Thread: cost to replace a sway bar? Do these crack?

Originally Posted by Pittman06

heres a little secret on the sway bars, check out Summit Racings website, the GM Performance Parts sway bar is dirt cheap. Couldn't find a OE replacement for under 110 until i checked here, the main store is 30 minutes from me so i'm not sure how steap there shipping is

Thanks for the tip. I'm about 1 1/2 hrs. from their store, but I've gotten plenty of things from there. I'll look into it.

I got the GMPP sway bar kit for $80 and installed it myself on my 99.

Yes they do crack and break, other GM vehicles has the same issue. The problem is, the bars are hallow and rust out. The bars mostly snap or crack at the ends, where the steel was pressed down to be flat.

One end of mine was cracked, the other completely broken off.

The replacements are solid steel, the way the bar should have been from the beginning.

Originally Posted by toolguy

I got the GMPP sway bar kit for $80 and installed it myself on my 99.

Yes they do crack and break, other GM vehicles has the same issue. The problem is, the bars are hallow and rust out. The bars mostly snap or crack at the ends, where the steel was pressed down to be flat.

One end of mine was cracked, the other completely broken off.

The replacements are solid steel, the way the bar should have been from the beginning.

Front is still tubular.

Originally Posted by toolguy

This is the kit I got from my local dealer and getting the P/N from gmpartsdirect.

It is a solid steel bar...

GM Sway Bar Kit~Grand Prix~Impala~Monte Carlo~1997-2005:eBay Motors (item 390111578297 end time Nov-27-09 09:34:15 PST)

true

I put on the GMPPP 34mm bar, came with poly end links and frame mounts, it was 65$, best money spent on the car yet. It does take some trial and error getting it to fit properly because the larger diameter tends to interfere with other parts around it. I have read it can be put in up, or down, depending on your car.

For any of you folks that can weld or know someone who really can weld: jack it up at least a foot, free the bar from the end links, loosen the bushings sufficiently to allow you to move it left and right clamp and tack it and be sure to run good tacks across the face where the 2 pressed together ends meet, run a full pass over everything and reinforce the cracked areas with a multipal stringers. Cost two dollars in welding rod. Keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case. Put a peice of tin between the engine and the bar when you're welding and cover the brakes with a welding blanket or another peice of tin. Wrap the weld with fiberglass and let it slow cool. Took me about an hour 5 years ago, still holding. If you can TIG weld so much the better, no sparks and a much smaller heat effected zone.

ok now im confused. this whole time i was under the impression that solid sway bars are way better than hollow. but u guys make it seem like GMPP is the way to go. so what should i get? cuz mine is completely broken on both sides lol so i have no sway bar.

GMPP is slightly more than the price of dorman and you get a rear as well.

Consider I've seen cars snap the rear sways in the same fashion.