The sway bar bushings on my '97 Jeep Cherokee were worn out! Extra play from the elongated bushings allowed the Jeep's body to shift around on the Chassis a small amount, enough to clank against the inner fender on occasion.
I bought a shiny new Dial Caliper to measure my sway bar for new bushings, as my Jeep came from the factory with various sizes of sway bars based on accessories that model year it was made. (for example, a towing package) (my last Dial Caliper was stolen when my Jeep was broken into on the street in Chicago).
Apparently I was out of practice, or couldn't figure out the unit conversion, because I ended up getting the wrong size bushings and having to buy another set.
The first pair I bought were red 28mm and came in a set with end link bushings.
The set cost me $30 dollars, and I had it shipped to my mom's in Seattle.
Plus, they came with additional sway bar end link bushings, which I could use later.
For now, I bagged up the un-used end link bushings to save space.
The bushings that fit my 97 Jeep Cherokee were blue 26 mm from my local NAPA. In the end, this worked out for the best. Because the red bushings were too big, they didn't fit in the stock bushing retainers and required installation of a weaker component. You can see that the silver 'aftermarket' retainer is not as strong as the pressed form in the black stock retainer, which has increased rigidity and a better seat for the bushing to ensure proper wear.
