How did I snap a Sway Bar???

[RutHunter Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RutHunter]

Been hearing a funny knock sound over the past week or so and after a couple of beers I decided to go look under the car tonight to see what it was and I found the rear sway bar snapped! How the heck does that happen? I do have a two inch lift but I thought those things were flexible?
I have attached a pic...

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How did I snap a Sway Bar???

Whitey will be along shortly to explain.
I'm guessing you don't have extended sway bar links.
Hence when you extend a wheel it has your whole diff handing on the sway bar.

[RutHunter Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RutHunter]

Hey piggy never knew I need them. I will wait for someone to point me where to get them.

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What shocks are you running?

[Whitey Shockie Maker of the Month Award Find all posts View Profile Close Whitey]

Hey Ruthunter,

Piggy and amts all over it, most likely you've got shocks that are a longer open length than the open length at which your swaybar binds. This means as your rear suspension droops it reaches the limit of the arc of the swaybar before it reaches the limit of travel on your shocks. As such you'll have the entire very heavy weight of the rear differential hanging off your little swaybar, and this will either snap a swaybar, or snap a swaybar link.

If it's the case that you don't have rear shocks that have more travel than the swaybar, then you are very unlucky indeed and your swaybar has just given up and decided it has had enough!

Grab a replacement swaybar from the wreckers and don't sweat it too much. Just get some longer swaybar links which extend the limit of the swaybar arc, and as amts said, double check the part number of your shocks and/or measure their open length!

Best

Mark

[Razorback81 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Razorback81]

and you might want to check your rear brake lines , as they are also short when lifted

[RutHunter Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RutHunter]

Awesome Mark thanks. I am running Bilsteins all round. I will jackup the back and see how much pressure it puts on it when I get the new bar. I have been 4wdriving it pretty hard with wheels off the ground over the past 4 years and not had an issue. Only just noticed it recently and have not really put it under much pressure in the last 5 months.

I'm sure I checked the brake line when I fitted the suspension but will check again and also get those longer swaybar links today.

thanks.

[RutHunter Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RutHunter]

Hey guys just informing you on the latest. I bought another sway bar and changed it, hung the car up and it was not putting much pressure on the links so I don't believe that was causing it, although one of the links was completely screwed. It looks like the sway bar has been like this for a really long time as at the break it is worn round from rubbing against itself. I do recall smashing some logs under the car a few years ago so it might of been that. Been under the car many times and somehow not noticed it.

Anyway the knock that I originally heard is still there and I think it is coming from the brakes. Inside the drums at the rear and this is since I tightened up the cable under the console.