Front stabilizer bushing failure

[thejum57]

I've just noticed a loud bang noise in the right front of my truck only when driving on rough surfaces, and taking a hard left into my driveway. It looks like the left side of the stabilizer bar , (not sure if that's the name) the top bushing looks like it failed...it was on top of the bolt. Is this a difficult fix, meaning does the nut on top usually snap, or will it come off? Here are a few pics. 

Is it ok to drive for a bit untill I can fix it ? 

 

Thanks ! 

 

Jim

[87MJTIM]

That's a sway bar link.  Not hard to replace.  Be sure to buy two.  The driver's side is just as old as the passenger's side.

[HOrnbrod]

Looks to me like you lost the nut and washer off the end link, unless it snapped off. Slide the bushing off the link and take another pic.

[coolwind57]

9 hours ago, thejum57 said:

Is it ok to drive for a bit untill I can fix it ? 

I replaced mine recently.  I went ahead and removed my entire sway bar assembly (including the end links) and drove without it for a day or two till my parts came in.  I survived.  Actually, I really didn't notice too much of a difference, but I really babied it, especially during turns.  You'd probably be ok with just removing just the end links if you have to drive the vehicle.  If it were me and I had to drive it, I'd probably at least remove the end links just so things don't get an opportunity to become mangled or something. 

 

I took the opportunity to upgrade to a larger WJ sway bar and bought Ford F-350 rear end links, whose added length helped by providing a better angle because I have a slight lift.

 

My thoughts are "do at your own risk".  I'm not an expert.  Just saying that I pulled it off, but again, I really was driving cautiously and had good dry sunny days.

[Dzimm]

Go ahead and pull the end links off and drive it.  It will increase body roll so take corners a little slower than normal and you'll be fine.  It's not gonna hurt anything to drive it this way. 

[shelbyluvv]

On ‎10‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 3:37 AM, Dzimm said:

Go ahead and pull the end links off and drive it.  It will increase body roll so take corners a little slower than normal and you'll be fine.  It's not gonna hurt anything to drive it this way. 

This is terrible advice! Please do NOT listen to this. Replace them. If you should be involved in a incident that you need to swerve you can potentially roll your truck. They are cheap and easy to replace. Don't be a hack and remove a much needed part.

 

Dzimm, please refrain from giving this type of advice in the future.

[Dzimm]

4 minutes ago, shelbyluvv said:

This is terrible advice! Please do NOT listen to this. Replace them. If you should be involved in a incident that you need to swerve you can potentially roll your truck. They are cheap and easy to replace. Don't be a hack and remove a much needed part.

 

Dzimm, please refrain from giving this type of advice in the future.

Have you ever driven an XJ or an MJ without a sway bar?  They are super stable even without it (I speak from experience in both a stock XJ and a 4.5" lifted MJ without a sway bar for a short time).  Yeah a hard swerve would probably roll it but that's gonna happen anyway because they are top-heavy.  As long as the truck isn't lifted super high you will be fine.  

 

Like the OP said, it will be a temporary thing, just don't go taking corners at 100mph and you're fine.  Obviously the best thing to do is fix it but it won't hurt anything to drive on it.  

[shelbyluvv]

6 minutes ago, Dzimm said:

Have you ever driven an XJ or an MJ without a sway bar?  They are super stable even without it (I speak from experience in both a stock XJ and a 4.5" lifted MJ without a sway bar for a short time).  Yeah a hard swerve would probably roll it but that's gonna happen anyway because they are top-heavy.  As long as the truck isn't lifted super high you will be fine.  

 

Like the OP said, it will be a temporary thing, just don't go taking corners at 100mph and you're fine.  Obviously the best thing to do is fix it but it won't hurt anything to drive on it.  

 

I have and I have been messing with MJs and XJs for over 20 years. I saw first had what can happen by not running a sway bar on a 2" lifted XJ. My buddy rolled it on the street trying to avoid a car that pulled out in front of him. They are not "very stable" you handle like crap without the sway bar. I drove my 89 for 2 weeks without a sway bar and quickly found a way to put new links on it. I used to give the same bad advice you did. Until it almost killed one of my friends.

 

A $20 part is not worth being killed over. I don't care if it is a week or an hour. Running a vehicle without a front sway bar is both dangerous and stupid.

[Dzimm]

15 minutes ago, shelbyluvv said:

 

I have and I have been messing with MJs and XJs for over 20 years. I saw first had what can happen by not running a sway bar on a 2" lifted XJ. My buddy rolled it on the street trying to avoid a car that pulled out in front of him. They are not "very stable" you handle like crap without the sway bar. I drove my 89 for 2 weeks without a sway bar and quickly found a way to put new links on it. I used to give the same bad advice you did. Until it almost killed one of my friends.

 

A $20 part is not worth being killed over. I don't care if it is a week or an hour. Running a vehicle without a front sway bar is both dangerous and stupid.

I'm sorry to hear about your buddy and his XJ.  I certainly wouldn't run without it long term or by choice, and obviously from your experience it surly aided in the rollover of his XJ.  It takes a fair amount of sideways lean to get a vehicle to roll and it wouldn't surprise me if your buddy would have at least been on two wheels with a sway bar attached, if not rolled anyway.  

 

I'm just saying if I needed to temporarily run without a sway bar for some reason, I would, but would also drive knowing my vehicle has a slightly higher risk of rolling and be more careful (obviously there are unavoidable surprises like your buddy had), but that's my opinion based on my experience.  I completely agree with you that if you have the ability and choice to run with the sway bar, do it.  I would choose to use it over not using it, there is no doubt about that.  

 

Also if the link on the other side of the truck is still attached, he at least would have some support from the sway bar, but as stated above, get a new link for both sides as soon as you can. 

[Minuit]

I'm with Bo. I think he got his point across just fine but just fix it. The end links are not hard to replace. You might think you'll be ok, right up until you need to make an evasive maneuver at speed. They put those things on for a reason. 

[coolwind57]

Absolutely perfect plan would be to park it till you get your new end links installed, I can't disagree with that.  

 

As for me, I respectfully listen to the opinions of others, such as those expressing theirs that driving without a sway bar is a gamble.  To some, it can be seen as absolutely insanity.  I see risks and I weight them.  In my day or two of driving without a sway bar, I knew it was not ideal and I had considered that there were perhaps risks.  But after trucking along for a while, I honestly didn't feel as if I was driving a poison vehicle made of nitro glycerin either.

 

I believe continuing to drive your truck as we see in the picture may have another risk for you to consider as well. You may have issues with that one attached end-link side bearing down with forces while the other side is moving around unattached, possible catching or shoving the end link into the coil spring or tire or something.   Man, who knows what is going on under there, with turning, swerving and pot holes.  Of course, you'd also certainly need to prepare yourself for a possible different feel than what you're used to on turns and banks. 

 

If you make the decision to drive your truck--still as we see it in your picture, then i might suggest that you remove both end links untill you get new ones on.  

 

Again, the "book", better route would be to park it and drive something else till its fixed.  

 

I made the decision to drive my truck for a couple of days with my sway bar assembly (bar/end-links) removed as I awaited my parts to come in.  My decision was based mostly on my 2nd vehicle was down and I had no other vehicle to get to work.  I know my route to work, the turns, the distance, the traffic and I made my call.  As Dzimm noted, I also hardly noticed any difference at all, but let me assure you that I was much more cautious as I felt it was less than ideal, especially since I am 2" lifted. 

 

Take mine and Dzimm's opinions as you see fit.  They're just our opinions based on our experiences and you have a few different opinions here to choose from.  Feeling a least bit funny about this, then you'll likely decide to "go by the book."  That rarely hurts.