Sway bar bolts snapping

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2000UZJ

2000UZJ

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Threads
214
Messages
9,208
Location
Atlanta
Replaced my sway bar after I snapped the first one in half ( absolutely no idea how it happened). I installed the new one and have gone through 4 bolts on the driver side. I have pulled lca's, sway bar and cv axle to see if anything was bent and couldn't find anything. Re-installed everything and all went merry. Few months later I go over a speed bump and "POW" the 4th bolt shears in half. I'm about to remove the front sway bar and go without it. The 100 really doesn't suffer from the lack of it.

OEM sway Bar with 7K
Driver side LCA Side
Grade 8 hardware
My front end has increasing sounds, I'm not surprised either.


Any ideas?
 
I have also been meaning to post up on front sway bar failure...

Our 99 arrived to us with broken sway bar links on both sides... one side I could see but both sides makes me think that there must be something causing a bind in the link mount at the lower control arm.

2000UZJ are you saying that your links are breaking or the bolts at the control arm or the mounting bolts at the frame? Where are you using Grade 8 hardware, don't you mean 8.8? Grade 8 would be SAE and not Metric. To get the equivalent of SAE Grade 8 you must use Metric 10.9 grade. Metric 8.8 is comparable to SAE Grade 5. I wonder if you just got a bad batch of hardware or incorrect hardware?

Anybody else with broken sway bar parts?

How does it handle with a front bar? We definitely have some front sway but it's not horrible and helps on the trial. Anyone not running front sway bar on purpose?
 
Bolts on the LCA keep shearing off. 8.8 is correct grade. Right now everytime I hit a bump the sway bar shifts and taps the LCA resulting in a pop. I had this issue before with my original, replaced the bolt and the entire sway bar snapped where it turns to go across the frame to the other side. It doesn't make a huge difference in drivability. I have slowed down my driving style quite a bit since last year. I used to run 85+ in a 70mph zone and now the fastest I'll go is 75 in a 70, but for short bursts. I've lost the interest on watching my gas gauge plummet. I plan on taking the bar out this weekend and seeing if any of the brackets or links are binding. I can't imagine why this is happening... It's not a major concern of mine, but I'd like to fix it or remove it permanently.
 
My sway bar is gone, took it off (both of the links were broken, all bolts ok). Too many stories of breakage, too many other systems to maintain. After shearing off two of the corroded mount bolts at the frame I'm sure glad I was removing it rather than trying to change the bushings. I think I'll just have to control sway with a set of OME T-bars some day...

However, I can't get your broken bolts out of my head. Couple of thoughts, the LCA tabs are bent causing undo stress at the bolt, maybe the inner and outer bushing races are both being pinched (instead of the inner pinched and the outer free). Or maybe the inboard LCA bushing are worn and allowing exessive play which leads to the same situation where the outer race binds on the tab and overloads the bolt? Maybe the tab holes are hogged out and the stiff link bushings are causing the bolt to wear leading to the POP?
 
Still happening...

I am removing the entire front sway bar tommorow and need some insight.

besides just unbolting it and removing it, I am assuming when the wheels are on the ground it has tension on it. I will lift the front wheels off the ground and unbolt one side at a time. One side is already broken off again so I'm just ditching it.


FYI- Blew it off right before I replaced torsion bars,the bushings are trashed already (not even 8K on them). Leaving a steep driveway, heard a obnoxious bang and felt a jolt through the floorboard. Got home after listening (still listening) it knock and bounce on the LCA and can't stand it anymore.


So to remove- just guessing here,

front wheels off ground and start unbolting?
 
2000UZJ said:
besides just unbolting it and removing it, I am assuming when the wheels are on the ground it has tension on it.

So to remove- just guessing here, front wheels off ground and start unbolting?
Click to expand...

Unless the swaybar is bent, there shouldn't be any tension on it when the vehicle is on level ground; it only should be applying spring force when there is differential suspension travel between sides. At full droop there may be some tension on it due to range of motion limitations of the linkage.
 
OregonLC said:
Unless the swaybar is bent, there shouldn't be any tension on it when the vehicle is on level ground; it only should be applying spring force when there is differential suspension travel between sides. At full droop there may be some tension on it due to range of motion limitations of the linkage.
Click to expand...

it's my second one in a year. Nothing is bent either. No accidents, etc.


I will unbolt tomorrow and report back whether I have any teeth left.
 
The only front anti-sway bar links that have snapped on mine (twice :mad:) were from NAPA. OEM Toyota anti-sway bar links and all related hardware have been reliable.

Have you been using all Toyota OEM hardware?
 
I took my one off a week a go to make longer links... Road driving the body roll is minimal, the only thing I wory about is having to do an emergency swerve for a dog or child, if that happens I recon im going to go ass over tit.

Im asuming all these links are the 50mm extended ones???
 
Check the bushing frame mounts while you're under there. My PS snapped last year apart of our Utah trip. Wasn't fun. Like the 80-Series, when it breaks it will take out a brake line.

I had more issues with the front ASB link bushings wearing prematurely when I had the front raised considerably higher than it is now. If you look at the angle of the ASB ends, where they attach to the riser link and bushings, they're not parallel with more front lift. That definitely could be putting too much pressure on the links and hardware.

How tight are you tightening the link nuts? FSM states only 18ft lbs...so you don't put too much compression on the rubber "cushions". Only 13ft lbs for the 4-bracket bolts. And 38ft lbs for the link bolts.
 
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spressomon said:
Check the bushing frame mounts while you're under there. My PS snapped last year apart of our Utah trip. Wasn't fun. Like the 80-Series, when it breaks it will take out a brake line.

I had more issues with the front ASB link bushings wearing prematurely when I had the front raised considerably higher than it is now. If you look at the angle of the ASB ends, where they attach to the riser link and bushings, they're not parallel with more front lift. That definitely could be putting too much pressure on the links and hardware.
Click to expand...

Frame bushings are toast. I'm sure my links are under stress, I am running 22" hub to fender. Dropping it to 21" tomorrow.
 
I'd say your lift height is a contributing factor. I can't find my notes right now and the truck is on the rack but I think I'm at 20" effective (21" - 1" body lift) and its all good.
 
spressomon said:
I'd say your lift height is a contributing factor. I can't find my notes right now and the truck is on the rack but I think I'm at 20" effective (21" - 1" body lift) and its all good.
Click to expand...

At what point do you think the front end starts wearing prematurely an having drawbacks? I do not have a diff drop at this point either. I attached pictures for your viewing. I didn't think I was running the front end that high.
image-1153150336.webp
image-1814633331.webp
 
I don't have the exact front height I ran the last two years for our Utah trips but I had raised it to gain some extra clearance for a couple of the tougher trails we did; more front height than anytime before or since. On road wasn't so pleasant...off-road was fine. Ditto for the ASB: Ran it off for a week+ last year in Utah and the difference off-road was incredible and a big improvement. On-road: It sucked without the anti-sway bar.

When you get under there and look at the ends of the sway bar that rest up against the rubber cushions you will see what I'm talking about and how the same ends want to come out of parallel to the cushion seat the more the front end is lifted. Because of Carl's UCA and the Fox 2.0" shocks I could get quite a bit of extra front suspension height while still retaining 60-75mm of droop. And that exacerbated the sway bar link alignment and wear issues. I thought about making link extensions to help compensate but there were just too many other negatives with running the front that high...for me.

Our Explore Nevada trip a few weeks ago was the acid test for me, the 1" BL and lowered front suspension. Other than less ground clearance everything else was a win-win.

One other thing: During the first couple years after I bought mine I chewed up a few of the larger ASB bushings. I finally realized from all the NE salt and subsequent rust corrosion the ASB surface was heavily pocked and eroding the new rubber bushings quickly. I replaced the ASB with new and it made a big difference. So check to be sure you don't have corrosion accelerating the bushing wear. Sand it down smooth or replace the ASB.


BTW: Your front height doesn't look that bad from your pics. Center of hub to lower lip of the fender right? Here's a shot of mine with new 35" MT/Rs and the 1" body lift. Subtract out the 1" BL and its fairly low...
LC side shot.webp
 
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I was under my stock 100 yesterday and noticed that my PS sway bar frame mount had cracked off the frame. Anybody have success welding these back on? Are replacement brackets available or am I looking at custom? I also noticed that my AC condensate was pouring down on top of the sway bar mounting bracket which I'm sure doesn't help from a corrosion stand point. Is there supposed to be a drain tube there?
 
The guy that fixed mine fabbed a bracket from 3/16" thick angle with gussets at each open end. Better than new. Its tight access even with it atop a lift...as you already have figured out ;)
DSC_1741.webp
DSC_1744.webp
 
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spressomon said:
BTW: Your front height doesn't look that bad from your pics. Center of hub to lower lip of the fender right? Here's a shot of mine with new 35" MT/Rs and the 1" body lift. Subtract out the 1" BL and its fairly low...
Click to expand...

Yea, fender to hub is 22". I don't top the shock out but the front end feels like it's loosing grip at full throttle, small amount if torque steer.

Thanks for your help. I will work on the front a little and work on the sway bar.
 
Interesting as I heard some noise from the left front wheel well this weekend. Saw this thread and reminded me to take a look. I'm not sure the proper name but the eye bolt that attaches from the A arm to the end of the sway bar is snapped on mine. Passenger side looks decent but probably best to replace in pairs. Any part number out there handy?

Thanks

Tripper
 
Man is this puzzling to me. Never snapped anything regarding sway bars. Never relocated or lowered one or anything. Years ago I did break on on a rock and the bar finally broke. Wild.
 
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