Is this a broken sway bar

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

That`s the oldest car hustlers trick in the book. That and filling the rear end and trans with saw dust. Makes the gears runs smooth for a while.
(I picked this up watching the Andy Griffith Show when Barney bought the old Ford)

The saw dust trick is old but sway bars used to be solid back in Andy's day.

 

[GTS Dean]

Carl - you have only 2 options if you can't get another bar in time:

1) disconnect the bar end links and learn to drive it that way.
2) remove the bar. prepare (chamfer) the broken bar ends for full-*********** welding. Drill some 3/8" holes thru both sides of the repair, about 3/4" back from the break. Stick a 2" piece of tubing or bar stock into the broken bar, check the bar ends for parallel and plug weld the drilled holes. weld the bar to the insert with a full-circumference weld. That should probably make the weekend.

 

[Catwood]

Carl - you have only 2 options if you can't get another bar in time:

1) disconnect the bar end links and learn to drive it that way.
2) remove the bar. prepare (chamfer) the broken bar ends for full-*********** welding. Drill some 3/8" holes thru both sides of the repair, about 3/4" back from the break. Stick a 2" piece of tubing or bar stock into the broken bar, check the bar ends for parallel and plug weld the drilled holes. weld the bar to the insert with a full-circumference weld. That should probably make the weekend.

pretty much what we did excep for drilling in the 3/8" holes. solid dowel pin in the brake and welded in. So far so good. If it brakes it will hang up and I already know what to expect if brakes again.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Breaks Carl. Breaks not brakes. Although I can relate to the mixup.

 

[AZTVR]

Just let us know whether the bar breaks when you brake for the corners and causes your car to break away, and head off the track. All you can do is what you did, fix it the best way you can, pending replacement, and bet that you don't encounter any unlucky breaks, ... brakes?

 

[Phun70]

well, it's welded and in the car. The welder penetrated the dowel and added two stiffners top and bottom and did a stitch weld on both sides.

If I can get one in the mean quick I may change it other wise...going to the track.

seriously, what's wrong with a welded repair
signed
Ayrton Senna

ical
Really?? Well from a metallurgy stand point, you're altering the metal on the molecular level. By welding the bar, you've changed it's spring rate, and you've probably embrittled the metal, making it more prone to breakage, especially if the weld was quenched. On a suspension component that wasn't designed to be welded on, it just isn't a good idea. NOT SAFE!

 

[AZTVR]

seriously, what's wrong with a welded repair
signed
Ayrton Senna

Really?? Well from a metallurgy stand point, you're altering the metal on the molecular level. By welding the bar, you've changed it's spring rate, and you've probably embrittled the metal, making it more prone to breakage, especially if the weld was quenched. On a suspension component that wasn't designed to be welded on, it just isn't a good idea. NOT SAFE!

Good input; but, it appears that Carl is FULLY aware of what the possible effects are, and has weighed the risks and decided that they are acceptable. Racers are risk takers.

Google for the cause of Senna's death.

 

[GTS Dean]

ical
Really?? Well from a metallurgy stand point, you're altering the metal on the molecular level. By welding the bar, you've changed it's spring rate, and you've probably embrittled the metal, making it more prone to breakage, especially if the weld was quenched. On a suspension component that wasn't designed to be welded on, it just isn't a good idea. NOT SAFE!

The location of the repair, IMO, is in a lower stress area than the middle of the bar where it crosses the back. Why it broke where it did? I would assume it was damaged or had a stress riser that led to the previous failure.