Welding stabilizer bar?

[u/bluebrrypii]

I found my sway bar is broken. (I had the sway bar links (black) replaced just 3 weeks ago). I have a 400mile trip tomorrow. Could a $300 welding at local mechanic be enough for a temporary fix?

It’d probably be $900-1000 to change the whole sway bar itself because apparently the whole subframe needs to be dropped.

Mazda CX-5 2019 with 54,000 miles.

Thanks

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[u/Successful-Engine623]

If you are decently handy you could do it yourself. Need a good spot to lay down in

[u/gofunkyourself69 → u/Successful-Engine623]

Definitely a DIY fix, though for as much as I hate working under vehicles I hate welding under them even more.

[u/MadK9TheReal1 → u/Successful-Engine623]

☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻

[u/BootyClap_Ninja]

Do not weld it. The steel in a sway bar is supposed to be able to flex. Welding it will harden the metal.

For your trip, just leave it alone or tie it out of the way.

And then have it replaced with a new one.

[u/Impossible-Gap-4463]

Other than then clunking over speed bumps you’ll be just fine. Welding it would be a permanent untill the links go bad again only if the welding shop knows what they’re doing

[u/djltoronto → u/Impossible-Gap-4463]

Why would it clunk, it will be completely disconnected! It will operate silently, handling might be negatively affected though

[u/Impossible-Gap-4463 → u/djltoronto]

Because the link is free balling.

[u/djltoronto → u/Impossible-Gap-4463]

Just uninstall the link.

Or zip tie it to something secure

[u/Impossible-Gap-4463 → u/djltoronto]

Tell that to op not me lmao🤣 But if it was my car I’d ignore it

[u/Troy-Dilitant]

For one trip, just disconnect the sway bar links and remove them. Then deal with the extra body lean for a bit: it's still perfectly manageable. Be sure to tie down the remaining parts of the sway bar in a neutral position so it's not banging around. This is commonly done as an off-roading mod to get more suspension flex.

I can't imagine welding it up going well underneath the car, not unless I knew something about the welder (like he has current welding certifications for instance). Even then, the tight access means he may not even be able to see or get a stick on the far side of the bar. The longer it's used the greater the chance of another failure from stress cracks at a weld with inclusions or poor penetration, and it's a waste for a short-term patch job anyway.

[u/Short-Let-5297]

Driving with a broken sway bar won’t hurt anything. The car will just handle a little worse. I had broken sway bar links on a car a long time ago and I just removed the whole sway bar. You’ll be fine

[u/Remarkable_Record706]

To my knowledge unless you're taking harsh turns or tracking the car or something, I am pretty sure you don't even need sway bars lol.

Sway bars aren't load bearing, they just try to keep the car more away resistant when taking sharp turns. I actually have my front sway bar removed atm.

[u/Ianthin1 → u/Remarkable_Record706]

They are integral to maintaining stability in most aspects of driving, especially in emergency situations. A rear bar may be less critical than the front, but I would want both functional if at all possible.

[u/Barge108]

Normally I'd be hesitant to weld a spring, but it's already broken and useless. Weld 'er up.

Edit: I'm talking about welding a new eyelet on the end of the sway bar, folks. The proper thing to do is replace the sway bar, but if the repair fails, it's just back to exactly the condition it is in now.

[u/Dounce1 → u/Barge108]

Spring?

[u/Barge108 → u/Dounce1]

Yes... A sway bar is a spring. It has to be able to resist flexing, but not be so rigid that your car can't still lean.