Painting rear sway bar and associated stuff Options

[Tobra]

I am going to replace all the bushings on the rear sway bar(factory piece). I am wondering several things.

1.Paint-Should I just clean it all up and paint it with a nice black rustoleum, or would it be worthwhile to powder coat it all?

2.Replacing the bushings-The parts that attach the bar to the car, do I need to put a little silicone or white Li grease to make this easier to fit and less likely to squeek, though rubber is not likely to cause problems.

3.Also, would it be easier to unscrew the bit that goes into the lower part of the shock, and assemble the links to the bar off the car? It looks like an absolute bitch to get the ball on the end of the bar to fit into the bushing. If I take it off, i can use a vise to press the parts together. Will this totally trash the bushings if I do this?

Thanks for any help

[Tobra]

thought I would revive an old one rather than start anew. Got the end link bushings in, started them in the vise, whacked them in the rest of the way wth rubber mallet. I used a gear puller to press the ball on the sway bar into the end link first, with that end of the sway bar unbolted from the car, I used a Sacagewea(sp?) dollar, as it was the right size to protect the bushing. Put hooks one dollar piece then the bushing, then the ball on the end of the bar. There is a little dimple on the sway bar for the threaded part of the gear puller, as if by design...

There are two little tabs on the part of the control arm to which the end link connects, the hooks on the gear puller on the tabs, with the bushing gently seated. Put threaded part on dollar piece, then the back of the bushing. This protected the bushing from the point on the gear puller. Should have used a punch on the dollar piece first, to keep the point of the tool from walking around as you tighten in. Took me 5 minutes, used some silicone spray as lube to get it to go. Can post a pic if desired, but it is pretty straightforward.

Gear puller at Harbor Freight for $3, rear sway bar connected in a 65 mph sweeper that is mistakenly labeled 25 mph...priceless.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/driving-girl.gif) I have long hair now