Stupid Question - What does Sway Bar Rubber Sleeve/Clamp do?

[Hans L]

Ok, restored and re-installed the sway bar sleeve and clamp assembly over the weekend (the round rubber bushing next to the sway bar bracket).   So what does this thing do??  Prevent some lateral motion/sliding of the sway bar?  Sqeaking??  I don't recall my other GM cars having this ('69 Chevelle).

[JohnZ]

It prevents lateral motion - keeps the bar centered.

[william]

I've been at this for a long time and I've never seen a front sway bar the wasn't painted black at the factory.

[Hans L]

OK.  I was suspecting lateral movement.   Regarding color - if black is correct, easy to fix.  Assume a lower luster black - like "30%"?

[DT]

I thought the sway bar color was Dark Phosphate ?

[william]

Nope-dip painted black.

[Hans L]

By the way, corrected the finish of the sway bar to black, though sprayed, not dipped:

[DT]

Very nice!  Which black did you use on the sway bar ??

[Hans L]

Not sure how correct, but I used Krylon semi-gloss spray paint,  per referencing the following sources & CRG feedback: http://www.67z28.com/finishes.htm

[68rs327conv]

I believe the sway bar bracket should also be painted black.

[69Z28-RS]

Wasn't all the parts that were *dipped* in black, dipped in the 'satin black' (like the reconditioning black?).. semi flat is closer than semi gloss.... if you're using kyrlon or the like..

[DT]

I painted my sway bar phosphate because I was on HeartBeat City's web site and they list the color as phosphate in the sway bar description.  So black is it then.  Thanks
http://www.heartbeatcitycamaro.com/store/product/18353/Camaro-Front-sway-bar-HD-COPO-13-16-69/

[NoYenko]

Hans, over the weekend I took my swaybar pieces apart to refinish and noted the 360 degree bushing clamps were dark phosphate on both. See photo. George.

[69Z28-RS]

Isn't it likely that they were phosphated after manufacture, shipped to the assembly plant, then painted black after assembly onto the subframe?

[Sauron327]

Isn't it likely that they were phosphated after manufacture, shipped to the assembly plant, then painted black after assembly onto the subframe?

Subframes were not painted as an assembly.