A sway bar, commonly referred to as an anti-roll bar, is a part of the suspension that helps with handling and cornering stability. It lessens body roll and enhances ride quality by shifting the weight of the car from one side to the other when turning. Additionally, it improves tire grip on the road by aiding in the balance of your automobile in turns, allowing you to maximize performance.
There are other issues and worries that could appear more likely than the signs of a malfunctioning sway bar. However, in this reading, we’ll explore the eight symptoms of a bad sway bar, its causes, replacement cost, and when to replace it.
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Contents
What are the Symptoms of a Bad Sway Bar?
The symptoms of a bad sway bar include noise from the suspension, steering issues, reduced stability, unusual braking behavior, tire wear unevenly, and visual damage.
1. Body Rolling More Than Usual in a Corner
Due to the sway bar’s ineffective side-to-side balancing, your car will roll disproportionately outward and lean more heavily on its outside wheels as you turn. You could notice that your automobile leans more than it should when making corners. Body roll is a symptom of a malfunctioning sway bar and is referred to as such. A sway bar that is worn out or broken can cause the wheels on one side of the vehicle to lift off the ground, tilting the body and making the vehicle more difficult to steer.
2. Noise Associated With Suspension
When the sway bar is worn out or damaged, clanks and rattles are frequent. Metal clunks are caused by excessive play in sway bar bushings or end links. It may be an indication of a worn-out sway bar bushing or end link if you hear clunking or squeaking noises when navigating corners or over bumps in the road.
These components, which assist in connecting the sway bar to the suspension and absorbing shock, may become broken or loose over time. Driving over speed bumps or on bumpy roads may make the noise more noticeable.
3. An Unusually Little Turn Radius When Cornering
The defective sway bar’s reduced stability is to blame. Your automobile tires won’t be able to grip the road properly if your sway bar links are loose. Normal cornering is challenging due to poor handling. Your car will need to work harder to get you where you need to go in this circumstance. Bad bushings may possibly be the cause of this issue.
4. Steering Problems
Your car’s steering may suffer if your sway bar is damaged. While driving, you could notice that your automobile pulls to one side or that the steering wheel is shaky or unresponsive. A worn-out bushing or a damaged sway bar may be to blame for this, which can make the wheels wander apart from one another.
Uneven tire wear may be an indication of a damaged sway bar. The weight of the car is distributed unevenly across the tires when the suspension system isn’t working properly, which accelerates tire wear on one side. This may result in a rough or uncomfortable ride as well.
5. Reduced Stability
Your car’s stability and handling, particularly at high speeds, might also be impacted by a poor sway bar. On the highway, you could notice that your automobile feels shaky or unsteady, or that it takes longer to stop. The car may wobble or bounce more than it should as a result of a broken or disconnected sway bar.
6. Unusual Braking Behaviour
When a car brakes awkwardly, the driver immediately assumes that the brakes are broken. This is also frequently the case in reality. However, this issue might also be brought on by a faulty stabilizer. Sometimes the brakes aren’t (the only) to fault when you brake a car and it’s hard to keep it on the road. When the car begins to tremble and lurch while braking, you can tell. This may be an obvious indication that the stabilizer bar is broken.
7. Tire Wear Unevenly
Since there is anomalous weight bearing on the outer edge of the tire while cornering, abnormal tire wear is a powerful indicator of a sway bar problem.
8. Visually damaged
The best course of action may be to visually check the sway bar if you are competent and know how to securely move a car with jack stands. The state of the rubber bushings, bends and damage to the actual sway bar and the sway bar links will be clear to see. Additionally, try grabbing the sway bar and shaking it. It is most likely in good condition if it feels sturdy and does not move. If so, you should check other suspension parts that could be the source of the same issues as a faulty sway bar.
What Causes a Bad Sway Bar?
A poor sway bar is typically brought on by weak or damaged stabilizer bar end links or worn bushings. The sway bar itself may experience additional stress if bushings within the bracket have more play than is ideal as a result of the little back-and-forth movement. A sway bar’s mounting hole might be harmed when sway bar links break or come unfastened, which increases the likelihood that the sway bar will eventually snap.
A collision or hard impact with a pothole or curb can also damage or destroy the sway bar. Or, if you repeatedly overload your car, it will put stress on the sway bar and other suspension parts when you turn. These signs of a defective sway bar, unfortunately, sometimes go unnoticed until the sway bar has deteriorated to the point where it can no longer serve its original function. It’s wise to have your car looked out soon away if you see any of these signs.
How much does a Sway bar replacement cost?
The cost to replace a sway bar ranges from $125 to $160 on average, with labor costing between $50 and $70 and parts costing between $55 and $110. The sway bar itself rarely needs to be replaced. Usually, a car needs new stabilizer bushings or end links for the sway bar.
The price to replace a stabilizer bushing ranges from $125 to $160, with labor costing $95 to $120 and parts costing $30 to $65. As this system is essential to on-road handling and control, it is generally not advised to repair suspension parts yourself. However, changing your sway bar links or bushings isn’t difficult if you have some mechanical understanding and the correct equipment.
Why is it important to replace a bad sway bar?
Driving while your sway bar is damaged is risky. Unbeknownst to you, a bent or damaged sway bar can also make the ride less comfortable and cause more tire wear. It obstructs suspension motion, lowering its ability to lessen body roll and boost stability when turning or navigating around obstacles.
A damaged sway bar not only makes it difficult to steer and manage your car but also increases the risk of an accident. You risk losing control if your car reacts improperly during emergency maneuvers owing to lower traction at the outside wheel. Recognizing when a sway bar is broken and requires replacement as soon as feasible is crucial for maximizing driving safety and performance. It is advised to install a new one as soon as possible because the results could be severe without it.
It’s a good idea to install new sway bar mount bushings whenever you replace a sway bar. Sway bar links need to be examined, and if wear is visible, they need to be replaced at the same time. One of the simpler suspension systems, this one should be simple enough for any DIYer with access to basic garage tools to complete.
