Rear swaybar end links hit brake calipers.

stilson

stilson

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When I bought my car it had a bent rear sway and a bent end link, I figured it must have been hit on a rock or something. There were witness marks on the brake caliper but I thought this was a result if the bent bar.

So I replaced the bar and end links and today I heard a clunk from the rear and the end link was touching the brakes and the end link on the other side was bent again.

I haven't done any serious off-roading since changing the bar.

Has this happened to anyone else?

What could be causing this and how can I rectify the issue?

Seanan.
 
The sway bar can move from left to right quite easily so maybe tighten the bolts on the chassis and/or put 2 collars (?) to keep it centered
 
Gidday ST

Sounds to me as if something is mounted wrongly, or around the wrong way.

Unless your lift is causing lack of proper clearance?

Are the witness marks old, new, or both?

From my Batphone
 
Thanks jf1, I have had collars on aftermarket bars on other cars, that might be the best solution.

Thanks RB, the issue occurred long before the lift went in.

End links were installed from the outside in, (ie: threads and nuts on the inside) and I have replaced them the same way, could you check if yours are the same?
 
stilson said:
Thanks RB, the issue occurred long before the lift went in.

End links were installed from the outside in, (ie: threads and nuts on the inside) and I have replaced them the same way, could you check if yours are the same?
Click to expand...

Yeah, ST, no worries.

Mine appear to be as you have described.

Both sides (rear) have the link bar closest to the hub, with the sway bar fixed inboard and the threads, washers and nuts inboard from there. Same arrangement at the bottom where attached to the lower suspension arm. On both sides, the end of the sway bar is pretty much in line with the attachment point welded to the lower arm.

I have taken a few photos of each side with my phone cam. I can upload them to PC and the web and post a link to them later today if you would like to eye-ball them.
 
Photos.

driver side rear anti-roll bar series II SG Forester (taken from rear)

Melbourne-20140407-00084_Er.jpg



passenger side rear anti-roll bar series II SG Forester(taken from rear)

Melbourne-20140407-00089_Er.jpg


These are so far from the disc calliper that it is hard to see how they could ever touch without ripping the car apart in the process!

Do yours look the same as mine?
 
Stilson,you are running 66.6 mm of lift. Is that all in the struts and springs or does it include over sized tyres ? Given the amount of lift have you fitted, have you installed longer sway bar end links ? If you haven't your sway bar will be under increased tension.
 
29.6 of lift in tyres.

RB, in the second photo it shows the upper ball/cup housing quite close to the bolt securing the brake line to the caliper, this is where it made contact.
 
OK, ST.

Still hard to see how a gap of around an inch or so got bridged. I wouldn't have thought there would be that amount of lateral play in any of the relevant components :surprised: :shrug: :confused:.
 
Yours seems to have moved to the passenger side a fair bit.
Perhaps on mine the brackets securing the swaybar have bent a bit.

I'll check them and maybe bend them outwards a bit so they arrest the lateral movement of the bar earlier and hunt for some bar clamps to put on the inside.
 
jf1sf5 said:
The sway bar can move from left to right quite easily so maybe tighten the bolts on the chassis and/or put 2 collars (?) to keep it centered
Click to expand...
I had that happen to me once (off center, moved towards passenger side) but can't recall it ever touching.

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
stilson said:
Yours seems to have moved to the passenger side a fair bit.
Click to expand...

Well spotted, thanks, ST. I had noticed that the rubbers were a bit deformed, but hadn't noticed the shift ... Have to check that out.

Perhaps on mine the brackets securing the swaybar have bent a bit.

I'll check them and maybe bend them outwards a bit so they arrest the lateral movement of the bar earlier and hunt for some bar clamps to put on the inside.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, it's a good idea to check everything to make certain that it's straight/square before doing anything else.

I will have a gander at mine tomorrow too.
 
Brackets were all good. I fitted some cut down nolethane locators that were miss fitted on the whiteline 24mm bar on my Mazda and secured them with CV boot stainless clamps.

Hopefully this solves the problem.
 
I'm going to have to do the same as that to my front sway bar. It keeps shifting and now it's stuffed a sway bar link.
 
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