Sway Bar Repair

[Terry Posma]

Hello all,

I have managed to break an end of the standard front sway bar on my S3. Two questions:

1. Is the bar hardened or spring steel?

2. Can it be welded or brazed? I have seen a post which states it has been done successfully but just wanted to check again. Also I would like to attach a washer on the each end to beef it up a bit.

Cheers.

[rgh0]

The bar is spring steel. Its possible to repair at the end depending on exactly where its broken but would need a sleeve to join a new eye to the end of the bar.

New bars are not that expensive and may be just easier to replace.

cheers
Rohan

[david.g.chapman]

I was concerned about the fragility of my anti-roll bar on my +2, and had washers welded to each end as you suggest. The "blacksmith" who did the work first of all said that "these bars often lose their spring", but when he tried it with one end in a vice he pronounced it OK after all.

I think if I were you I would buy a new bar as Rohan suggests, and weld something on each end as well.

Cheers,

Dave Chapman

[Hawksfield]

Terry
I had one side break last year. The break was at the thinnest part of the locating lug circular section. I had a thick washer welded on top of the original to re fix the broken piece
Still in service I am glad to say.

[snowyelan]

This is one of the (few) parts I wouldn't repair. Its a spring, and when it breaks it's likely to do so when in a highly stressed state, which is usually when cornering on the limit.

[Terry Posma]

Contrary to all the good advice I decided to repair the bar end and here it is:

I have not driven the car all that much but I do think it needs a slightly larger bar than standard but I am not totally sure. I did not want to spend the money on a new bar and find that it is the wrong size, rather I will drive with the repaired item and figure out what size to go for. If it breaks again then so be it, just hastens the decision.

[rgh0]

A bigger roll bar is the best handling modification for a road Elan on modern radials which grip much better than tyres of the 60's.

Back in the 80's I fitted a 22mm bar to my then road going everyday use Elan and I loved the improved handling. On reflection it was probably a little too stiff for road use with the tyres I was using back then. Though the soft rubber bushings I used back then probably took a little off the bar stiffness itself.

I still use the same 22mm bar on my Elan today, now with stiffer poly bushings with it primarily a race car and in combination with stiffer springs and much sticker again Yoko A050 track day tyres it still works well.

cheers
Rohan

[nmauduit]

Contrary to all the good advice I decided to repair the bar end

the functionally stressed part of the ARB is the long central section, including the ~100° 110° bends on each side, reparing the very tip would not alter the spring nature of the central section I believe, so good to go (one still needs to find out why it would have broken there, overtight stiff bushings maybe ?)

[2cams70]

Contrary to all the good advice I decided to repair the bar end and here it is:

Don't just don't

[webrest7]

New bars are not that expensive and may be just easier to replace.

cheers
Rohan

Agree completely. A new bar is not expensive why mess about with old tatt that my just fail again.