How Do Sway Bars Work? Types and Components
There are various components that affect your vehicle’s performance down the road, among these, the most important component to have to stabilize your vehicle’s working is the sway bar. Before installing sway bars, you need to know how they work, whether they need a replacement or a repair in their mechanics.
A sway bar has different names like a stabilizer bar, an anti-roll bar, and an anti-sway bar, and this u-shaped metallic bar is linked to the control arm that is located at the end of the vehicle’s wheels. They can operate in various ways and come if different types such as some are hollow and the others are typical ‘u’ shaped. Their appearance varies but each one of them serves the same purpose.
Working in a Sway Bar
As the name suggests, sway bars or anti-roll bars limit your vehicle’s control and restrict how much it sways while taking rounds or turns. The main purpose of the bar is to keep the four wheels on the ground so as to prevent accidental flipping. While the car turns, a lot of pressure is exerted on the steering and the suspension system. The vehicle cannot put up to the tension and this results in swaying and to an extent, it can lead to flipping as well.
Your vehicle’s sway bar provides an outlet to this force and controlled it wherever it goes, and the vehicle becomes stable while taking any sharp turns as the bars allow this twisting on turns. When the turning ceases, the bars straighten their position, twisting, and turning doesn’t wear out the bars instead it is built to handle their position for a lifetime. But, the mounting bushings can wear out and needs to be replaced.
Types of Sway Bars
Most of the sway bars are u-shaped which helps in keeping vehicles from flipping but some of the bars used today are slightly different. Three usual sway bars are as follows:
Solid sway bars – These are the most commonly used sway bars in modern times. They are typical u-shaped bars connecting the wheel assembly to the same or a different axle. They operate while twisting around the corners to suppress tension, they are a bit heavy but durable and long-lasting.
Tubular sway bars – They are hollow sway bars somewhat identical to solid bars. The point of difference between solid bars and tubular bars is that the inside is hollow in the latter one unlike solid metal in the former. These bars are long-lasting and serve several benefits. Although they are a bit expensive, their reduced weight makes them popular.
Splined sway bars – Most of the bars are designed in a u-shape but some are straight as well. These differently designed bars are called splined sway bars which can be both solid as well as hollow. These bars spin directly towards the connecting arms. These bars are common in performance vehicles and in racing cars and are very adjustable for your track
Conclusion
Sway bars are an essential replacement that needs to be done for your vehicle’s performance, keep in mind the working of these components and the requirements your vehicle needs, and then select the best sway bar type for your high-performance car.