Front end sway bar question

I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
clear.

Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
see much.

Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
on the front right.

Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
had this problem.

So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.

Thanks
Mark

Mark wrote:
>
> I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
> car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
> when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
> thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
> clear.
>
> Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
> turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
> see much.
>
> Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
> that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
> on the front right.
>
> Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
> had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
> only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
> had this problem.
>
> So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
> on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.

Properly its an "anti-sway" or "anti-roll" bar, but the common term is sway bar, same name front and rear AFAIK. The end link
is what connects the end of the bar to the moving part of the suspension.
http://www.addco.net/install.shtml#together

--
Roger

Roger Brown wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>
>>I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
>>car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
>>when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
>>thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
>>clear.
>>
>>Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
>>turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
>>see much.
>>
>>Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
>>that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
>>on the front right.
>>
>>Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
>>had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
>>only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
>>had this problem.
>>
>>So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
>>on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.
>
>
> Properly its an "anti-sway" or "anti-roll" bar, but the common term is sway bar, same name front and rear AFAIK. The end link
> is what connects the end of the bar to the moving part of the suspension.
> http://www.addco.net/install.shtml#together
>

It is not unusual for these to break in exactly the kind of situation
you describe. I broke one the same way on my 88 Mercury Cougar. It's a
fairly cheap part to replace, and their meant to be replaced
periodically, anyway (although at intervals greater than 46,000 miles
I'll admit), like tie rod ends.

Scott

In article <[email protected]>, paver1960
@yahoo.com says...
> I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
> car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
> when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
> thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
> clear.
>
> Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
> turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
> see much.
>
> Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
> that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
> on the front right.
>
> Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
> had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
> only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
> had this problem.
>
> So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
> on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.
>
> Thanks
> Mark
>

Both mine on the front of my 4 Runner had pulled through the rubber
bushing and later snapped due to rust ont he shaft, rather than pay the
$160 per side form the dealer for what looks like poorly engineered tie
rod ends, I welded a grade 8 bolt on the end of each one and assembled
some nuts and washers along with some urethane bushings I found. 3
years now and it's help up fine. If it didn't hold up I was going to
try using some ATV tie rod ends, there is no way I will ever pay for
those Toyota factory rippoff parts.
--
____________________
Remove "X" from email address to reply.

Mark wrote:

>I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
>car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
>when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
>thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
>clear.
>
>Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
>turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
>see much.
>
>Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
>that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
>on the front right.
>
>Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
>had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
>only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
>had this problem.
>
>So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
>on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.
>
>Thanks
>Mark
>
>
The sway bar end link is not connected to anything that rotates or
turns. Only things that go up and down. So you have to wonder how it
got broken simply by running up on the curb at 20mph. I'd be looking
close for the real damage. Does the truck still make a popping noise
while turning? If so, you need to be looking at axles/CV joints.
In any case, the end links are pretty cheap and easy to replace.

--
..boB
97 H-D FXDWG - Turbocharged!!
01 Dakota Quad Sport, 5.9/Auto/4x4
83 GMC Jimmy (beater)
66 427SC Cobra Replica - Project
66 Mustang coupe - Daily Driver



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..boB wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>
>> I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
>> car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
>> when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
>> thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
>> clear.
>>
>> Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
>> turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
>> see much.
>>
>> Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
>> that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
>> on the front right.
>>
>> Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
>> had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
>> only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
>> had this problem.
>>
>> So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
>> on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Mark
>>
>>
> The sway bar end link is not connected to anything that rotates or
> turns. Only things that go up and down. So you have to wonder how it
> got broken simply by running up on the curb at 20mph. I'd be looking
> close for the real damage. Does the truck still make a popping noise
> while turning? If so, you need to be looking at axles/CV joints. In
> any case, the end links are pretty cheap and easy to replace.
>
In this case what breaks them generally is the violent upward force on
them when the wheel hits the curb. I suspect they may actually be
designed to fail under a sufficiently high stress, rather than transmit
the force to the anti-sway bar and damage it — I don't know this though,
just speculating.

Scott wrote:

> .boB wrote:
>
>> Mark wrote:
>>
>>> I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
>>> car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
>>> when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
>>> thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
>>> clear.
>>>
>> The sway bar end link is not connected to anything that rotates or
>> turns. Only things that go up and down. So you have to wonder how
>> it got broken simply by running up on the curb at 20mph. I'd be
>> looking close for the real damage. Does the truck still make a
>> popping noise while turning? If so, you need to be looking at
>> axles/CV joints. In any case, the end links are pretty cheap and
>> easy to replace.
>>
> In this case what breaks them generally is the violent upward force on
> them when the wheel hits the curb. I suspect they may actually be
> designed to fail under a sufficiently high stress, rather than
> transmit the force to the anti-sway bar and damage it — I don't know
> this though, just speculating.
>
Makes sense. But if all you do is scrape up against the curb, and
not run up on it, I can't see how that would damage the sway bar.

--
..boB
97 H-D FXDWG - Turbocharged!!
01 Dakota Quad Sport, 5.9/Auto/4x4
83 GMC Jimmy (beater)
66 427SC Cobra Replica - Project
66 Mustang coupe - Daily Driver



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I broke a sway bar link by hitting a huge pothole. The link bolt head
just sheered off.

"Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> .boB wrote:
> > Mark wrote:
> >
> >> I was driving my F150 4x4 last week and hit a curb as I was passing a
> >> car. I had slowed to pass the car and so wasn't going more the 20 mph
> >> when I scraped the tire against the curb. At that point I heard a
> >> thunk and a pop like I hit something hard head on but the street was
> >> clear.
> >>
> >> Anyways, I was getting a popping noise especially when I made sharp
> >> turns. I thought maybe I busted a shock but I took a look and didn't
> >> see much.
> >>
> >> Well, I jacked it up this weekend and to take a closer look and see
> >> that I popped the head off of the connecting rod (?) to the sway bar
> >> on the front right.
> >>
> >> Everything else looks ok up front. I removed this rod. Looks like it
> >> had some wear and rust where it snapped off. Maybe a bad rod. Truck
> >> only has 46,000 on it. I drove an '88 Bronco for 10 years and never
> >> had this problem.
> >>
> >> So what is this connecting rod called? And is it called the sway bar
> >> on the front end? I know it's called a sway bar on the rear end.
> >>
> >> Thanks
> >> Mark
> >>
> >>
> > The sway bar end link is not connected to anything that rotates or
> > turns. Only things that go up and down. So you have to wonder how it
> > got broken simply by running up on the curb at 20mph. I'd be looking
> > close for the real damage. Does the truck still make a popping noise
> > while turning? If so, you need to be looking at axles/CV joints. In
> > any case, the end links are pretty cheap and easy to replace.
> >
> In this case what breaks them generally is the violent upward force on
> them when the wheel hits the curb. I suspect they may actually be
> designed to fail under a sufficiently high stress, rather than transmit
> the force to the anti-sway bar and damage it — I don't know this though,
> just speculating.
>
As Grandpa used to say.. "Holy ****". (He was a man of few but cear
words) --- If that was the case, I'd hate to think of taking that puny girly
thing off the road where you might actually hit a rough piece of dirt!!! A
F150 is not the strongest piece of steel out there, but they sure aren't
your grandma's Topaz either. I've had them and they will usually take a
hell of a beating before anything like this happens. No, they shouldn't
"pop" if everything is correct. You neglected to say if it was rusted. If
nothing is rusted, check your ball joints, tie rod ends, etc, etc. If you
broke the link like that, you might have done some other damage too.

Good luck,
Papa Don

PS: Why were you passing someone by driving on the sidewalk - not that it
doesn't sound like fun mind you!!!