Trying to DIAG possible worn out sway bar bushings on a Honda Accord. On this car, the bushings appear to be molded/formed directly to the sway bar, and you are not supposed to attempt to replace just the bushings, and get a brand new sway bar. I would like to confirm that the sound I am hearing is coming from the bushings. Is there any safety issues with temporarily disconnecting the sway bar links, to see if the sound goes away, as long as I drive around turns very slowly?
The service data says to use Honda tool VSB02C000016, which appears to be a front subframe adapter for a transmission jack. I wouldn’t mind buying the Honda made subframe adapter, but I can’t find it for sale anywhere. Is there a universal front subframe/engine cradle adapter that I could buy? Interestingly, it seems like on this car, the entire front subframe can come out, and the engine or transmission are not mounted to it.
As long as you are following the the speed limit and the rules of the road, you might not even realize the swaybar is even disconnected, lots of broken and missing swaybar links out there on the roads… Now if all 4 struts/shocks are blown out and you are pushing the car hard in the corners, you gonna have a lot of body roll…
A lot of Tacoma/4runner guys (and probably others) remove the front swaybar even when new for better off roading and say they still handle very good if driving normal around the curves…
Street strip drag racers will sometimes remove the front swaybars also, so don’t overthink doing it for a diagnostic test drive… Just make sure it can not come in contact with the outer cv boot while driving, or you will be adding that to the repair bill…
You didn’t say what year it is so I didn’t look it up, but just because the OE manufacture says the bushings are not replicable, doesn’t mean the aftermarket doesn’t make them to be replaced… Toyota doesn’t make an inner tie rod end for the 17 Corolla, they want to replace the entire rack-n-pinion, but the aftermarket makes a replacement that works great…
That type of equipment, which is distributed to dealers usually costs a thousand dollars or more. For others, the subframe can be lowered using a common floor jack.
For some cars it may be necessary to lower the subframe to replace the stabilizer bar. If instead of replacing the bar, you use aftermarket replacement bushings, they can be installed without removing the stabilizer bar.