This may be a stupid question, but I just put a rear sway bar in and it didnt have any bushings. It is just bolted straight to the lower control arms. Is this correct? Just wanted to make sure that I'm not missing anything. Thanks
Yes, that is correct. There are no bushings because the bar only attaches at two points. The front bar attaches at four points, so it can't be rigidly mounted.
A better way to think of it is that the sway bar tries to keep the lower control arms parallel. That controls body roll, which is the primary function of a sway bar. The rear sway bar works by resisting twisting, and it's rigidly mounted to the rear LCAs, so that's why it doesn't need center mounting points or bushings. The front sway bar is not rigidly mounted to the front LCAs. It's connected through the end links, which are articulated to allow enough movement under hard cornering. That requires the middle to be supported by bushings and shackles mounted to the frame. There's a lot more motion in the front end under cornering loads, and that's why the front sway bar is much beefier and why it can't be rigidly mounted. Hopefully that clears it up a little!