sway bar

[acer66]

hi there,

i have a 87 camry station wagon, not a fast driver as you can imagen with that kind of car, i was looking under the car just to take a look and what do i see the rear sway bar is snapped i was what the heck that is almost finger thick spring steel, can`t see how this can happen ?

thank you

[ToyotaGuy50]

Rust? Broken binding suspension parts? More likely 18 years of wear.
Though your sway bar isn't really a weight bearing part of your suspenion you
do have the weight of a few thousand pounds of metal exerting forces on it.
Also spring steel snaps when it is bent too far or fatigues..regular steel just bends.

[acer66]

Originally Posted by ToyotaGuy50

Rust? Broken binding suspension parts? More likely 18 years of wear.
Though your sway bar isn't really a weight bearing part of your suspenion you
do have the weight of a few thousand pounds of metal exerting forces on it.
Also spring steel snaps when it is bent too far or fatigues..regular steel just bends.

thank you for quick response, doesn`t look like rust one of the snapped ends is bent away a couple of inches, how not good is it to drive around like that ?

thank you

[es250nut]

It might clunk or bang going around corners. You might also check your struts, the sway bar is more likely to break if one strut is bad and the other still functions. In either case it would be best to make sure your struts are good so your car is at least safe. Replacing the sway bar would also be reccomended since your car will definetly handle better.

[acer66]

the struts on that car where totally toast when i got it, it drove like an 70`s caddy, when i replace the bar is there some other parts i should get, like rubber parts etc and do i have to align the wheels again after the swap ?

thank you

[es250nut]

Suspension check list:

You should check and replace the following for improved handling, ride, tire wear and safety, not to mention possibly better gas milage:
Struts all four corners
Front control arm bushings (if your car squeaks in the front when stopping or accelerating these are the most likly culprit)
Ball Joints
Tie rod ends

Anytime you replace anything in your front suspension it is best to have the alignment checked. If you are just replacing the struts in the rear it shouldn't be neccesary.

Also if any of your control arm bushings, ball joints or tie rod ends are bad then you car will not maintain proper alignment while driving. Most tire/alignment shops will check these items for you for free and tell you what needs to be replaced.

I just replaced almost the entire suspension in my $200 Camry SW


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[acer66]

i replaced all four struts and at higher speeds it`s still a little shacky in turns but that`s the sway bar i think and i have that squeaking in the front
looks like you got a good deal with your $200 es250nut

thanks you

acer66