Sway bar bushings

[Oldraptor 1]

I have a 2012 Gen 1 and I've noticed if I go over rough patch on the road, the truck sways to the left and right before settling back to normal. Am I assuming this could be a sway bar issue, and if so can I just have someone pop the old bushings out and replace with new ones instead of replacing the sway bar? I figure this would be less costly. I am the second owner with 167,000 miles. Don't think it is a shock issue, or am I wrong?

 

[FordTechOne]

Are the shocks original? If so they’re well past due for a rebuild or replacement. That is most likely what you’re experiencing, even worn stabilizer bar bushings won’t cause that kind of behavior.

 

[Oldraptor 1]

Don't know if the shocks are original or have been rebuilt. I don't see any leakage on any of them. Any quick way to tell?

 

[FordTechOne]

Symptoms and mileage; leakage is not a common indicator of them being worn out. Fox spec is a rebuild every 50k miles for street use.

 

[Oldraptor 1]

Thanks. Looks like I will go the rebuild route.

 

[jackjare9455]

I concur, that doesn't seem like a condition for bad sway bar bushings. However, for general maintenance purposes, you should be able to quickly tell if those bushing are bad with a visual inspection and a good ol grab, push and pull. There should be 0 play in them. And, replacing them is literally 4 bolts out (2 bolts per clamp), sway bar drops, remove old bushings, slide new bushing over the sway bar, line up the "clamp", 4 bolts back up. As long as the truck is on even ground and sitting on its own weight (no jack or jackstands, etc), there is no tension in the bar and it will drop easily. Might want to also grab the sway bar end links and give them a push/tug and see if you have any play there too.
If you have any kind of sway, extra bounce, I would definitely look into new shocks or a rebuild.