FORMULA, SUPERPRO Sway Bar Bushes for TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 300 Series

A sway bar only works if it is held firmly, and the bushes are what hold it. The sway bar, also called an anti roll bar or stabiliser bar, ties the left and right sides of the suspension together so the body leans less in corners. It mounts to the chassis through a pair of bushes and connects to the suspension through links that often carry bushes of their own. On a heavy 4WD with a high centre of gravity, bull bar and touring load, those bushes take a lot of force every time the vehicle turns, and once they wear, the sway bar starts knocking in its mounts instead of controlling the roll. Use the vehicle search to find sway bar bushes to suit your 300 Series LAND CRUISER.

What Sway Bar Bushes Do on Your 300 Series LAND CRUISER

When a 4WD turns, the body tries to lean toward the outside of the corner. The sway bar resists that by twisting. One side of the suspension compresses, the other extends, and the bar transfers some of that load across the vehicle so the body stays flatter.

The mount bushes hold the bar to the chassis. They have to let the bar rotate as it twists, while stopping it from sliding sideways or moving up and down in its mount. Any free movement there is movement the bar is not using to control roll.

On a 4WD, that job is harder than on a car. A taller body, heavier accessories and a higher centre of gravity all increase the roll forces, and the bushes carry them. A loaded touring 4WD can put a lot of load through a set of sway bar bushes on a winding road.

300 Series LAND CRUISER Mount Bushes and Link Bushes

Sway bar bushes come in two main types, and they do different jobs.

300 Series LAND CRUISER Mount Bushes

Mount bushes clamp the sway bar to the chassis or body, usually with a bracket over each bush. They are sized to the diameter of the bar and let it rotate. These are the bushes most people mean when they talk about sway bar bushes.

300 Series LAND CRUISER Link Bushes

Link bushes sit in the sway bar links, the short rods that connect the ends of the bar to the suspension arms or axle. On many 4WDs, the links use rubber or polyurethane bushes with washers at each end, rather than ball joints. These bushes let the link pivot as the suspension moves.

Worn mount bushes and worn link bushes can make similar noises, so it is worth checking both.

Signs Your 300 Series LAND CRUISER Sway Bar Bushes Are Worn

A clunk or knock over bumps is the most common sign, often from the front. It usually happens when one wheel hits a bump and the bar shifts in its worn mount.

Squeaks are another. Rubber bushes that have dried out, or polyurethane bushes that have lost their grease, can squeak as the bar rotates, especially in cold weather or over speed humps.

More body roll through corners, or a vaguer feel when changing direction, can point to bushes that have worn enough to let the bar move before it starts working.

A knock when turning, particularly at low speed or on uneven ground, can come from the mount bushes or the link bushes.

On inspection, look for bushes that have cracked, split or squashed out of their brackets, a bar that can be moved by hand inside its mount, or shiny wear marks on the bar where it sits in the bush.

Worn sway bar links, ball joints and control arm bushes can cause similar noises, so a full front end inspection is worth doing first.

Finding the Right Size for Your 300 Series LAND CRUISER

Sway bar mount bushes are sized to the outside diameter of the bar. A bush that is too large lets the bar move in the mount and knock. One that is too small will not fit or will bind.

Many vehicles have more than one bar size across their models, years or option packs, and an aftermarket sway bar may be a different size from the factory bar. Front and rear bars are usually different sizes too.

If you are not sure of the size, measure the bar's diameter next to the bush with a set of calipers. Check the product details to confirm the bush size before ordering.

Rubber or Polyurethane 300 Series LAND CRUISER Sway Bar Bushes?

Factory sway bar bushes are usually rubber. Rubber is quiet and isolates vibration, but it deflects as the bar twists, and it hardens, cracks and squashes out over time.

Polyurethane sway bar bushes are generally firmer and hold the bar more precisely. That tends to sharpen the bar's response and reduce body roll slightly, since less of the bar's movement is lost in the bush. Polyurethane also tends to resist oil and wear well.

Polyurethane bushes generally need grease between the bush and the bar to stay quiet. Without it, they can squeak as the bar rotates. Use the grease recommended in the kit instructions, and check it at service time, particularly on a vehicle used in dust, mud or water.

300 Series LAND CRUISER Lifted, Loaded and Towing Considerations

Lifted 300 Series LAND CRUISER

A lift changes the angle of the sway bar links and the position of the bar relative to the suspension. On some vehicles that can preload the bar or put the links at an awkward angle. Some lifts use sway bar relocation brackets or longer links to bring the geometry back. Whether that is needed depends on the vehicle and the lift height.

New bushes are not always needed after a lift, but a lift is a sensible time to inspect them, along with the links. Bushes that are already worn will not cope well with the different loads a lift can introduce.

Loaded 300 Series LAND CRUISER

A bull bar, winch and roof load raise the centre of gravity and increase the roll forces the sway bar has to control. Those forces pass straight through the bushes. Loaded 4WDs can wear their sway bar bushes faster.

Towing With Your 300 Series LAND CRUISER

A trailer or caravan adds side loads at the rear, particularly in crosswinds and when changing lanes. The rear sway bar, where fitted, helps control that, and its bushes carry the load.

300 Series LAND CRUISER Off-Road and Articulation

Off road, the suspension articulates far more than on the road, and the sway bar twists hard. Mud, dust and water work into the bushes. Off-road driving is tough on sway bar bushes, and they are worth checking after a big trip.

What Comes in a 300 Series LAND CRUISER Sway Bar Bush Kit

Kits vary by vehicle. Mount bush kits usually include a pair of bushes for one bar. Link bush kits may cover one link or both. Some kits include grease, and brackets may or may not be included. Check the product details for the bush size, the positions covered and what is supplied.

Replace the 300 Series LAND CRUISER Bushes or the Bar?

New bushes are usually all that is needed when the bar is straight, the brackets are sound and the bar has not worn a groove where it sits in the bush.

The bar or brackets need attention when the bar is bent, cracked or heavily corroded, or when the mounting brackets are damaged. If the links themselves are worn, bent or have seized ball joints, replacing the links is the fix rather than the bushes alone.

Fitting 300 Series LAND CRUISER Sway Bar Bushes

Sway bar bushes are often one of the more straightforward suspension jobs, although access varies by vehicle and seized bolts on older 4WDs can make it harder. A qualified technician is still the safest way to do it. The vehicle is supported on rated stands, and the bar is unbolted from its brackets and links as needed. The old bushes are removed and the bar cleaned where it sits in the bush.

New bushes are fitted with grease where required, and the brackets are refitted. Link bolts are tightened with the vehicle at ride height, so the link bushes are not preloaded, and all fasteners are torqued to specification. A road test over bumps and through corners confirms the knock or squeak has gone.

How Formula 4x4 Can Help With Your 300 Series LAND CRUISER

Formula 4x4 works across the whole 4WD suspension, which helps when a knock could come from several places. A clunk from the front of a lifted or loaded 4WD might be a sway bar bush, a link, a ball joint or a control arm bush, and looking at the front end as a whole helps make sure the right part gets replaced. The team can also help work out the right bush size for your bar.

Find the Right 300 Series LAND CRUISER Sway Bar Bushes with Formula 4x4

Use the vehicle search, then confirm whether you need mount bushes, link bushes or both, and whether they are for the front or rear bar. Measure the bar diameter if you are unsure of the size and check the product details for what is included.

If you are unsure what your 300 Series LAND CRUISER needs, contact the Formula 4x4 team.