[White_THawk]

Here is why I though the oem bushings were blown. They are designed with these ridges in them. But with the sway bars installed, under pressure, and in the darker area under the car they looked like they were cracked and blown all the way around. With them off and in my hand I could flex and inspect them and they are just made this way. They are solid all the way through and around.

This just shows the rib that goes around the bushing. It holds it in place so it doesn't slide back and forth in the bracket. This isn't a problem with the poly bushing with the oem bracket, because the bushings will sit inside the brackets and the bracket lips will stop the bushing from sliding.

Here you can see that the poly bushings won't fit on the oem brackets and the poly brackets won't work on the raised style oem brackets. So I had to make the poly bushing fit onto the oem brackets. The first thing I had to do was grind the lips off the poly bushings.

Next I ground down the corner edges on the poly bushings. This helps the poly bushings sit flat on the bottom oem bracket. I could've rounded the edges around the top curved areas as well to fit the top oem bracket better too, but I figured it would compress into position. The ribs around the oem brackets are now not used with the poly bushings, but that works fine. I used Mobil 1 synthetic grease on the inner part of the poly bushing and then put that on the bar. Then I put grease on the base of the bottom bracket and put that in place under the poly bushings and sway bar. Then I greased the upper bracket and put that on top on the the bushing. The ribs in the oem brackets are perfect for holding the grease. Make sure you use synthetic or silicone grease. Do not use petroleum base grease.

This is the problem I had with the 24mm measurement and the actually 24mm poly bushings. I seem to never have any luck with poly sway bar bushings because all the cars I work on, they never seem to fits correctly. I think it's the molding process for the poly bushings. You can see the bushings don't close all the way around the sway bar. Not much of an issue with the brackets clamping around the bushings. Even after clamping the bracket in place, the gap doesn't close. So I recommend using 25mm or 26mm poly bushings so you don't have this gap.

 

[White_THawk]

To install the sway bar back on was a lot easier. Since taking it off was guessing what I needed to remove to make enough room to get it out. When installing the sway bar, don't install the brackets. They can now go on afterwards. This makes it easier to slide the sway bar back in place. Once I got the bar in place, I bolted the sub frame back in place before doing the sway bar brackets. I actually did the sway bar last. Tighten all the sub frame bolts up until the last few threads. I used a pry bar to push the sub frame on both sides of the car until the bolts line up with the old marks they left when I took them off. This is how I lined the sub frame back to where it was. There is actually a lot of play in the sub frame and it could be bolted in a different position. I also used blue locktite on all the sub frame bolts. Make sure you pry both side of the sub frame into position before tightening any bolts or you can pry the sub frame around anymore. Remember that the 4 bolts on the front of the sub frame couldn't be tightened all the way down because they seemed to just compress the round tube they bolt onto.

*A side note: I have the Trailhawk and I forgot to mention I had to remove the skid plate as well. The skid plate blocks the exhaust hanger bolts.

Next I bolted the 2 exhaust hangers back on.

Install the passenger side strut back on.

Then the sway bar brackets. I used a lot of grease. You don't want them squeaking and having to remove them again. Bonus, with the rivets now cut, I can remove and install new bushings without having to remove the entire sway bar again.

Then the sway bar end links.

And finally the tires.

A quick test drive and no more clanking noise. I need to take the Renegade back in to get the alignment done again though. While driving the Jeep for so long with no sway bar, the alignment is off. It pulls to the right. After changing out the sway bar bushings, it still pulls a bit to the right. With the new bushings and replaced broken sway bar end link I can get a alignment done and not worry about ill effects.