Sway Bar Link Replacement Cost. There are a lot of components in the car that plays the role in its handling and stability. The sway bar itself will last a very long time, but one thing is it going to go bad with time. When the sway bar link goes bad, your car’s handling will begin to feel off and it must be replaced. In this article, we’ll talk about the sway bar link replacement cost, how it works and why you should replace a bad sway bar link.
It is important and compulsory for you to know how the component works before we get into the sway bar link replacement cost. Now if you want to know more about sway bar link replacement costs you will have to continue reading this article.
Sway Bar Link Replacement Cost
What is a Sway Bar Link? The Sway Bar Link is what brings together the sway bar itself to your car’s control arm. The links usually have two ball joints at each end, one to connect the arms control and the other to connect to the sway bar. The sway bar needs these links since the sway bar themselves are not flexible, and the links allow for some flexibility that is compulsory for the system.
As we know, ball joints will go bad with time. They will often become loose which lessens the sway bar’s ability to make the car stable as it’s less stiff than it was. The sway bar links quite last a long time. There’s no exact approximation of how long they last. One thing to take note of is that because of the stress they endure, there will come a time when you need to replace them.
Signs to Know if You Need a Sway Bar Link Replacement
As mentioned earlier, sway bar links are likely to last the car’s lifespan, but they will inevitably need to be replaced. Below are the signs that you need a sway bar link replacement.
- The Car Feels Unstable During Cornering: Along as the sway bar plays an important role in the car’s stability, you will notice stability issues when turning or negotiating a corner if you have a bad sway bar link. You will notice the car lean more to one side than the usual when you’re cornering or turning.
- Strange Noises: A bad sway bar link may make rattling and squeaking noises as you drive along. This usually occurs when you are turning or on a rough road. This is normally caused by the deterioration of the bushings, which makes the links less stable and firm and more prone to rattling.
- Car Swerves on its Own: when the links are in really bad condition, you will notice significant changes in the handling even when moving in a straight line. The car may feel unstable and the handling will be easily upset by the smallest bumps and potholes.
If you notice any of the signs above, it would be smart and wise of you to visually inspect your car’s sway bar links.
Sway Bar Link Replacement Cost
When the sway bar links go bad, there are usually two parts you will need to replace which are the sway bar links and the sway bar bushings. Now when talking about the cost of the sway bar link replacement, it depends on the kind of car you are using and where you take it for replacement. But one thing you should know is that the replacement cost for the sway bar link is not high, it can easily be afforded.
How to Replace Sway Bar Links
Below are the easy given steps you need to follow for you to stress-freely replace your sway bar links.
- Engage the parking brake and set a wheel chock on the tire that won’t be removed to keep the car in its place.
- Loosen the wheel nuts, then raise the car and put it on jack stands once done remove the wheel nuts and remove the wheel.
- Locate the sway bar you’re going to replace. There should be two lug nuts holding the sway bar link in place. Start by removing the top one first and then the lower one.
- Once both nuts are removed, use the pry bar to apply pressure to the sway bar. Do this close to the sway bar link and it will help to remove the links.
- Use the pry bar again to put in pressure and install the new sway bar link, make sure it’s correctly installed as the ends of the links can look similar.
- Once the link is in place, install and tighten the nuts to the appropriate torque specification, you should be able to find this in your owner’s manual.
- Reinstall the wheel back on the car and tighten the lug nuts. Repeat the process for the other sway bar links you will need to replace.
Following the above steps and guidelines, you will easily replace your sway bar links
