New springs and shocks for TJ Wagon

[leadfoot6]

About $50-70.

It could be a fraction less, but the above is fair for 30 -45 minutes labour.

I fitted mine at home so for me, just the price of the bushes.....$23.

[cooperplace]

is it hard to do? any special tools needed?
thanks

[leadfoot6]

There are no special tools needed, other than having small fingers.

Well, smaller than mine anyway.

Sockets will not fit in, only spanners and fingers.

From memory(it's 3 years ago), the nuts were 14 or 15mm, so make sure you have good ring/open ender spanners in this size.

Allow a couple of hours if you don't have a garage hoist(who does?) and if you work slowly like I do(I'm handicapped).

Apply the special grease which should come with the supplied part to the "inside" of the bush, not to the "outside".

"Inside" means the circumference of the new busing material between bush and metal stabiliser bar, not between bush and chassis.

At 1:10 of this video that I have just found will explain this.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUvOY9nY9zc

Start and complete one side at a time, meaning keep one wheel loaded(on the ground) whilst changing the bush.

I followed the advice given here:

https://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/sh...=1#post1388611

EDIT: Note, I have made some changes to the text since posting last night.

I am now a bit more refreshed this morning after getting almost no sleep the previous night due to a sleep apnea test gone wrong.

[cooperplace]

why nolathane? how does this compare to the stock black ones?
thanks

[leadfoot6]

1. I'm not sure if the genuine stock ones are still available.....I never tried.

2. If genuine was still available, I imagine they may be more expensive than the Nolathane part I linked to.

3. From aftermarket, you can use Nolathane or Superpro or Whiteline.....they would be similar in price and performance.

4. I only linked to the Nolathane part because I could find the exact correct part number easily.....there is a fair bit of confusion as to the correct front sway bar size - due to AWD 23mm being different to FWD 21.5mm.

5. Nolathane/Superpro bushes are harder than original genuine rubber bushes.....they provide more roll resistance.

6. In this particular situation, front sway bar fitment, I can personally endorse the improvement in performance, i.e. greater roll stiffness = better handling.

7. Fitment also eliminated a minor but noticeable "knocking" noise I had in the front of my AWD when I went over speed bumps.

As I said earlier, $23(parts only - self fitted so no labour) for my front sway bar bushes 23mm size suit AWD only was about the best "bang for the buck" improvement I can recall.

FWD size = 21.5mm as per the link I supplied earlier to the Nolathane product.

As of right now, the link shows "out of stock" and $10 postage(it was current when I first posted it).

Here is an equivalent, suitable and interchangeable 21.5mm, Whiteline part number:

https://www.ebay.com.au/p/Whiteline-...6588295&chn=ps

Superpro will have a listing also, but that requires downloading their catalog, or calling their Brisbane Fulcrum Suspension store.

1800 385 278

[cooperplace]

I just measured my FWD TW sway bar, with a micrometer, at 23mm. Did they use the AWD sway bar in the TW?

[leadfoot6]

It's a possibility.

Maybe getting towards the end of the production of Magnas, they had excess AWD parts that could be used on other models.

I am just speculating, of course, but I can't see a reason why an AWD front sway bar could not be used on a wagon - or FWD sedan for that matter.

It would change the handling balance somewhat, but if it was done the engineers must have decided that there were no pressing reasons why such a change could not be made.

As my AWD takes the same front end components as a FWD sedan, I have replaced with new the front lower control arms/strut top mount/springs/shocks, I see no reason why a wagon could not accept a front sway bar originally designed/fitted for an AWD.

Anyway, you have measured and found that your bar measures 23mm.

That is the sensible course of action to take.