Sway bar debate

[Emily]

A few months ago I made a very creative turn at a pretty sharp downward-angle...Long story short I snapped my sway bar in half. :oops:

Now to the debate. I am being hassled because my friends claim they have never heard of a sway bar being broken w/out the car being wrecked. But Subaru had the bar in stock, so they must sell quite a few of them.

Has anyone else had any trouble with a weak sway bar or am I am really the world’s worst driver?

[Huffer]

Your friends are ignorant.

A swaybar is designed to help reduce overall body roll, and is not considered a structural component of the chassis. That's why you can replace them.

It would take a fair amount of strain to snap a bar, but when you're talking 3200lbs + gravity = physics then it's understandable.

My advice, go get yourself a 20mm Addco bar. ;)

[J-Rock!]

yeah huffer is right get you a bigger sway bar, cause the stock one will eventually (not soon) but will do it again, Ive seen this hundreds of times at the shop, Ive even seen it drivin down the road lol its funny seeing the end of a swaybar dragging the road. I dont know what the deal is but subaru hasnt done nothing about the breaking sway bar problem but oh well..

[Emily]

Good advice. I replaced it with a OEM bar at the time. I should have come here for advice and found something that would be more sturdy.

Thanks! :razz: I feel much better.

[decke48]

omg.. ive seen so many broken sway bars, control arms, and end links. as working as a tech in the local subie dealersship for 2 years ive think ive done around 9 sway bars, 20 control arms, and countless endlinks. so i'd say theres some problem with them

[Wiscon_Mark]

Wow, usually endlinks snap well before a swaybar does.

[Reason]

Wow, usually endlinks snap well before a swaybar does.

Exactly what I was thinking. I've seen many broken endlinks, never a sway bar (not saying it's impossible, obviously :smile: ) Def would think the plastic endlinks would crack first. At least you have it all sorted out already.

[Huffer]

I think it's going to depend on the angle of the impact. I've seen the swaybar mounts pulled out of the mounting holes.

[Reason]

Yea that's true, depends on angle and force, got it :wink:

[J-Rock!]

Yeah when the sway bar does brake its most usally breaks in the cuve near the endlink!! If that makes any sense lol i loved broken sway bars easy hour an half. (labor pay)!!

[DOOK]

I hope mine break sometime... excuse to upgrade.

[outbacktweaked95]

I was wondering I broke my sway bar as well on a BK wagon and bent the rear sway bar as well anyone have any suggestions on replacements. I want to upgrade and i was looking at x heavy duty Whiteline for about $200.00 from the factory but dunno there kinda pricey or is this just the price that they all are about.

[DOOK]

I'll be going with the rallitek when I get mine...

http://www.rallitek.com/index.html

[J-Rock!]

yeah rallitek is what imma gettin as well!! if they make it for the BK

[Emily]

Wow that site is great. I looked online for a performance bar before I just bought one from the dealership, but I couldn't really find anything. I am going to bookmark that site. I have a feeling it will come in handy! LOL!

[Airgne]

if you call rallitek you can get bigger sway bars than on the site, and they give you a better deal than the site.

[outbacktweaked95]

will the sway bars fit on my 95 bk from the 00-04 outbacks? Also will the soils fit as well. I need new struts so if thats the only thing that i need to change thats no problem

[rougeben83]

will the sway bars fit on my 95 bk from the 00-04 outbacks? Also will the soils fit as well. I need new struts so if thats the only thing that i need to change thats no problem

Only the front one.

If the 00-04 outback is like my 03, it will have the 21mm front swaybar too. Good cheap upgrade for your guys looking at the 22mm Rallitek bars...

[Alcyone]

WOW!!!
I broke my front swaybar in 3 peices last week on an slight decline\right turn.
And i thought i was the only one that ever happened too.
I was also looking for a front swaybar and end links.
I drive pretty hard on the stock suspension; pitching the car sideways alot.
What size bar and style end links should i get for that kinda driving?
All i really found, up to this point, was a 20in whiteline bar and the spherical bearing or bushing style slum. end links.

[decke48]

whiteline makes a 22mm front (bsf14x) but might be to over the top for a stock suspension. i would stick with a 20mm (bsf14) and poly bushing style endlinks. dont want to break those steel a-arms.

[rougeben83]

whiteline makes a 22mm front (bsf14x) but might be to over the top for a stock suspension. i would stick with a 20mm (bsf14) and poly bushing style endlinks. dont want to break those steel a-arms.

22mm FSB, steel control arms, stock suspension, one year of rallycross, one year of autocross...

Hmm I think the steel A-arms will be fine. :wink: My balljoints on the other hand...

It's more important to get a matched set of front and rear swaybars than anything else.

[outbacktweaked95]

Does anyone know where to get a good set of sway bars for a 95 BK im doing a complete overhaul of the suspension so the struts and springs will be aftermarket as well havent decited on them yet.

[decke48]

renickmotorsports or boxer4racing are good places.. but you have to inquiry your order first. so it might take a couple days before your order is processed. at least it happened before to me at both places.. if you buy whiteline stuff get the ones that start with bsf19 for the front(the ones for 1995 - 8/1997) and the rear isnt specific to different dates

[Dhill121]

My front sway bar also broke, and I was going strite down the freeway. I thank it was due to my wife hitting a vary large raccon at about 70mph. Then 2 weeks later "SNAP" When I took the stock bar off I looked at the brake and on the inside there was a dark spot on the inside edge of the bar, Whitch make me thank there was a tiny hole in the bar that let in water and dirt and the likes in and coroaded a spot about the size of a pincle eraser. I ended up buying a Rallitek bar and I love it, I cant wait to get One for the rear.