Sway bars and broken rear sway bar tabs

[emiffy]

Calling all suspension gurus...

saw this on the UUC website on FAQs on sway bars:

What about the rear bar?

A common misconception is that the increase in rear bar stiffness alone is the sole cause for bent (or broken) rear sway bar tabs (the tabs which mount the sway bar bushings). In fact, even under race conditions, most racecars do not break the tabs. Rather, rear sway bar tabs bend (or break) because of daily obstacles such as potholes, construction, and other road hazards. It is the sharp transition and weight shift in such conditions which will weaken and stress the factory tabs. In the events that the tabs do break, they are built into the rear subframe of the vehicle, which becomes a costly replacement.


So, my question is: given that we can't avoid potholes, constuction, road hazards, will changing to a thicker sway bar accelerate the failure of the rear sway bar tabs?

The last sentence is especially scary: rear subframe, costly replacement. Anyone ever had to change that before?

Thanks...

 

[DreamDriver]

Re: Sway bars and broken rear sway bar tabs

If you read e46fanatics, people there say rear subframe damage often occurs on earlier year E46s, something like 1998-2000 if I remember correctly. For later models BMW apparently corrected this. Locally I've yet to hear of anyone who has gotten this problem. The US guys also get different treatment when they send these cars back to their local agents. Some pay full repair cost, but some get to repair free (all are out of warranty). And yes it is expensive to repair (few K USD but down there labour also expensive).

In any case I think a big factor is the speed at which you go over those potholes etc. Logically, low speed = low damage, and generally SG roads are quite well surfaced. If it's a road you travel often, I'm sure you'll know all the potholes etc and will know how to avoid them or slow down. I don't think changing to thicker rollbars will make it so much worse; afterall stock car also got rollbars and they also stress the tabs what.

 

[wilman2772]

Re: Sway bars and broken rear sway bar tabs

Hahahah, well said KK!!

Take my car for example!! Stress on watever tabs/bushes will be max on my car!! U should know how I drive right??

Haven't change rear subframe leh.....

Vince, relack leh.....

kekekekeke

'The Great White'