The sway bar is an important part of your vehicle’s suspension system. Sway bars are often referred to as stabilizer bars, anti-roll bars and anti-sway bars. Whatever you call the part, it serves the same purpose: prevent the car from rolling when going around a corner. Picture this for a moment: when you take a corner quickly, the force of the turn shifts your body to the outside. The same thing happens to your vehicle; this is referred to as body roll. With that in mind, it is important to identify potential sway bar issues, and the bushings are often neglected areas of concern. The service team at Pennsylvania Toyota dealership wonders about the health of your sway bar bushings.
What are Sway Bar Bushings?
The sway bar connects two wheels together: rear to rear, and front to front. The right amount of stabilizer bar will effectively keep both the wheels on the ground in a sharp turn. Too much stabilizer bar will result in a loss of independence among the suspension components, and too little or no sway bar at all will result in a loss of control and significant body roll issues. The right setting provides maximum control without compromising the independence of the tires. Where do the bushings come in to play? Sway bar bushings attach the sway bar to the frame of a car in a way that permits rotation.
Are Your Sway Bar Bushings Bad?
Because there are no required service recommendations for the sway bar bushings, you will not usually catch a problem before it occurs. If your sway bar bushings are bad, they will provide you with a few clues: clunking sound when one wheel goes over a bump, constant rattling of sway bar link, decreased handling, and a thumping sound when taking a turn too sharply or going over a bump.
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