Mercedes-Benz Sway Bar Bushing Replacement

Is your Mercedes-Benz suspension feels loose, and there’s a clunking noise from the front end of the suspension? Learn how to fix the problem by replacing the sway bar bushings of your vehicle. This guide provides instructions on replacing sway bar bushings on a Mercedes-Benz, also known as torsion bar bushings.

The pictures and video are from a 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL550; Mercedes-Benz uses the same setup on almost all models, including the E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, CLK-Class, SL-Class, ML-Class, and R-Class. The part numbers are different for each model, but the repair and replacement procedure remains the same.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of bad swaybar bushings include:

• The suspension feels loose.
• Clunking noise from front-end suspension.

What you will need

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Parts

• Mercedes-Benz swaybar bushing

Tools

• Torque Wrench
• Ratchet Wrench
• 18 MM Socket
• 13 MM Socket
• Breaker bar

Procedure

1. Park the vehicle on level ground and set the parking brakes.
2. Allow the engine to cool down. For your additional safety, place a wedge on both sides of the rear wheel.
3. Raise the vehicle and support it with jack stands. Remove the front wheels.
4. Remove the splash shield under the car. It is held in place with multiple 8mm screws.
5. Spray penetrating oil on the sway bar’s bolts, then wait for fifteen minutes.
6. Hoist the opposite side of the sway bar support to make it possible to loosen the tension on the side being replaced.
7. Using a small screwdriver, remove the dirt that has accumulated on the bolts to expose it.
8. Loosen the bracket retaining bolts using an 18mm socket and a breaker bar.
9. Remove the retaining bolts using an 18mm socket and a ratchet wrench.
10. Remove the sway bar support retaining nut using a 13mm socket wrench (optional impact wrench). It is recommended to use another 13mm socket wrench to counteract the bolt’s rotation.
11. Push the sway bar support retaining bolt out.
12. Remove the bushings, lower bushing first, then upper bushing.
13. Prepare the new bushing.
14. Install the upper bushings first; you may need to slide it in place.
15. Install lower bushings.
16. Install sway bar support retaining bolt and nut.
17. Install the bracket and fasten the retaining bolt by hand.
18. Fasten bracket bolt using a ratchet wrench with an 18mm socket.
19. Torque the bolts at specifications. It is recommended to torque the sway bar bushing bolts when the vehicle is lowered and the wheels are on the ground.  Repeat the procedure for the bushing on the other side.
20. Reinstall the splash shield.
21. Install wheels. Lower vehicle. Remove the jack stands and jack and torque the lug nuts.

Torque Specifications

• Sway bar bushing bolts* – 50 ft-lbs, 70 Nm
• Wheel lug nuts* –  90  ft-lbs

These are typical values and may vary between models. Call your vehicle dealer and verify.

Frequently Asked Question

We hope you find the Mercedes-Benz Sway Bar Bushing Replacement guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mercedes-Benz.