Whoopsie! Sheared off the front stabilizer bar.

[porcupine73]

I took a peak under the car (2000 Subaru Outback) last night and noted that the front stabilizer bar (I think that's what it is) has sheared off on the driver's side at the frame mount/bushing.

How critical is this stabilizer bar? Can I drive with it like that for a couple weeks until I have a chance to replace it? I notice no difference in handling or anything.

I only looked under there because I was hearing a grinding/clunking sound in sharp right turns, which turned out to be the broken end of the bar rubbing against the inside edge of the tire. I then removed the link and broken end of the bar.

The bar runs up over the front jacking plate and above the exhaust so I'm not sure how hard it's going to be to replace.

The bar sheared when I was pulling out of McD's and I didn't see there was a car coming until I started to pull out so I gunned it and then I heard a sound like a gunshot going off under the car, but I didn't feel anything different and a cursory look around outside the car didn't show anything so I just thought I ran over something or maybe bounced off the curb.

 

[Kestas]

You can probably drive a couple of weeks before it's fixed. Until then, the car will have compromised handling, so don't try any sporty handling maneuvers.

 

[T-Keith]

I've never heard of someone shearing a stabilizer bar before, they're usually way too thick. The end links can break however, are you sure it's not just that?

 

[ikeepmychevytoo]

gotta be a big whoopsie...

My friends Rover 220 with its sport suspension and his thing for the recreation eventually sheared its rear stabilizer bar. One support for the bar was welded to the unibody and it sheared off right there (hello wall, hello interior). It would groan at turns. Its reapairibility was in question. So if its the bar itself you're lucky.

I diito Kestas. But some rare designs utilise the bar also as a structural support for the lower swing arm (eg. Opel Manta?). In this case retiring the car till repair would be the wise thing.

 

[dkcase]

quote:

---

Originally posted by T-Keith:
.... The end links can break however, are you sure it's not just that?

---

Most likely the end links... Just a few dollars for the parts usually.

 

[Dave H]

I sheared an endlink off the front bar on my old '78 camaro. Handling was definitely compromised, but the car was still drivable until I replaced it. That thing swayed big time on anything other than the gentlest of corners. But it was also a much heavier car than a Subaru.
I would take your Subaru to a desolate place and test out the handling gradually. Then you can make a better decision about driving it more. This will also give you the opportunity to "learn" the new handling characteristics if you do decide to drive it til fixed.
When you do fix it, sounds like a good opportunity to put some Energy Suspension Polyurethane sway bar bushings on it. They're relatively cheap, last forever, and give the steering a "crisper" feel. AutoZone has started carrying them for some cars. If you get them, don't forget to grease them or they will squeal after a very short time. I will be putting some on my Maxima in the next few weeks (my Camaro had much better steering response when I replaced them, but the car was a lot older to begin with, too).

Dave

 

[robbobster]

Typically, no front bar = less understeer & greater propensity to oversteer, especially if there's a rear bar.

Be careful if it's slick or snowy.

 

[porcupine73]

Thanks for all the info guys. I did notice today that on rought road or bumps the car tended to rock left to right a bit more than usual. I'll just take it easy until I can replace the sway bar.

It is definitely the sway bar that has sheared, the links are fine. I was surprised it sheared since it's pretty big diameter sway bar and just the short length I removed weighs several pounds.

The mounts look OK, so I'll probably replace the sway bar and bushings. Hopefully I can find some good aftermarket bushings since the OEM ones seem to be swelling out of their holders a bit. I think Summit might have had them for my car now that I think about it.

I can get the OEM front sway bar for under $100. The OEM repair manual makes the job look easy and doesn't show anything about removing the exhaust, although I could swear when I looked at it last night the sway bar ran close above the exhaust.

Actually when I bought the car used from a dealer I crawled underneath it and one of the links was broken on the rear stabilizer bar so they replaced it for me. Maybe someone beat on this car before I bought it.

I also drove over some dirt road pretty bumpy last weekend to get maple syrup maybe that weakend it. Earlier this winter the road was pothole icy very very rough to drive on maybe that weakened it too. She let loose a really loud bang when the bar broke I thought I might have run into or over something.

 

[moribundman]

Since you'll need that stabilizer bar in a situation when it's not functioning properly you must fix it ASAP. A stabilizer bar is usually R&R'ed really quickly. Takes 15 minutes on my car.

 

[T-Keith]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ikeepmychevytoo:
But some rare designs utilise the bar also as a structural support for the lower swing arm (eg. Opel Manta?). In this case retiring the car till repair would be the wise thing.

---

I almost forgot about that. I believe there are others like this as well, might want to check it out.

 

[Kestas]

This may be a good candidate for a salvage yard find to save a few bucks.

Once before I saw a fractured stabilizer bar, on my sister's 89 Olds Ciera. It was not a big deal to replace.

 

[seotaji]

quote:

---

This may be a good candidate for a salvage yard find to save a few bucks.

---

def. the way to go, unless there was a defect in a batch of them.