Rep Power: 268

So I decided to regrease my rsx-s 19mm sway bar bushings the other day and noticed both of them are cracked. I didn't notice until I had taken them both off so I don't know if they were oriented the same way or not. The cracks go all the way through and are visible on the inside of the bushings also.

Front view with cracks to the right of the center hump:


View of crack through to the inside of the bushings:


I plan on purchasing new busings to replace these but was just wondering what caused it? Ever since the bar was installed right side up there hasn't been any noise, until recently there was a noise from the rear (hence regreasing) that may have been the bar or the contents of the box in my trunk that flipped over. After regreasing and putting all the crap back in the box, there hasn't been any noise.

I purchased the bar and bushings used and don't recall seeing any cracking when I installed it. The brackets were installed rather tightly so I don't see how the bushings could have moved enough to tear. Please don't tell me I need to slow down around the corners, it's all I have to look forward to...

 
Rep Power: 424

Thats not a crack, thats how you get the bushings on the bar. Its a seam.

 
Rep Power: 268

Give a guy a little credit. I don't mean the seam used to get the bushings on the bar, I mean the puncture/crack that is on the front face of the bushings. I know the pictures didn't come out too good, but look at the first picture at the bushing to the left. To the right of the orange stain and under the reflection of the sun there is a crack that is about 1/2" long.

 
Rep Power: 424

The little dimple type thing? It looks like something was underneath the bracket when it was tightened down and it made an impression in the rubber. If those are stock bushings, they don't need to be greased, they're rubber not poly and its soft enough that a lot could have caused that. It could have been pinched or something, something stuck under the bracket when it was tightened down, etc... I doubt the bar itself did that. Could have just been a bubble in the rubber from molding and it popped.

 
Rep Power: 268

I thought the bushings needed to be greased, even stock, to allow some lateral movement of the bar.

But the strange thing is that both of the bushings are cracked at the same spot, just the second one is not as pronounced as the first, and the crack is completely through and visible on the inside.