Front sway bar linkage snapped.

oneprblmcat · #1 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 10:47 PM

The left front sway bar linkage snapped on my '06 DC. The worse off roading this thing has seen was just a rutted fire road but that was probably 10k miles ago. The wife said she heard something pop when making a simple left turn tonight. It already had the Revtek leveling kit and diff. drop in it when I bought it with only 8k miles on it. Will this cause a probelm with taking it to the dealer and trying to get this taken care of under warranty? Would the kit have caused it to snap? To me it doesn't seem like it would. Should I be upgrading the linkage on the front?

Thanks in advance.

oneprblmcat · #2 (**permalink**) 03-22-2008, 08:23 AM

Well, I'll be finding out if the dealer has any issues with the fact my truck has the Revtek kit on it if I get time to take it in today. But if anyone can tell me if I should be upgrading my sway bar links because of the leveling kit I'd appreciate it. I wouldn't think I should since this truck hasn't been any were rougher than my Honda Accord has.

Thanks again.

oneprblmcat · #3 (**permalink**) 03-22-2008, 09:46 PM

Sure enough, dealer said it's not covered now because of the leveling kit. I've tried searching here for any info about others having the front sway bar links snapping, but no luck so far. If there is any, a link in the right direction will be appreciated. Now I'm wondering if adding a rear sway bar will take stress off the front. All I have on the truck so far is the leveling kit and a bed cap. I'm thinking that since I haven't done any real off-roading that just the added top end weight of the shell might have contributed to the problem. Any thoughts here? If I add a rear bar for handling and disconnects front and back for rough roads then I should be good right? Does anyone make disconnects for the front bar? I might as well go that direction instead of replacing the broken one using stock parts if they break that easily.

I'm kinda of ticked that the OEM bar ends would break like that. My awesome truck just went down to a 9.5 on the awesome scale of 1-10 for me now.

Any thoughts at all would be great.

rtmccormick · #4 (**permalink**) 03-22-2008, 11:50 PM

Threaten magnuson-moss on them, see if that scares them enough into doing it. I'm not a suspension expert but it would seem that if you put that kit on there(as obviously MANY people on here have done) and haven't done any serious wheeling, you shouldn't have problems like that. I'd assume it'd be a weakness in the part itself rather than directly resulting from the kit.

rcbuzzb · #5 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 02:55 AM

Don't know if rear bar will help the front bar.

Do know that the rear bar is a Big help in the twisties.

Didn't hurt while towing either.

kanaduh · #6 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 08:59 AM

Check out the sway bar kit on Downey's off road. They also give a reason for them snapping. Sounds like it might be common. Good luck.
Downey Off-Road

oneprblmcat · #7 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanaduh

Check out the sway bar kit on Downey's off road. They also give a reason for them snapping. Sounds like it might be common. Good luck.
Downey Off-Road

Thanks man.

I think that's exactly what I need. And at 1/3 the price for just one OEM link replaced at the dealer. I'll be ordering up a set as soon as I can measure my bar dia. Monday.

I also read in the Suspension section here (probably where I should have started this thread in the first place) that other Toy models have bent front sway bar links when lifted. Due to the increased angle of the bar ends in relation to the links, some have had to lengthen their OEM links to compensate. If the bar end holes aren't big enough, like Downey's suggests, then that makes a lot of sense now. I can't wait to get my truck back and see if the threaded link end was pulled off or bent off from binding in the bar end. Buying new OEM links and lengthening them was another possible direction for me but I'll try Downey's less expensive, beefier links first. And I'll see if they have extended links as well.

I'll post my results again later since I couldn't find much about this earlier.

GS535i · #8 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 07:47 PM

The very recent clunking in my front right turned out to be a snapped link, at the top end where it mounts to the sway bar: the suspension is stock, except for Bilstein shocks. Thanks for the link to Downey - looks like a better fix.
Out of curiosity, does anyone know what is the difference in links that occured in the 2001 model year? Looking for stock parts, it was claimed to require a dfferent link after mfg. date 06/2000 .... and my truck is from after that date.

SlowGsxr750 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-24-2008, 02:41 PM

i guess its a big problem in most Tundra. Mine snapped last week and didnt find out till today. i was wondering why the truck felt like the shock was out. thanks for the link. it was just i was looking for.

Tundradrenalin · #10 (**permalink**) 03-24-2008, 03:57 PM

What about these? Anti-Sway Kit for Toyota Trucks and SUV's from Wheeler's Off-Road

Thanks for the Downey links.

oneprblmcat · #11 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008, 10:44 PM

That kit from Wheeler's just looks like an upgrade for the OEM rubbers. I think my problem was due to the stock length links not providing enough range in movement for my lifted front end. I took a good look at my current OEM links. The increased angle of the swaybar in relation to the links has them nearly maxed out in their range of movement as they are now. It seems like it wouldn't take much more to snap off the threaded end. And I do remember now that I had to back over a curb as I pulled out of a tight parking spot with the wheels at a hard left. Right wheel was up and the left was down. That probably did it.

I called Downey Off Road today. They don't stock longer length sway bar links but said it's no problem making some up. They are making me a set 1.5" longer than stock to match my leveling kit. They should be done in a few days. Cost was the same. I'll post again once I get the kit on and have a verdict. Hopefully that'll be this weekend.

Tundradrenalin · #12 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 08:04 AM

So you're getting replacements for the rubbers to poly as well as the lengthened links?
While rotating my tires this past weekend, I noticed the same thing you had seen (minus the snappage). My rubbers are all smashed at an angle due to the lift. I was thinking replacing them with poly's would do the trick, until I read this thread.

Keep me updated!

-Andy

oneprblmcat · #13 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 12:38 PM

Yes, Downey Off Road's kit comes with polyurethane bushings.

oneprblmcat · #14 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 08:00 AM

Just so I don't leave anyone hanging if they're interested....I got a call from Rick at Downey last night saying that he didn't yet have the parts in to make my extended sway bar links. I was hoping to be able to get these on and pictured by Monday but it looks like I won't get them 'til maybe mid next week or later. I will definitely update this thread once I get them on and can include pictures.

oneprblmcat · #15 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 02:59 PM

This may be an old issue others have solved many times over but I couldn't find much info on this problem. So here's my results. I hope they help.

I've got the longer links installed now and the bar ends are leveled out pretty well. I think it only took DowneyOff-Road.com a day to make longer links for me once they got the right parts. There were a couple washers missing and they sent those out as soon I called them. I think this is definitely the way to go if you raise the front end at all. I had my new links made 1 1/2" longer than stock but I might have been able to go a little shorter. I wasn't sure how much of a lift the previous owner put in so I just went with their suggestion of 1 1/2". I'm not so sure about really having to drill out the bar ends to 5/8" like their website says. The hole is already just a hair less than 5/8" now so there's still plenty of space for the threaded end of the link to pivot. Plus it's a PITA to drill out that hardened spring steel. I did however have to open up the mounting holes in the sway bar straps/mounts. The OEM mounts have a staggered bolt position so the holes in the frame are not perpendicular to the bar like they are on Downey's mounts. I had to file open one side of each mounting hole on Downey's mounts so they would sit more perpendicular to the bar for less binding. I'm sure lots of these bushing kits have been installed without doing this, but I did it just for my own piece of mind. One snag was that they didn't include mounting bolts for the sway bar mounts since they expect the OEM bolts to be re-used. Maybe an '06 is different from other years but mine has only one nut and one bolt for each side, so I had to add my own 3/8" nuts and bolts.

All in all they did a good job of helping solve my problem and I'm pleased with the results. Here's a few pics.