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