Does the stabilizer bar weaken after a while?

[ericem]

Well i was wondering about my 93 legacy wagon with 280,000KM and the stabillizer or anti roll bar in the front is old. Do they just snap or weaken after a while. Because it does lean a bit around corners at 60mph:lol:.

[porcupine73]

My front sway bar snapped at 99k on my '00OBW but it seems that may have been a not uncommon issue (bad batch of parts)? Well, I guess the metal could fatigue over time maybe and give a little more than it used too. Something else to check might be the springs/ride height. The springs flex a lot, and with age I'd say they might get a little weak, and even break.

[NorthWet]

There will be a certain amount of lean anyways, and all of the suspension will weaken/sag with age. But I would be more suspect of the rubber mounts and link bushings being old and crushed.

[Andyjo]

if you take it out... then try taking those turns at 60mph... it's a thrill ride

but yeah.. before i removed mine, i had noticed that it was acting a bit softer than usual, with about 175k on it.

[ericem]

Oh because my mom tryed a forester and said the forester leaned less. SO i guess it time for new springs to avoid it from breaking.

[2X2KOB]

The stabilizer bar is a torsion spring; it twists as the car body rolls in relation to the tires. Since it twists in both directions, is normally at rest (unloaded) and doesn't permanently deform or take a "set" the way a spring under constant unidirectional load can, I'd have to say that it will not weaken with time. Worn or soft bushings at the four stabilizer bar mounting points is a more likely condition.

[johnceggleston]

but they do break. i bought my 95 leg 2.2L sed, 73k miles, with a brokren sway bar. order one from car-part.com and i was goo \d to go.

 

The stabilizer bar is a torsion spring; it twists as the car body rolls in relation to the tires. Since it twists in both directions, is normally at rest (unloaded) and doesn't permanently deform or take a "set" the way a spring under constant unidirectional load can, I'd have to say that it will not weaken with time. Worn or soft bushings at the four stabilizer bar mounting points is a more likely condition.

[Skid542]

Any piece of steel will fatigue when flexed beyond a minimum loading. I would bet a large sum that if the car is driven moderately hard or on rough roads the sway bar is being stressed beyond this minimum. Even if this fatigue is small, after enough miles it will eventually break. Whether or not other things on the car die first and so the sway bar never breaks is another story. But I don't see any reason to believe they don't occasionally fail.

 

In response to the issue of does excessive body roll mean the bar is going to break? Likely your bushings are suspect one and replacing those will yield the most benefit but 280Mm that bar is likely to be weaker and softer.

 

So how much do you want to spend to replace things that get old :-/?

[Silentpal]

I believe it does weaken after sometime.. Not sure though if there's a set of alignment kits for that.

[nipper]

Well i was wondering about my 93 legacy wagon with 280,000KM and the stabillizer or anti roll bar in the front is old. Do they just snap or weaken after a while. Because it does lean a bit around corners at 60mph:lol:.

 

After time any metal will weaken and break with time after being "worked". Springs brake, frames break etc etc. Do they break, yes, is it common, not really.

There does seem to a batch of questionable ones out there (99 maybe not sure). All it takes is one little imperfection in the steel, time, and road salt.

 

nipper

[Ranger83]

The stabilizer bar is a torsion spring; it twists as the car body rolls in relation to the tires. Since it twists in both directions, is normally at rest (unloaded) and doesn't permanently deform or take a "set" the way a spring under constant unidirectional load can, I'd have to say that it will not weaken with time. Worn or soft bushings at the four stabilizer bar mounting points is a more likely condition.

 

What he said. We drive our minivan down some really bumpy roads regularly and wind up replacing the bushings about once a year.

 

For most cars there are urethane replacements that last longer and are a little harder. Take alook at the bushings and see how they look.

[subie94]

i myself would put in a larger stabilizer bar and throw in a strut brace too..

 

i never had a bar break but i've had the bushings fall out..

 

(which i found out will stop an inspection)