School me on..... the Sway Bar
#1
School me on..... the Sway Bar
What exactly does the sway bar do. My car is making the chang chang sound from beneath. A few have mention the lack of sway bar bushings are the reason. What are they? Where exactly are they? (I've seen diagrams, but with no context) Can I fix this without a lift. All insight is helpful
thanks
thanks
#2
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
It's more correct to call it an 'anti-roll' bar. It gives the car roll-stiffness. Technically, 'sway' is a completely different type of motion from roll.
Think of it as a spring that acts on the DIFFERENCE between right & left wheel positions. Without it, the car will lean more when turning.
When the car leans towards the outside of a turn, the outside suspension compresses while the inside suspension extends. The 'sway' bar resists that.
Think of it as a spring that acts on the DIFFERENCE between right & left wheel positions. Without it, the car will lean more when turning.
When the car leans towards the outside of a turn, the outside suspension compresses while the inside suspension extends. The 'sway' bar resists that.
#3
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
Easier to see it on the rear, but the idea is the same on both axles.
Sway bar is #8, it's held in place by brackets (#10) with rubber bushings (#14). Left by itself, it would be able to pivot freely up & down.
The end links (#9) are attached to each wheel. Notice how eachendof the sway baracts like a lever. When you go over a flat bump, both sides move up & down in unison, and the sway bar doesn't do much.
When the car wants to lean in a corner, those links pull up on one side & down on the other. That twists the middle of the sway bar, & the bar resists this like a torsionspring.
Sway bar is #8, it's held in place by brackets (#10) with rubber bushings (#14). Left by itself, it would be able to pivot freely up & down.
The end links (#9) are attached to each wheel. Notice how eachendof the sway baracts like a lever. When you go over a flat bump, both sides move up & down in unison, and the sway bar doesn't do much.
When the car wants to lean in a corner, those links pull up on one side & down on the other. That twists the middle of the sway bar, & the bar resists this like a torsionspring.
#4
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
Great Reply. I think I have the concept of the sway bar now. As for replacing the bushings. Is that something I can do without a lift. Without air compression tools?
#5
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
you can do it with a socket set... if you need extra clearance just use your spare tire jack.... look up energy suspension bushings (polyeurethane) and see if they are the same price or perhaps even a little cheaper than stock, they work better....
#7
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
ORIGINAL: sir_nasty
you can do it with a socket set... if you need extra clearance just use your spare tire jack.... look up energy suspension bushings (polyeurethane) and see if they are the same price or perhaps even a little cheaper than stock, they work better....
you can do it with a socket set... if you need extra clearance just use your spare tire jack.... look up energy suspension bushings (polyeurethane) and see if they are the same price or perhaps even a little cheaper than stock, they work better....
The bushings can usually be removed easily, but I can't say the wrench positions are easy or hard on any random year...
#9
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
ORIGINAL: maro
Great Reply. I think I have the concept of the sway bar now. As for replacing the bushings. Is that something I can do without a lift. Without air compression tools?
Great Reply. I think I have the concept of the sway bar now. As for replacing the bushings. Is that something I can do without a lift. Without air compression tools?
do yourself a favor & buy a haynes manual for your car. they go into pretty good detail on how to R&R most of this kind of stuff; & they do it from a novice point of view. it's certainly helped me!
#10
RE: School me on..... the Sway Bar
ORIGINAL: maro
How bout on the ramps?
How bout on the ramps?