Broken sway bar

[Rich]

Hot dipped the temp bath of molten zinc at a temperature of around 860 °F (460 °C).

That would defiantly upset any heat treating. Now we need to find out if the bar is heat treated.

Normally a new/OE stabilizer/roll bar is heat-treated after it's formed into shape. Standard industry practice to strengthen it.

While your D is out of action be sure to check that you have the front recall kit in place and the crumple tube, the sway bar mount bracket and bushing are all OK. Whatever tore yours apart might have caused other damage.

[protodelorean]

I'm with Nick. I think it was overtorqued and/or possibly had stiffer (urethane?) bushings. Either, or the combination would've caused the bar to try to bend at the end and not pivot in the bushing.

[Josh]

I'm with Nick. I think it was overtorqued and/or possibly had stiffer (urethane?) bushings. Either, or the combination would've caused the bar to try to bend at the end and not pivot in the bushing.

I do have urethane bushings. Im thinking this was the case. I put in an order for a new sway bar, Toby helped me out in record time.

I welded the existing sway bar back together on sunday, seems good so far. Tightened to the good n tight spec, not with my torque wrench now. Im taking it easier on the bumps and turns in the meantime till the new bar comes.

[Rich]

Not sure how deeply your welding could have possibly gotten into the bar in order to get anywhere close to original strength but if I were you I wouldn't take the car above 20-25MPH and maybe not even that. I think I'd park it.

Remember that the bar is the main longitudinal and rotational-load link to the front hub. Besides taking it easy on bumps and curves you shouldn't expect the welded bar to hold the hub under braking. And full braking's the hardest thing to avoid since you never know when you'll need it.

Glad to hear a new bar is on the way. Good luck in the meantime.

[Gfrank]

Is it just me or is that bar in upside down?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Is it just me or is that bar in upside down?

That was the first thing I looked at when the OP posted. It looks correct but the photo looks like the bar is not angled correctly.

I don't think poly bushings are any stiffer than the old hard rubber bushings I removed when I did mine. The poly bushings I used the metal pipe inside them is a lot thicker than the OEM pipe also.

[D Knight]

It does look upside down.


-D Knight-

[Josh]

stumbled across this thread.

As stated I welded the sway bar back together and threw it back on the car.
I have put many miles on my car since, including autocross, brake torques, and driving like an idiot in general. I also have upgraded front brakes. All these things would put the sway bar through its paces.

The initial issue was over torquing the bar I suspect. I just tighten it by hand now, not torquing it to the spec.

[David T]

A broken sway bar (anti-roll bar) is a very rare occurrence. Because it is so rare, the reason yours broke is probably due to something unique to your bar and the way it was treated on your car. Typically you do not see the sway bars zinc coated (galvanized) because it can affect it metallurgical. Without actually seeing it, it is very likely overtorqueing it was the cause. I would not have recommended welding it but it would seem whoever did it knew what they were doing. I would still inspect it regularly, both sides. Best case would be to replace it, it is a very important part of the front suspension and if it fails, can cause a bad accident.