Gentlemen (and, Ladies):

Although I have relatively new Bilstein HD's on rear of my car, it wallows somewhat from side to side when over 50-60 mph. Smooths out, though, over 75 mph - but I just don't drive much in that range.

I'm wondering (car has 174K miles) if my rear sway bar and/or links might cause this. What problems do you think are typically experienced by weak and or broken sway bar links? Does it sound like what I'm describing?

I would say at that milage you should be looking to replace all the suspension bushes in the car if they haven't already been replaced. Suspension movement is greatly affected by worn bushes.

Matt.

If you haven't already a very easy thing to do is to replace the rear sway bar bushngs. They mount to the body, they are hard rubber and not very expensive. Look under your car and you will see where they attach.

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'03 E320 Wagon-Sold
'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
'65 911 Coupe (#302580)

Do you need to remove the sway bar completely to replace these bushings?

I think Matt is closer to the answer on this one. Even if the swaybar was missing entirely, the car won't sway from side-to-side on a smooth road. If it did, it certainly wouldn't decrease in frequency as speed increased.

Just for clarification though, could you indicate if the wallow is similiar to the car rocking from side-to-side on it's springs while the car tracks straight and true, or is the back end of the car actually changing direction in a rythymic manner?

No you don't! The bar stays in place. It is held on both sides by a simple U shaped metal cap. Each cap is attached to the body by two bolts. Remove the two bolts on each cap and the sway bar will fall away enought to remove the metal cap. The bushing is rubber (sits within the cap to isolate noise) and has a split in it. Open the split and it can be easily pulled away from the sway bar.

Before replacing the rubber bushing be sure to clean the sway bar on and around where the bushing sits on the sway bar. It is common to get grit and dirt on the inside of the new rubber bushing and that will accelerate the new bushng wear. This is a very easy thing to do. If you have enough clearance, you might not even have to jack you car up!

The front sway bar is a whole other story. In order to replace these you've got a lot of work ahead of you. It isn't so technical it is just you have to find access to the bushngs.

Do a search on this site, there have been many posts about it.

Hope this helps.

__________________
'03 E320 Wagon-Sold
'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
'65 911 Coupe (#302580)

To PaulC:

No. Doesn't sway side-to-side on smooth road at all. Just does so, almost as an overreaction, on undulating roads.

Interesting note: After I sprayed by right rear sway bar links/joints with heavy silicone, car seems apprecialbly more stable. Any thoughts?