I'm not sure, but I think this is a pretty unusual problem!
For anyone who's looked carefully at the rear suspension, you'll note that the rear sway bar (anti-roll bar) connects to the car at 4 points. One on each hub (2), and 2 points closer to the center of the car,about 12 inches away from the wheel, just aft of the gas tank. There are 2 metal brackets that hold the bar away from the underbody of the car, and they are each connected to the sway-bar by a bushing.
I'm almost sure that Ford never thought this was a piece that would break, because I'm pretty sure that it is connected to the frame of the car by WELDS, not bolts. Well, on my car, that piece of metal holding the bar away from the underbody BROKE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE! Now I have a thump/rattle of either
1) The sway bar hitting the underbody of the car every time the suspension moves, OR
2) the piece of the bar and bushing still connected to the bar boucing into the underbody of the car everytime I hit a bump.
It looks like i'm going to have to go to a muffler shop to get this 'fixed' because it is a TOTAL welding job, and the ford dealer doesnt even have an idea of the part I broke. But it also looks like the part I broke actually flexes with the suspension a little, so It will continue to break because a weld will create a soft spot in a peice of metal designed to flex.
It'll be like welding a spring! Thats a horrible solution!
Has anyone out there run into this?!
