I'm doing some suspension work on my '96 Grand Prix, and sway bar bushings are on the list. I've done a lot of suspension work before but I've never replaced any sway bar bushings, just the end links. This particular car doesn't have end links, rather it's bolted right to the control arm. It has four bushings, two toward the middle mounted to the subframe, and the outer two are mounted to the control arm.
Is there any stress / load on the sway bar with the suspension unloaded (car in air)? In other words, if I remove all four brackets, will the sway bar just sit there, or should I expect movement? I just don't want any surprises or get into a situation where I take a bracket(s) off and then have the sway bar spring into a position where it's difficult to reassemble.
Any help would be appreciated! Here's a couple pics for clarity:
Is there any stress / load on the sway bar with the suspension unloaded (car in air)? In other words, if I remove all four brackets, will the sway bar just sit there, or should I expect movement? I just don't want any surprises or get into a situation where I take a bracket(s) off and then have the sway bar spring into a position where it's difficult to reassemble.
Any help would be appreciated! Here's a couple pics for clarity: