Hello All,

Has anyone ever broken a front sway bar end link??? The driver's side one on my 245 (attached to a 25MM IPD bar) snapped like a twig today. Easy replacement with a canibalized part off the 242 (still undergoing major rust repair).

Just seems to me that end links are a part that shouldn't break...

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Happy Bricking!!! - Richard - '87 245 DL , '82 242 GLT - Half a million km between them!!!

yeah bro...mine broke a few months ago. I was extremely shocked and a few days earlier i'd been to midas(long story). I thought perhaps they had sawed it or something, but who knows.

Yup, done this myself on a pothole. The fix is easy just count the threads on the busted one and set the new one up like the original.

I've broken both of them in my wife's stock 88 744. The ends just seem to get weak with age and rust.
In addition, most of the ones I've tried to get apart have snapped too due to rust bonding the nut to the link. They live down in the dirt, water, salt, all the time...
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 229K, 88 744GLE- 218K, 82 245T-181K Also responsible for the care and feeding of: 88 745GLE, 231K, 87 244DL, 239K, 88 245DL, 246K

Yes, I've had fr. swaybar links snap on my `83 245. The car had 1" IPD bars on it and I broke 2 LH side links within a 2mo time period. The culprit was the shop that installed the bars tightened the upper link nut too tight.

Richard--

Someone else on the board mentioned this problem a few months ago. I took note because I want to upgrade to turbo sway bars.

I would expect that the heavier the bar the more tension/compression the end link gets. And--do you have poly bushings? Less give in the system means a higher peak stress on the end link.

Do the IPD bars come with their own (heavier gauge) end links? If not, maybe they need to.

Good luck.

Doug Harvey

I had bought the bars used, and I had installed them with new Volvo OE rubber bushings. They are thicker so yes maybe there is a little more tension.

I do note that IPD sells end links....


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Happy Bricking!!! - Richard - '87 245 DL , '82 242 GLT - Half a million km between them!!!

I had this happen a couple of times. A few years ago in the IPD newletter it mentioned this. They said to be carefil not over tighten the top nut and to use rubber bushings. I used rubber bushings on the end link and kept the poly frame mount busings and have been OK since then.
By the way I also broke the "U" mount. I replaced the "U" mount with the original Volvo one on bothe sides. They work fine.
Gary