What are the sway bar bushing options for a Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06?

For a factory Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, your stock sway bars measure 30.0mm in the front and 23.6mm in the rear ⁸.

The factory sway bar mounting brackets are the exact same across all C5 models (Base, Z51, and Z06); only the inner diameter of the bushing changes to match the bar ¹¹.

Here are your main options for replacements:

1. Polyurethane Bushings (Prothane)

This is the most popular route for C5 Z06 owners, as poly bushings firm up the sway bar response and last longer than rubber. Prothane makes a direct-fit set for the factory Z06 bars:

• Front (30.0mm): Prothane Part #7-1176-BL
• Rear (23.6mm): Prothane Part #7-1181-BL ³

Installation Notes for Poly: Some guys find that the Prothane bushings sit a little tall and are a tight squeeze in the factory brackets, but they will fit ¹¹. Polyurethane is notorious for squeaking over time. To prevent this, owners highly recommend wrapping the sway bar in Teflon plumber's tape right where the bushing rides, and heavily coating the inside of the bushing with the supplied Prothane grease before bolting it down ³.

2. Rubber Bushings (Moog / OEM-style)

If you want to maintain the factory ride quality without the maintenance of greasing poly bushings, standard replacement rubber is the way to go. Moog makes quality replacements for the Z06, though you'll need to verify you are selecting the 30mm front and 23.6mm rear sizes. Some aftermarket brackets from Moog also include Zerk fittings, which allows you to hit them with a grease gun during routine maintenance without taking the brackets off ⁹.

3. The C6 Sway Bar Upgrade

If you're having trouble sourcing factory Z06 replacement bushings or just want an upgrade, it's very common to swap the entire sway bar setup to C6 Z51 or C6 Z06 bars, which bolt directly onto the C5 without modification. You just order the new bars with their matching C6 bushings ¹⁰.

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Difficulty: Easy. Replacing sway bar bushings is a straightforward DIY task. Just get the car safely up on jack stands, unbolt the two bolts holding each bracket, swap the split-bushing over the bar, and bolt the bracket back down ⁶.

General best practice: Do this with the suspension loaded (ramps are great for this if you have the clearance) or tighten the bracket bolts only after the car is back on the ground so you don't bind the bushings at full droop.