Giving the Sway Bar a Tune Up Philadelphia PA

By Gene Markel
8/28/2009

Unless the chassis anti-roll bar - also called the sway bar or stabilizer - is making noise, it tends to be missed when the suspension is serviced. Here's how to provide a proper undercar inspection to the Sway Bar components.

By Gene Markel

Figure 1

Potholes and road splash take the biggest toll on suspension parts, especially on the vehicle’s right (curb) side. Shocks, struts and ball joints receive the most attention for replacement. But, unless the chassis anti-roll bar — also called the sway bar or stabilizer — is making noise, it tends to be missed when the suspension is serviced.

This is also true for upper strut bearings and control arm bushings. With so many minivans, crossovers, SUVs, vans and trucks on the road, special  attention should be given to the chassis anti-roll bar on these vehicles as the anti-roll bar has a  significant effect on a vehicle’s stability during a cornering maneuver as the center of mass on these vehicles is higher than on a passenger vehicle.  

Rolling Along
Chassis roll is determined by an axis running from the rear roll center to the front roll center of the vehicle. The axis forms a plane that determines the rotation of the chassis during a corner. The inclination of the plane and center of mass of a vehicle determine how much the chassis roll will occur during a corner.
Figure 2

The chassis anti-roll bar is a mechanical ...