OK....
I bought a set of track bar and sway bar bushings (Energy Suspension), through Autozone and of course...it seems they sold me the wrong ones.
I got :
Sway bar: #4.5186R
Track Bar: #4.7126R

Well the sway bar set is wrong. End link bushings are too large.

Energy suspension tells me I need 4.5192R for the sway bar and the "chat" person couldn't give me a straight answer on the track bar.

So I appeal to the SD gods.... HALP!!!

I have an Early 99 (Build date 10/98)
32mm (1 1/4 in) sway bar.
ES said I have the 1.15 end link eyes. But she couldn't tell me where to measure them to verify this. Width?, inside diameter?, outer diameter?


Thanks all!

 

**Bump**

Bueller? Anyone??

 

You're asking for anyone to comment? Hey, even I qualify as an anyone, so here is a list of all the urethane replacement bushings for swaybars and links, and how the early 99, the 99.5 - 2003, and the Excursion differ from each other. (Note: Applicable to 4x4 vehicles only)

Manufacturer: PROTHANE MOTION CONTROL (a division of Dee Engineering, Inc.)
Part Number: 6-1166
Quantity Required: One (1)
Estimated Price Range: $35.00 to $45.00
Vehicle Applications: 1999-2004 Ford Super Duty 4WD F-250 F-350 F450 F-550
Application Restrictions: 32mm sway bar axle mount bushings will not fit Excursion, but end link bushings (the subject of this list) will fit. May not fit some early 1999 applications. Prothane does not provide more specific fit up information beyond "1999-2004"
Product Description: Includes 8 Urethane half flange bushings, 4 metal sleeve bushings for through bolts, 4 washers, and 2 U shaped bar bushings. No bolts, no nuts, no brackets are included. The 6-1166 kit appears to be still available in black or red.

Distributer: Diversified Suspension Technologies (DST)
Resellers: Energy Suspenion Products .com and Prothane Suspension Products .com
Manufacturer: PROTHANE MOTION CONTROL
Part Number: 881166
Quantity Required: One (1)
Estimated Price Range: $29.00 to $33.00
Vehicle Applications: 1999-2004 Ford Super Duty 4WD F-250 F-350 F450 F-550 + Excursion
Application Restrictions: May not fit early 1999. Fits sway bar end links with 1.5" nominal bore diameter (which is most 2000-04 F250-550 & Excursion)
Product Description: End link bushings only. Offered in black only. Includes 8 pieces of urethane half flange bushings, 4 rolled sleeves, & 4
washers. Does not include any bolts or nuts.

Manufacturer: ENERGY SUSPENSION
Part Number: 4.5186
Quantity Required: One (1)
Estimated Price Range: $34.00 to $44.00
Vehicle Applications: 2000-2004 Ford Super Duty 4WD F-250 F-350 F450 F-550
Application Restrictions: 32mm sway bar axle mount bushings will not fit Excursion, but end link bushings (the subject of this list) will fit. May not fit some early 1999 applications. See other ENERGY kits listed below for Excursion specific and early 1999 applications
Product Description: Includes 8 Urethane half flange bushings, 4 metal sleeve bushings for through bolts, 4 washers, and 2 U shaped bar bushings. No bolts, no nuts, no brackets are included. Available in two colors. Append part number with "G" for Graphite (black) or "R" for Red.

Manufacturer: ENERGY SUSPENSION
Part Number: 4.5180
Quantity Required: One (1)
Estimated Price Range: $34.00 to $44.00
Vehicle Applications: 2000-2005 Ford 4WD Excursion only
Application Restrictions: 36mm sway bar axle mount bushings will not fit F250/350/450/550s, but end link bushings (the subject of this list) will fit except for early 1999 model years. See other ENERGY kits listed below for truck specific and early 1999 applications.
Product Description: Includes 8 Urethane half flange bushings, 4 metal sleeve bushings for through bolts, 4 washers, and 2 U shaped bar bushings. No bolts, no nuts, no brackets are included. Available in two colors. Append part number with "G" for Graphite (black) or "R" for Red.

Manufacturer: ENERGY SUSPENSION
Part Number: 4.5192
Quantity Required: One (1)
Estimated Price Range: $34.00 to $44.00
Vehicle Applications: Early 1999 Ford Super Duty 4WD F-250 F-350 F450 F-550 (love the turbo whine of an early '99)
Application Restrictions: Will only fit early 1999 to mid 1999, and that is only if the original sway bar and end links have not been upgraded to a later style, per a now inactive Ford TSB that was issued in 2001 with an available update for early trucks still under warranty at that time.
Product Description: Includes 8 Urethane half flange bushings, 4 metal sleeve bushings for through bolts, 4 washers, and 2 U shaped bar bushings. No bolts, no nuts, no brackets are included. Available in two colors. Append part number with "G" for Graphite (black) or "R" for Red.

BUSHING REPLACEMENT KITS NOT LISTED ABOVE:

Deeza #FOL740 (For Rear Axle Only)
Moog #K80086 (For Rear Axle Only)
MevoTech #MK80086 (For Rear Axle Only)

SPECIAL NOTE

The "881166" part number for sway bar end links available from "Energy Suspension Products .com" is not really an Energy product. Here is the story:

First, the cast of characters:

1. Energy Suspension ... the Manufacturer.

2. Energy Suspension Parts . com .... an independent reseller of urethane suspension parts that are not only products made by Energy Suspension, but are also products made by Prothane.

3. Prothane Suspension ... the Manufacturer.

4. Prothane Suspension Parts . com ... an independent reseller of urethane suspension parts that are not only products made by Prothane Suspension, but are also products made by Energy.


1. Some general notes about Energy Suspension the manufacture:

Energy is not affiliated with Prothane. Their parts do not all come off the same boat from China. They are separate manufacturers.

Energy makes kits for 1999, 2000-2004, and 2000-2005 Excursions. Energy does not offer end link bushings in isolation outside of a kit. The black only 881166 kit is not an Energy part number, nor is it an Energy product. All true Energy products are available in black or red.

Energy does not offer a standard kit for these applications that includes a "greaseable" sway bar bushing. Energy does make greaseable uBrackets, but they are not included in any application kit. The tech sales rep at Energy (manufacturer) suggested drilling and tapping the stock U bracket for the axle mounted sway bar mounting, and drilling a 1/8" diameter hole through the Energy bar bushing in line with the drilled and tapped u bracket hole just drilled, and threading in one's own zerk fitting as an alternative to special ordering a greaseable u bracket from Energy. (This paragraph has nothing to do with end links, it's just an FYI).

Energy makes 3 kits for the front sway bar for the listed applications this research applys to. These kits include both the sway bar end link bushings as well as the axle mounted sway bar support bushings, and are as follows:

2000-2005 4WD Excursion, 36mm bar, Part # 4.5180
2000-2004 4WD F250-550, 32mm bar, Part # 4.5186
1999-99.5 4WD F250-550, 32mm bar, Part # 4.5192

Append any Energy part number with "G" for Graphite (black) or "R" for Red.

Energy typically offers three different durometers (hardness of the urethane) in their products, but for the kits Energy has for the applications listed here, Energy only offers one durometer, their most durable/hardest, with a durometer of 88 "tough".


2. Some general notes about Prothane Suspension the manufacturer:

Prothane is not affiliated with Energy. Their parts do not all come off the same boat from China. They are separate manufacturers.

Prothane only makes one kit for all for 1999, 2000-2004, and 2000-2005 Excursions, called the 6-1166. Prothane does not offer an end link only kit that has been sold as part number 881166. That part number is not a valid Prothane part number. Prothane, however, does indeed make the actual bushings in that "invalid" part number. The part number is actually the result of a large reseller (below) breaking up that one and only one kit that Prothane makes for the 1999-2004 Super Duty, which is part number 6-1166.

Unlike Energy who offers three different kits, Prothane only makes one kit for all applications, and that kit includes the axle mounted sway bar bushings for a 32mm diameter bar. Prothane does not offer a 36mm diameter bar kit. For that, one must turn to Energy.

The durometer of the Prothane end link bushings is slightly less than Energy's, with a durometer of 85A for the Prothane, versus Energy's 88.


3 & 4. Some general notes about the resellers called Energy Suspension Parts dot com and Prothane Suspension Parts dot com:

Neither reseller is affiliated with either Energy Suspension or Prothane Suspension, but both resellers are affliated with each other. In fact, the parent company of both resellers is Diversified Suspension Technologies (DST) which itself has no direct affliation with either Energy or Prothane, but is a major distributor of both manufacturer's products.

Anyhow, it is the two DST resellers that breaks up Prothane's 6-1166 kit, removes the sway bar bushings, and resells just the end link bushings as Part number 881166. They further market this part number under both the Energy Suspension Parts .com and the Prothane Suspension Parts .com websites.

The point of this clarification is, if you truly want "Energy" suspension end link bushings with a hardness durometer of 88, then don't order 881166.
Instead, look for and order the applicable and true Energy Suspension part numbers I have enumerated above, in black or in red, and know that you can order any part number from either reseller.

If you have an Excursion, and want true "Energy" you will have to live with receiving a couple of axle mounted sway bar support bushings that are two small at 32mm for your 36mm sway bar.

On the other hand, if you don't mind the Prothane brand name, and don't mind or would actually prefer 3 less points in hardness with a durometer of 88, then either order the full Prothane kit listed below that will include 32mm sway bar support bushings, or for end link bushings only, order the break out kit that DST markets as 881166. Just be aware that these are not Energy bushings, they are Prothane's.

Personally, I doubt that I would be able to feel a difference between the two brands, despite durometer differences, at least when new. Only time can tell if there is a long term durability difference. And one would need to have both kits in hand to determine any metal hardware differences like the sleeve wall thickness, or washer plating and thickness.

Clear as mud? Hope so. I was really confused about this, so I tore into it, calling both manufacturers, to get answers straight from the horses's mouthgs. Once I got it all straight, it seemed like a useful bit of info to share here on FTE.

 

Ummmmm. holy crap!!!!
Ok wikitrukia..... Sheesh.
But thanks for verifying what I needed. The ES 4.5192 has been ordered. Should be here Saturday.

Thank you oh Fordcyclopedia!

Your post should be made a sticky for this forum. Damn....my head is still spinning.

 

I had similar issues when I did mine last year. After ordering the wrong ones I ended up spending a couple of extra buck to buy all new links (I had one that was bent when I bought the truck and had to be replaced). The sway bar bushing I had to take the bracket into Napa and test fit a couple different sizes to get the right ones. Everyone I talked to gave a different part number and I couldn't figure out how to measure them properly to buy by size like Energy Suspension suggested.

 

I should know in a couple of days if I got the right ones this time. Hopefully.

 

That was only about 25% of my original post, which also covered more other types of replacement bushings, like OEM style cross axis ball joint bushings, and various aftermarket as well as factory replacements of both the bushings and the entire links themselves. The original post could really make one's head spin, so here is a recently edited version, posted to help someone else with an early 99...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...9-7-3-4x4.html

Stewart mentioned that he made my original into a sticky someplace, but I don't know where to find it. Maybe it is on the Excursion forum?

 

Yes it was posted in the Excursion Forum Tech Folder under the Steering, Suspension, Axles, ect heading.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12677268

Tim M

 

Well bushings have arrived. Gotta swing by to pick them up today...and wouldn't ya know it...gonna rain for the next few days....Figures.

 

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!
OK Sway bar bushings went in without a hitch. No more clunk felt...YEAH!!!!

Now on to the track bar bushings..... SON OF A B@#%$ !!!!!!
The sleeve is too damn big!!!!! Lots of slop with the bolt through it.

DAMN YOU AUTOZONE!!!! No wait...THIS IS FORD'S FAULT!

AZ sold me part #4.7126R. Their site says that is right...their system shows the same thing. So I call Energy suspension directly. They show that part number AND 4.7128R for my truck. HUH???
So I crawled under the truck with my calipers and start taking measurements. Everything shows that I actually need part #4.7115R
98 F250 4x4 GAS ENGINE!

Apparently, Since my truck is an EARLY 99... It uses 98 track bar bushing!! WTF?!?!
And they are for an F250! I HAVE A 350! Dammit.

OK Car fax shows all good on my truck....Was Ford on drugs when mine was built? Or just drunk?

So another set ordered...should be here this Saturday.

This is one for the books. i swear maybe I should be drunk to order these parts. Seems like they put mine together with leftover parts from an F250.

 

Billybob69, glad to here you are making progress. Sadly if you search the sites and parts reviews you will find your not alone. The suspension bushing part numbers for most trucks from the 90's and early 00's seem to be all messed up. I think you might be right about them having a huge box of spare parts that they just grabbed during assembly! Hang in there..... Sounds like you almost have it fixed

 

Aurora? Nice! Another local!

 

I know advance auto had a few different sizes listed and gave size dimensions for the bushings. they ask you to measure them before you go to the store so advance knows whats up rather than just saying "oh its this one?"

 

I QUIT!!!!!

The new ones showed up today.... They literally dropped in. Close ...very close but no cigar. Measured the opening at each end of the track bar at 34.8mm
The diameter of the bushings... 33.9mm.
WHAT THE HELL!?!?!

I thought maybe it's just me..tried em out anyway...steering still sloppy.
Now that being said... I did take the bar to a shop to have the old ones pressed out. Now I don't remember...but shouldn't there be a sleeve in there still?
There is none. I am thinking they should be with how easy the bushings drop in.

I am ready to just buy a new track bar with bushings.... But can I get the right one? I really don't want to drive the truck now but I have to get a load of hay. Only 40 bales but the steering still sucks. My wife may end up going for the hay but I am concerned about how the truck drives.

This is just not right. They are simple bushings.

 

OK So instead of fighting anymore, I contacted Moog and they have the actual track bar WITH bushings.
I got a tech on the phone while I was under the truck and started measuring everything. And it all matches up. So $86 later, (should of done this first) and the part will be shipping out this Friday. What a disaster.