Lizard

I have a 2005 ES330 and am trying to replace the front sway bar bushings. The passenger side is total toast. Problem is that the bracket bolts are removed from the top and will not come out completely as they bottom out on the lower frame long before the threads are out of the lower bung nut. Looks like you have to drop some of the frame to make the bolts clear? What am I doing wrong? Amazingly moronic design. Thanks.

Oro

There is no easy way to do it. A speed wrench helps, and a lot of time. Eventually you will loosen the nut and the bolt will drop free; getting it re-started is even harder. Those frame components, from what I could tell, are all welded and there's no short-cut.

Are you sure you really need to do it? I did ours (230k on car) and they were totally fine; I had wasted a lot of time was all.

Lizard

Thanks Oro. Yes, the passenger side bushing has chunks of it missing or flapping around outside of the bracket. I did manage to get one bolt loose but had to scrape off some undercoating to gain clearance. On my 2005 es330, there are no real "nuts" involved to loosen. The bolts thread into welded in "bung" nuts. I thing I might be able to remove the bolts but I'm worried about putting a new bushing in and not being able to compress it enough to get those bracket bolts back in. If you recall, did you have to disconnect the end links from the bar?

Oro

I believe I had the sway bar's end links loose, because I was doing it at the same time as strut replacement. I recall getting the bolt started into the blind nut was a real pain, and the tightening was maddening because of the limited access/angle. Compressing the new bushing was not the biggest issue as far as I recall. It was a serious PITA no matter how you approached it. Mine was/is 2002 and I think on this, identical to yours - pretty much everything was 02-06 other than powertrain updates.

Lizard

Thanks oro. I was trying to do this repair for a friend of mine. They ended up needing to take the car out of town in a hurry, so they went to Monro to see if they could do it. They told them the same thing...that it was a major pain, and they had to "drop the frame a bit to gain clearance." I had an easier time changing the timing belt and water pump than trying to figure out those bushings, haha. Thanks again.