Sway Bar Links

Sway Bar Links – Principle and Function

If you've ever spent much time examining the undercarriage of your car or truck, you've already seen many of the biggest elements of the suspension system, like the sway bar and the control arms. However, there are some smaller pieces that you may not have noticed in your self-inspections, but they are just are important, because they allow the bigger elements to move and respond like you want them to. Some of these small but important parts are the sway bar links, and being aware of their function will help you better diagnose your suspension problems, should they arise in the future.

Many people have heard of the sway bar, which is one of the most important elements of the suspension system. The sway bar plays its largest role in stabilizing the vehicle when it takes turns to the right or left while traveling at a normal driving speed. Normally if you were to take a right turn at speed, all of the force of the turn would be transferred to the outer left of the vehicle, driving down the left side and lifting up the right side. The sway bar and sway bar links work together to disperse some of this motion to the rest of the car's frame and keep all four wheels on the ground.

In case you want to look for them the next time you're under your vehicle, the sway bar links are a pair of vertical rods that are attached to the sway bar at each end and that serve to connect the sway bar to the chassis on each side. The sway bar link is connected to both the wheel and either a shock, strut or upper frame mount through the use of knuckles or other joints. Although the sway bar is already connected to the frame of the car with brackets, it is the connection with the links that gives it its control and stability. If these links are ever broken, the control of the car while turning will be greatly reduced.

There are several ways that you can tell if your sway bar or sway bar links need to be looked at by a mechanic; first of all, you will likely notice a lot of motion in the frame of the car when you are turning it during normal driving. Another thing that you might notice is a lot of play in the steering control, and you might notice dipping of the front end when you stop.