80 series sway bar material type (1 Viewer)

[Tank5]

I need to know what type of metal the rear 80 series sway bar is made out of. I know that it is made of tempered spring steel but I need to know what the specific steel type is. Maybe @Onur knows this?

The back story. I am building a 45 that I swapped all of the 80 series suspension on. I narrowed the 80 series axles 4 inches, so in order to fit the stock sway bar I had to narrow it as well. I am planning to have the sway bar re-tempered to get the spring back in the sway bar, I assume my cut and weld has altered this. I found a shop that will do it but I need to know what the steel is, so they can temper it correctly. I used google and searched this site and couldn't find an answer.

Because everyone likes pictures I have attached my cut and weld of the sway bar.

 

[cody c]

No clue, interesting project though.

 

[Mauser]

I would imagine a 41xx type chromoly. Maybe 4130 or 4140.

 

[Tank5]

I just spoke to a small local shop with a small oven about having it tempered. He told me the mild steel mig wire I used to weld it with won't temper, so I will try to find someone else to confirm this. I have another sway bar I can use to make another one and have welded with a more appropriate steel that will temper but I still need to find out what steel the sway bar is made from before I cut and weld the next one. The learning continues.

Edit: Google produced this, On the downside, mild steels are generally harder to work with when it comes to only heat treatment and quenching. It is possible to do it, but there would be little to no change. Due to its low carbon and alloy elements content, mild steel does not form a martensite structure when quenched after being heated.

I may end up building a second one after I figure out the material.

 

[Mauser]

I just spoke to a small local shop with a small oven about having it tempered. He told me the mild steel mig wire I used to weld it with won't temper, so I will try to find someone else to confirm this. I have another sway bar I can use to make another one and have welded with a more appropriate steel that will temper but I still need to find out what steel the sway bar is made from before I cut and weld the next one. The learning continues.

It won't heat treat correctly. I would think straightening one side, cutting off the end, reforging the end and then heat treating would be the way to go. The whole thing needs to be heat treated at once.

 

[Malleus]

@Mauser is correct; you've created a hard spot in the bar. It'll bend on both sides of that joint, and likely break the joint. It is possible to soften the entire bar, pack it in carbon and heat treat it, but the best you'll do in the joint is case harden it. What you want is hardened through.

 

[Tank5]

It won't heat treat correctly. I would think straightening one side, cutting off the end, reforging the end and then heat treating would be the way to go. The whole thing needs to be heat treated at once.

I don't have the tools/skills to straiten, reform, and hope to get it symmetrical.

 

[Mauser]

A good blacksmith might be able to forge weld it.

 

[thatcabledude]

Replace with a DIY antirock sway bar maybe?

 

[Tank5]

@Mauser and @Malleus how long do you think that joint last if I just run that bar as is? I may just run it as is until I come up with a better version 2.

 

[Mauser]

Probably not too long, but it may last forever. Hard to say. Maybe a short sleeve over the welded area would help. Right now without any heat treat the welded area will be soft and likely to bend and most likely break next to the weld.

 

[Tank5]

Replace with a DIY antirock sway bar maybe?

I have looked and considered the antirock as well as other after market options. I don't like the fit for any of them. The arms mixed with the frame geometry and inner fender wells make the clearance tight. I could end up trying something like this but I am looking at other options for now.

 

[retrofive]

Replace with a DIY antirock sway bar maybe?

This was my first thought. Wasn't @jcardona1 running something little different like that? Almost like an old vdub torsion bar type scenario.

 

[JeepinPete]

The welding wire probably has a 70ksi strength, while the base material will be double that. The mixing of the base and weld materials will kind of average the two out at the location of the weld. When you put it use, the sway war will bend at its weakest spot, ie the weld. I doubt it will last long at all if you do put it to use.

One possible way around that would be to sleeve the weld. I wouldn't have high hopes, but you may be able to equalize the strength well enough to get it to last.

Another thing to consider, ignoring your weld, is that shortening the sway bar effectively increases its rate. Looking at the equation, it is a linear relationship. So if you have takes 10% of its length out, then it has increased in rate 10%.

 

[jcardona1]

This was my first thought. Wasn't @jcardona1 running something little different like that? Almost like an old vdub torsion bar type scenario.

I'm running a RuffStuff in the rear. Front is much harder which involves making a custom arm bent to shape so that it clears the pitman arm.

 

[Tank5]

I'm running a RuffStuff in the rear. Front is much harder which involves making a custom arm bent to shape so that it clears the pitman arm.

That looks good, I looked at ruffstuff too. I can't install one in the rear like you have. I habe full tank that occupies that area above and below the frame rails.

I am still hoping I can find a way to use a modofied oem sway bar in the rear. It gives me cleanest install.

 

[tacocat]

Try contacting Hellwig out of Visalia, CA. They make a boat load of sway bars in house. They don’t do Toyota, but may have something from another vehicle that might work.

Sway Bars - Hellwig Products

www.hellwigproducts.com

 

[Tank5]

My limited research so far has found that other forus report sae 5160 and 4130 chromoly as sway bar steel common used in the industry.

My question is will these metals mix? I doubt the oem 80 sway bar is chromoly.
If I had the next oem sway bar welded together with the appropriate rod for 5160, would it be close enought to the stock swaybar material to allow it to be tempered properly.

Does the weld material have to be exact match for the sway bar or just correct to accept a temper treatment?

I the company that will do the temper treatment says it is best to know the material is to apply the correct heat. They saod we could guess but it might not turn out best.

Still goping to learn what material Toyota used.

 

[cody c]

In hindsight, you maybe could have cut one arm off, take a grinder to it to make about 3” of one end into square (without getting too much heat into it), hammered some heavy wall square tube on the end and then welded another arm on the tube.

It shouldn’t wreck the heat temper and I would guess would still flex or twist as before.

 

[Tank5]

In hindsight, you maybe could have cut one arm off, take a grinder to it to make about 3” of one end into square (without getting too much heat into it), hammered some heavy wall square tube on the end and then welded another arm on the tube.

It shouldn’t wreck the heat temper and I would guess would still flex or twist as before.

I like your thinking but I hoping for another option.