slow04cobra

Lat weekend at Buttonwillow the car was seemed to be sliding around I 5 on ramps bus stop, Riverside and the sweeper. With more power, higher speeds on the straights i did not go any faster than before. I was thinking, what is wrong with me. Need to push myself. Come to find out a had 1 broken rear swaybar arm. My camber was off too by about 1/2 to 3/4 of a degree. Camber gauge it seems one of the magnets is not the same as the rest. For some reason the fronts were ok, both rear were only 1.5 degrees negative camber. Had the arms welded up at a local welding shop. They also did the other arm because you could barely see a crack forming, ever so small. I had the welding shop weld where the arm separated, same location on the other arm, also had the welding shop add a wide bead on the top and bottom of the arm to help preventing the arm from breaking again.

slow04cobra

slow04cobra

slow04cobra

Below is the video of the weekend, at this point i learned to slow down more because i almost lost it twice in the sweeper. You can barely see the view in the turn slightly off like i was correcting the slide.

davidfarmer

my opinion, but those always have been, and always will be, junk

96GS#007

Likely just moved the stress somewhere else. I’d recommend a new setup

romandian

if this was any of the precipitation hardening alloys (2000/7000 series), which it most probably was, you definitely ruined the mechanikal properties (strength, fracture toughness) except perhaps the modulus.

shane p

If I remember right, those are junk and that is very common with those bars.

slow04cobra

If one was already cracked and one broken in two, what is the harm? Couldn't hurt trying to fix them.

UstaB-GS549

Welding without heat treating afterwards probably annealed the material around the weld. If it was 6060-T651 material the yield strength would go from 40kpsi to about 8 kpsi. Similarly 7075-T651 has Sy of 67 kpsi and 7075-0 is around 14.

Keep checking those pieces if you are going to continue using them.

slow04cobra

There used to be a heat treating place here in my city. I have used them before. I will see if they are still around.

ErnieN85

Just get new, it's not worth it if they break at a critical time

slow04cobra

People say they will break again, than what?

ErnieN85

different type or brand that arm looks good but doesn’t last well

shane p

Get something different. Most anything will hold up better than those. If one would break when you are pushing it around a corner you could lose control.

slow04cobra

You are funny. Saying to get something different and than stating most anything will hold up better has me laughing. If i get the wrong item i will be in the same situation as i am in now.

I am not sure how well you drive on the track so i will not assume anything. In my experience i didn't even know it broke my rear swaybar on my ZO6. I had a Terminator, i broke the front bar, didn't even know. I broke a rim the same weekend, nothing dramatic, thought a blew a tire. Drove mostly in the grass, to my pit area which is the second row from the front. Must be slightly under a mile. One of my friends broke their Griggs lower control arms, they knew right away. Breaking anything on track can be an experience. Breaking a swaybar most people will not know. The car might slide slightly more in the turns. We tend to see what happens in the next turn and if it does slide again most of us will just compensate for the sliding. You will not lose control if a swaybar breaks in my experience. We constantly correct our lines on track for unseen reason, cold be dirt, oil, water, heat cycled tires, worn out shocks etc.

mgarfias

100%

Aaron was showing off the bars to me when they were new (~ 2006), and he had welded the splines onto the end of the bars..At a smaller diameter than the bar. I asked him about that and he said it worked great. I figured right then and there he was a dumbass.

slow04cobra

Oh, by the way, the swaybars have been on the car for at least 13 years. The old owner is a great driver. Broke Thunderhill track records the first day he was on the track which was a Saturday, In fact the third session. Broke track record again on Sunday. Old race cars we just need to check them out better.

z06801

I got to say mine have been great, on the since 2009ish my C5 Z06 runs right at Danny Popps ST1 record he set here at nationals looking to beat it this year. If they broke I would want them fixed also, I think those ends are available though AFR as replacement parts as well.

clubracer23

I have those bars on my car and have not had any problems. You can buy new parts from the manufacturer.
https://afepower.com/afe-power-441-4...ar-service-kit