sway bar link damage

[landtank]

Now that my brakes are functioning again I'm looking at other damaged components from a weekends trip to NC.

Attached is a pic of my sway bar link. This particular one is the DS but the PS looks just the same and bent toward the same side.

Anyone have any idea how this happened. I looked for rubbing on the lower control arm and am about to go out and flex the axle as best I can with a floor jack.

 

[Riad]

I had the exact same thing happened to me before I ditched my sway bar. For me, when the tire was completely stuffed (on one side), that link was bent towards the direction of the tire. I had come to the conclusion that those links were weak. Those rubber bushings were shot. Also, this could be a result of not having long enough bump stop and bent sway bars but I could be wrong. If you jack up the tire to a point where it stuffs under the body, I believe you should be able to see what I'm talking about.

Hope that helps..

 

[Beowulf]

Anyone have any idea how this happened.

Mine looked like that (except no rust ) until I completely broke the right rear bracket and replaced both sides. Mine showed signs of rock damage so I always assumed it was just a hazard of leaving on the sway bars while playing on big rocks.

Those brackets are easy to swap out. I had the rear bar off for about a year and did not like the way the truck handled at speed on twisty 2-lane roads. Both front and back are back on now.

-B-

 

[FirstToy]

I noticed that my FRONT sway bar mount was bent... I don't know how it happened, maybe landing on a rock and hitting the swaybar "just right" ?

The way your swaybar is bent around the shock, it looks like some max. compression... maybe really flexed it out in a hard landing?

 

[landtank]

I think what happened is the side or end of the sway bar hit something and just bent the link. I've scrounged around and bought a sway bar link kit and am looking into having a channel bent up to make a HD piece that will move a little easier and maybe not bend next time. Or if it does it will be as simple as replacing a bolt.

 

[Walking Eagle]

I had a simular thing happen, except I went on ahead and broke the link, bent the bracket on the frame, then kept wheeling and bent the swaybar all the way under the truck. Bad deal. I think it was the articulation that did it in on my truck. Going to the old style when I replace it.

 

[jfz80]

dang rick, i just went and peeked and i got the exact same thing on the rear sway. Ill be interested in seeing your HD fix. I tend to think its from hitting max articulation range.

 

[Bear80]

I think Raid was on to it. When the panhard bar is corrected the wheels stuff offset of where they intened to. Rick's issue is on the driver's side, which would make sene. A corrected panhard would lengthen that end on compression, bending the sway bar link in that direction.

 

[landtank]

I used a drop bracket to correct for the panhard so it's the same both sides. I did however draw up the rear axle and came away with a change that would increase the wheel stuff by 2" before rubbing over what I have now. That will probably compound the issue.

 

[landtank]

dang rick, i just went and peeked and i got the exact same thing on the rear sway. Ill be interested in seeing your HD fix. I tend to think its from hitting max articulation range.

I'll put you down for a set. One piece needs to be custom made but I don't think they will be that expensive. And if they get bent up again a simple bolt swap will take care of it.

 

[Walking Eagle]

I used a drop bracket to correct for the panhard so it's the same both sides. I did however draw up the rear axle and came away with a change that would increase the wheel stuff by 2" before rubbing over what I have now. That will probably compound the issue.

I'm running uncorrected panhard - if that data point maters

 

[landtank]

I've got my solution drawn up and got a cost on making them. I figured I'd share it here and if anyone wanted to jump in now would be the time.

The first pic shows how the link is going to be made. The tubing is 3/8" schedule 40 which is almost 1/8 wall. The U shaped piece is made out of 3/16" stock and is 1.5" square and 2" tall. There is a hole drilled in the top of the U so a 3/8" bolt will slide up through the tubing and out the top.

The second pic shows the hardware I'm using. The rubber bushings are a better shape to allow more flex where we need it. The bolt is a grade 8 with a corrosion resistant finish.

The basic install is to bolt the link to the frame bracket and then the arm to the link. Cost will be around $50.00/pair.

Depending on interest the cost could drop further but I'm not sure.

 

[FirstToy]

where did you get those red bushings?

 

[landtank]

where did you get those red bushings?

at the auto parts store. I told the guy I was looking for some link parts and he went back and grabbed these.

 

[landtank]

here is the final product. I'm a newbie welder but I think it's good enough to work OK. I'll be installing them next week.

 

[LC80Ducati996]

Much stronger. While you were at it why no use a spherical bearing fitted into the ends of the sway bar in place of the bushing and make a longer link (remove drop brackets) with a spherica bearing at the frame side. No binding...

Anyway... The stock links looked like the weakest link to me. Street driven rigs that see trail use dont tend to disconnect the bars so much due the 80s on axle mounted bars..

 

[landtank]

as far as I'm concerned fancy joints are just a drain on the wallet. This was just a fast fix for an obvious week link. I'll flex up the axle when I get it installed and see how it works.

 

[Curran]

Those look sweet. But I think I prefer Riad's fix.

 

[landtank]

I drive a lot of highway and want to keep as much on road manners as I can. I'm going out wheeling this weekend and I'll see how they impact that.

 

[landtank]

Here is the final pics of the new HD links installed. The bushings I used allow more angular movement at the drop bracket. In the first pic you can see that the new ones are about 1/2" longer. I didn't get them on in time for yesterday's wheeling but I'm sure they will work fine. One concern was if the hole in the bracket would be the right size for the bushing and luckily they were.