Kizashi Club

Has anyone changed the front sway bar bushes themselves? I was wondering if it's "mission impossible" without doing something dramatic like lowering the front sub-frame.

Not me. I'll take a look when I'm under the car tomorrow for an oil change (finally).

On the topic of front sway bars:
I've never found any aftermarket parts related to the front sway bars other than this:
http://www.awdmotorsports.com/product_p/klc169-6434.htm

Isn't Whiteline an Australian company? You'd probably have better luck given you live there if you wanted to get something like this. As for bushings, they are readily available even in auto parts stores (at least here) and you can probably swap in a polyurethane bushing of the same size as an OEM rubber one.

Here's Whiteline's link on them:

http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_det ... ber=KLC169

Thanks. I'm chasing a knock in the front end. Last time the dealer was of no use and didn't locate anything wrong (my guess is they just lifted the bonnet and checked a couple of bolts were tight, job done! It's still under warranty, but if the dealer is not good at fault finding I'd rather not take it there and risk them damaging something else.)

I'm a bit suss of the front sway bar possibly being the problem. Someone else had the D bushes replaced for a knock, so I was contemplating going the polyurethane path; but if it's a subframe out job that won't be happening.

I've actually got a set of those end links already - but have held off fitting them because of the knock/ warranty. In case the knock is something else and they try blaming the links.

I might need to investigate further and try to isolate it myself.

I changed the oil today in my Kizashi and while I was under the car, I took some photos for you and made some observations regarding the front sway bar bushings.

They are accessible without removing the sway bar though the RH side will be a pain due to little clearance in removing the bolts. LH side will be relatively easy. I don't know whether the crossmember needs to be removed to remove the sway bar, but the removal of the sway bar from the car looks very tricky. Best to just try go at the bushings themselves without trying to remove the bar. I know the bushings have a slit in them so they slip on and off the bar once the clamp is unbolted.

I must note that having seen the front sway bar, I'm no longer wondering why there was no aftermarket front sway bar for the Kizashi. The factory one is very thick. At least 21mm which would make it thicker than RRM's rear sway bar (19mm) and the factory rear (15mm).

Left Hand side bushing:
Right Hand side bushing:

Thanks. It doesn't look impossible to just change the bushes, just a challenge.

I'm about to go have a look at mine - being RHD it might be the mirror opposite?

PS: Front bars are normally a lot thicker than the rear.

Okay, the Whiteline KLC169 end link kit WILL NOT fit a Kizashi.

First their sway bar wouldn't fit and now I discover the end links won't either. The KLC169 ball joint section has an M12 threaded end when the Kizashi stock links are only M10. So, unless you drill out the end of the sway bar and the strut end link mount hole there is no way they will fit.

Not happy as I've had them for a long time.

BTW, the front bar diameter on my 2011 FWD non Sport is 24mm at the ends (it should be the same diameter at the D bushes.) I'm guessing yours might be the same KuroNekko given the "A240" part number on the bar collar (indicating 24.0mm?)

Also, this end link http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_det ... KLC140-275 part number KLC140-275 would appear to be the correct item to fit a Kizashi front sway bar. It's got the same length specs as the KLC-169, but with the 10mm threaded ball joints.

(Going by the specs, this should also fit http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_det ... ber=KLC163 - it also fits Camrys... )

For universal D bushes:
http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/Un ... shings.asp
or http://www.nolathane.com.au/do_segue.ph ... ehicle=ALL and http://www.nolathane.com.au/product_det ... ber=42924G
(Would need to get bolt eye to bolt eye measurements off the stock brackets.)

That sucks that the Whiteline end links don't fit. However, maybe you can exchange them given it's an error on their end to list the incompatible part for the Kizashi. Both Whiteline's and the first link I posted have the KLC169 as the part for the Kizashi. It would be hard for them to deny an exchange for an unused part given the wrong part is still listed for the Kizashi in their website. Had that not been the case, you'd not have bought the wrong part.

24mm for the front sway bar sounds about right. I did not measure it, but simply eyeballed it and took photos. That's why I said it was at least 21mm meaning it could be thicker but no less than 21mm. It's one beefy bar up front.

Are your factory rubber bushings cracking? Or is it that if you're going to bother lubing them, you'd rather just replace them with polyurethane?

I've Emailed Whiteline and they've already said they'll send out the correct M10 ball joint ends.
It will be interesting to see if they change their website listing to the correct part. (Those end links are all over Ebay etc being sold as fitting a Kizashi. I must be the only sucker who bought them!)

The factory bushes appear fine, not cracked or anything. I'm looking into them in case they're the cause of the intermittent knock I'm getting over bumps. Like I said earlier, there's another thread on here somewhere where another owner had them all replaced and it fixed a similar knock. I'd rather replace them with better quality bushes and links. I've already got the upgraded rear bar, so stiffer bushes in the front should enhance the handling a bit further too.