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Rear sway bar problem

W

wht02lightning

CEG'er
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
245
Location
USA
I have a 1999 CSVT and when I bought it there was a clunk in the passanger rear, i inspected it after i heard it and the bracket holding the swaybar up that has the rubber bushing was bent straight down and the bushing was gone. Well I ended up finding a replacement bracket and installed it with a new rubber bushing and the clunk was gone...... for about 2 days. Then I heard it again and when i get home i inspect the situation and the new bracket is bent straight down just like the last one. So imwondering what the heck is causing this?? I know everythinng back there is origional from when I changed the struts and springs last month so it could be anything. help would be greatly appericated.
 
is the bracket installed properly? there should be a bolt holding it down...and I thought it was notched on the other side to hold it up, but other folks can chime in if my memory is incorrect...
 
99 red SVT said:
is the bracket installed properly? there should be a bolt holding it down...and I thought it was notched on the other side to hold it up, but other folks can chime in if my memory is incorrect...
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that is correct. one side has a tab that is retained by the subframe and the other is bolted in.

check your mounts and bushings and end links. could also be the strut mount.
 
I just inspected mine today. one bracket tab was bent causing the sway bay to be loose. I just bent it back with a bench vise as a temporary fix until i order new ones. When i replaced the bushings over 2 years ago I had forgotten to tighten one bracket down. My friend crawled under the car and claimed he tightened it. I am thinking he never did which caused it to bend. But he passed away almost 2 years ago so i can't yell at him.
 
l I got one off my parts car today, and upon inspection im missing the tab that the non bolt side goes into, also the sway bar looks bent slightly. It doesnt look like there is any easy fix, ill take pics soon but it looks like the tab was never there. I know what everyones talking about from my parts car, but im stuck here
 
wht02lightning said:
yeah I know that much, Just dont know quite how, only thing I could think of is welding a new bracket on from my parts car. Im no welder tho and I live in the boonies.
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If you just need new bushing brackets/ clamps, i found them on Tousley Fords parts web site. They are cheep as well.
 
im having a similar issue with my car as well. mine has some home made reinforcement done on it so i have 2 bolts that hold each bracket(not stock) to the subframe. looked at it and was like ok on of the bolts backed out and is gone. After closer inspection, the original one that goes into the subframe had been broken off in the subframe:blackeye: Now I have to try and get it with one of those easyout type things or just try to drill it completely and tap it for a new bolt. neither of those are going to be an easy task i bet considering those are prob hardened bolts.
 
icysvt said:
im having a similar issue with my car as well. mine has some home made reinforcement done on it so i have 2 bolts that hold each bracket(not stock) to the subframe. looked at it and was like ok on of the bolts backed out and is gone. After closer inspection, the original one that goes into the subframe had been broken off in the subframe:blackeye: Now I have to try and get it with one of those easyout type things or just try to drill it completely and tap it for a new bolt. neither of those are going to be an easy task i bet considering those are prob hardened bolts.
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well welcome to the club, im quite confised of what to do and more than a little angry, every time i feel good about the car it manages something
 
wht02lightning said:
yeah I know that much, Just dont know quite how, only thing I could think of is welding a new bracket on from my parts car. Im no welder tho and I live in the boonies.
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you can drive the car without the rear sway bar, it's not like it will roll over and burst into flames...then just order some new ones :shrug:
 
99 red SVT said:
you can drive the car without the rear sway bar, it's not like it will roll over and burst into flames...then just order some new ones :shrug:
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I know i can drive it, I do still drive it, but the tab the bracket connects to is gone, and it doesnt look like there is a easy way to replace it.
 
wht02lightning said:
I know i can drive it, I do still drive it, but the tab the bracket connects to is gone, and it doesnt look like there is a easy way to replace it.
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so you have a messed up bushing bracket or there is something broken off of your subframe? I am half tempted to just buy a reinforced subframe from bat and call it a day. should have never sold the one i had a while back.
 
icysvt said:
so you have a messed up bushing bracket or there is something broken off of your subframe? I am half tempted to just buy a reinforced subframe from bat and call it a day. should have never sold the one i had a while back.
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well I didnt brake it off, it was gone from when I bought it, but yeah the tab the bracket sits in is broken off the subframe.
 
icysvt said:
ok so we are both in a very similar creek and i dont see any paddles:help:
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Well im friends with OB1 and he has tons of contour parts cars maybe one weekend you can make the trip from TN to AL and we can swap them out. Im sure he wont rape us on the costs.
 
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