tht surrounds the bushing.. lucky I could heat and vice grip turn out the broken bolt shaft. And I happened to have a 10.9grade same bolt..just a Lil shorter I hope will work. I'm still at it rt nw w tools everywhere on the driveway and it up on blocks.. I has to take the grinder to the sway bar as well to take the crud down just so the new bushings would even fit! Now I'm about to climb under again and try to put it all back 2gether.. gonna put the slit to the front..but atm..it's the least of my worries.. one of my frame boxes (passenger side) is somehow bent upwards a Lil bit and well see wht tht does to my install..and then driving. I've just replace both upper control arms, upper and lower ball joints, new passenger cv shaft..this month.. &last year I did new tie rods, sway links &coil overs.. trying to get the clunk from my junk when driving..lol! Now I see I'm in need of new steering rack bushings..I'm sure tht has a Lil clunk to it as well.. well...I'm diving in again! I'll probly write something when I'm done.. and itl be tonight..even if it's 1am.. it's now 7:25pm here in Maine.. &a nice balmy 50deg! here we go...!! Deep breaths..!! ...."Blup!!" (Tht was a submersion sound btw)