do sway bars wear out?

[Robliepse]

In the process of rebuilding the front end on the 72 GTX and wondering if the original factory sway bars ever really wear out. No plans to change it at this time due to budget but was looking at it on the floor and thought to my self. Self, wonder if those things were out.

 

[nm9stheham]

They should never wear out if they are not stressed beyond their design limit or flexed constantly and rapidly so much that heat builds in them (which causes annealing.... which anti-sway bars are not); if it is not deformed, it is good.

FYI: All steels and a few irons have the peculiar property that if not loaded past their yield point, then they can be flexed an infinite number of times. Other irons and all brasses, aluminums, etc., have a limit to the number of times they can be flexed.

 

[Deleted member 214]

Bushings CAN wear out. If the sway bar is out already, perfect time to take a close look and replace them before you re-install it.

 

[Robliepse]

bushings are shot and on the list, do torsion bars wear out?

 

[5.7 hemi]

Sway bars and torsion bars are spring steel, and yes, over the course of 40=50 years, they do lose their "spring"....leaf springs also.

 

[MarPar]

bars and bushings will make a world of difference...

 

[HT413]

bushings are shot and on the list, do torsion bars wear out?

Nm9 answered this for you, so long as no damage, no, they cannot wear out due to the steel's metallurgical properties as stated above.

Change bushings (and while you're at it, look at the ball joints and tie rods) and have fun.

 

[Robliepse]

Planning on changing the ball joints, strut rod bushings, pitman arm, idle arm, tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, upper control arm bushings .........is that everything but the torsion bars? My theory is change everthing once and do it right so I dont have to go back

 

[streetwedg]

You need to change the lower control arm bushings too or your wasting your time changing uppers.

 

[Robliepse]

Thanks streetwedg, If it can be replaced its going to be replaced. I'm really leaning towards new torsion bars too. What the heck, its only money and money is a renewable resource.

 

[nm9stheham]

Sway bars and torsion bars are spring steel, and yes, over the course of 40=50 years, they do lose their "spring"....leaf springs also.

Well T-bars don't lose their spring rate; they are slowly bent to a different position by the long tern, constantly applied load in one direction ('taking a set'). This is just a slow verision of the orignal forming process of a coil spring. Leaf springs DO tend to get annealed at points by the way they bend more at some point due to the layered construction.

Anti-sway bars don't have a constant load on them and get flexed equally in both directions, so you should never see them 'wear out' or 'take a set', unless they get bent beyond their yield point (whihc resutls in a permanent bend).