There are parts and devices in the design of the car that provide protection against instability, from easy rollover in the event of a sharp turn. Stabilizer struts are devices designed to create lateral stability car. Therefore they are called anti-roll bar. it important elements the design of the machine, therefore, they need to be monitored, to be able to determine by the signs of malfunctions, which malfunctions and in which unit.
Front stabilizer
Let's consider first of all what is a stabilizer and what is it for? The anti-roll bar is used to reduce the horizontal roll of the car body during turns and sharp maneuvers. The stabilizer itself is attached to the body using stabilizer struts. The struts are designed in such a way that the stabilizer can move depending on different loads. Car suspensions are different and also racks are made of different types.
Device and principle of operation
The stand is a rod with a length of 5 to 20 centimeters. The stem has pivots at both ends for mobility. The following options can be installed as swivel joints:
- two ball joints;
- stabilizer hinge and bushing;
- two bushings;
- hinge on one side and thread on the other.
Typically, hinged parts are welded to the stem at right angles (90 degrees). At the point of attachment of the tip to the metal rod, it has a neck (thin end). This was done on purpose, that is, the structures were weakened exactly in this place, so that when the permissible maximum loads were exceeded, the device rack would break exactly in a refined place. This method can be called a mechanical safety device. If the pillar broke in some other place, then it could pierce the bottom of the car, harm the driver or passengers.
Such a well-thought-out design of the racks protects against unnecessary problems. There is no need to complain that the racks often fail, they are deliberately made not too thick. Non-original racks are often larger in diameter than original ones. They will last longer, but the safety in this case is reduced.
The most popular shank types are ball-and-socket shanks. A device of this type of rack includes a ball pin made of steel and a plastic seat with grease having special temperature and dynamic characteristics. A metal or plastic cover is pressed onto the finger from above.
To protect against dust ingress into the hinge joints, sealed joints are always installed rubber boots with lubrication. Such a simple part as a boot significantly increases the service life of the device and the movable mechanism protects against loss and contamination of the lubricant. The main property of the grease for the hinges under the boot is frost resistance, so that it does not thicken in severe frosts.
For a better understanding of how the stabilizer struts work, you need to understand that the struts are not rigidly connected to the stabilizers, that is, they have some mobility relative to each other. During a turn, the car begins to tilt (natural roll) and at this time the same forces act on the car body, and forces act on the suspension that try to straighten the body. If the roll forces are much greater, then there is a risk of breakage of the mating parts: the stabilizer and the hub eyelet. It turns out that the stabilizer strut is a damper that evens out oppositely directed forces. But, since the force that wants to overturn the car (during a sharp turn) and the force that is against it, both press on the stabilizer bar, due to which the hinge joints of the bar are gradually destroyed.
There are manufacturers who make stabilizer struts with self-adjustment... For example, an electronic anti-roll bar is installed on the Nissan Patrol GR (Nissan Patrol JI ER), that is, the electronics can turn off the stabilizer.
There are also cars, more often off-road vehicles, in which the operation of stabilizers is regulated by an electronic control unit (ECU).
Stabilizer struts malfunction
Malfunctions can be determined by knowing the symptoms, signs of malfunction. If there are problems with the stabilizer struts, the following symptoms appear:
- There is a characteristic knock when driving on uneven roads. This symptom occurs on machines that have ball joint struts. For example, the stabilizer knocks when crossing a speed bump (an artificially created bump in the road to reduce speed).
- When driving on a flat road, the car pulls left and right.
- During a normal corner, the vehicle rolls (tilts) more than it did.
- There is a transverse swaying of the car body when driving on a flat road.
Causes of breakdowns of stabilizer struts
The most vulnerable element in this node is the hinge joints. The reasons may be as follows:
- The boot broke, causing dust to get onto the grease and into the joint itself.
- The clip of the ball pin has worn off. In this case, the ball pin dangles in the seat.
Repairing the racks is a complex process. This requires good factory equipment. You can simply replace the worn part, ball pin or bushing. The cost of such work is high. Therefore, it is better to buy new stabilizers. You don't have to buy the original ones, you can buy the regular ones, they also work well.
How to check the stabilizer struts
It is very simple to find out in what condition the posts with ball joints are:
If the machine is equipped with stabilizers not with ball, but with bushings, then it is even easier to check. It is enough to see if the rubber has worn off only on one side. If the rubber is worn out, a replacement is required. It is better to check the wear of rubber with inflated wheels. , look for your specific car make and model. Mainly for passenger cars, the pressure is set to 1.9-2 atmospheres.
To save money, you should not immediately go to the service station and carry out paid diagnostics. Some easy diagnostic tricks can be done by yourself. In addition, not all people are honest, they can exaggerate and replace the wrong thing.
How to change stabilizer struts
To learn how to change these racks, it is enough to make a replacement once as an assistant. Obviously, depending on the make and model of the car, the design and replacement methods are slightly different.
Required tools for replacing stabilizer struts:
- jack;
- keys;
- hexagons;
- mount.
The front struts are longer than the rear ones. You should not change only one strut, you need to change either both front, or both rear.
During replacement, the axle of the machine must be hung out and loaded, that is, after lifting with a jack and removing the wheel, a support must be placed under the ball joint. In this case, the strut and stabilizer will be in a relaxed state.
During repairs, you need to be careful with the anthers, do not tear them. If they require replacement, it is better to replace them immediately.
Which racks to choose
Now you can buy plastic stabilizer struts. They have less strength, collapse if something happens and do not harm other parts and passengers of the car.
Length plays an important role when choosing racks. Pay attention to the length. You also need to look at the packaging, it says which machines they are suitable for. Stabilizers and struts are interchangeable for models of the same brand, for example, for Ford focus(Ford Focus), Ford Fiesta(Ford Fiesta), Ford Escort (Ford Escort), Ford Ka (Ford Ka) 1995-2001, these parts are interchangeable and match each other.
Rating of stabilizer struts
Below is a list of stabilizer struts by rating:
- Lemforder (Lemforder). Country: France. Such racks are purchased from them by manufacturers General Motors, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Opel, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Bmw, Ford, Volvo, Fiat and some other brands. Reputable quality and good resource.
One of the elements of the car's suspension is the anti-roll bar, which is designed to combat body roll when cornering. vehicle... The stabilizer struts are a connecting element between the ends of the stabilizer and the central suspension element, and due to the presence of hinges in its design, the connection between the stabilizer and the suspension is movable. Like all parts in a car, struts sometimes fail, and then a completely logical question arises: how to remove the stabilizer bar so that you can replace it with a new element? If you are looking for an answer, then we recommend reading this article to the end.
How the rear stabilizer struts work
The stabilizer has a lot of important functions: increasing the stability of the vehicle on the road (especially uneven), reducing the possible roll during a sharp turn of the car or other maneuvers, as well as eliminating the possibility of lateral overturning, as a result of which the risk of the car overturning is significantly reduced.
Considering that stabilizers are capable of working only in planes close to horizontal, this imposes some restrictions on the design of the vehicle. Therefore, in order to avoid all sorts of troubles, the stabilizers are connected to the supporting elements of the suspension: levers or shock absorbers. The role of the connecting link in this case went to the racks located in the vertical plane.
The principle of operation of the rear and front stabilizer struts is extremely simple: when the car enters a turn, centrifugal forces force the elastic elements on one side of the car to contract, while on the other side they stretch. In this moment middle part the stabilizer twists and tries to lift the car body from the roll side. On the other side of the car, the body, on the contrary, lowers, compressing the elastic suspension element. As a result of such coordinated actions, the car is aligned in relation to the plane of the roadway.
How to check the stabilizer struts
In order to check the condition of the racks, you can use one simple method. To do this, it is necessary to free up space in the wheel housing, which is achieved by turning the wheel set. After that, grab the stabilizer post with your hand and try to shake it strongly from side to side. If, when performing these manipulations, a backlash appears, and you hear a characteristic knock, then replacing the stabilizer strut is inevitable. In the normal state, there should not be such features, which is associated with the large loads that the mechanism experiences during the ride.
For a more thorough diagnosis, you can drive the car to the inspection pit or check it using a lift. In the latter case, the machine is installed on jacks, after which the fixing nut is released and the stabilizer post is released. Further, the mechanism is loosened by hand, as in the first case. The presence of characteristic beating sounds and free play of the hinges indicate the need for their replacement or repair. It is also possible to determine the weakened fastening of parts with the help of a pry bar, which swings the stand at the attachment point. If it does not take much effort to loosen, then the part is really out of order and needs to be replaced immediately.
In the event that you do not have a lift, but you have a viewing hole, you need to ask someone to shake the car, while, being at the bottom, you will be able to better determine the place of the delivery of the sound signaling a breakdown. You can also feel the presence of a malfunction tactilely by touching the mechanism.
In most cases, the bushings are worn out or the ball suspension element breaks.
Symptoms of a defective rear stabilizer link
It is also possible to determine the need to replace the rear stabilizer struts based on the external signs of the problem, which are most often noticeable when the car is moving on uneven roads and bumps. First of all, the driver should pay attention to the knocking that occurs under the hood or at the rear of the vehicle. In addition, if the car is skidding at high speed, it gets knocked out of the track (especially when the steering wheel is released), because of which you have to steer constantly, this is also a typical symptom of a malfunction of the mentioned part. In this case, it's time to think about how to change the stabilizer bar.
How to replace the rear pillar
It is quite possible to replace the stabilizer bar yourself, while observing some caution. The whole process is conventionally divided into two stages: removing the worn out rear pillar and installing a new part.
Rear pillar removal procedure
Before proceeding with the replacement of the rear stabilizer struts, you need to raise the vehicle axle using a jack or lift. This position of the vehicle will help balance the suspension.
Important! Before lifting the machine, be sure to place a rear wheels stops. Otherwise, the stabilizer will pull the suspension down, and even if you manage to dismantle the rear stabilizer post, you will not be able to install the replacement part correctly.
Next, it is necessary to clean the place of the upcoming repair from dirt, and so that the axis does not turn, insert a hex key, grabbing its end with it. After that, you need to unscrew the nut that fixes the rack and remove the part. The attachment points are also cleaned of dirt deposits, after which you can safely proceed to installing a new stabilizer strut.
Stabilizer Stand Installation Procedure
The replaceable element is installed in place of the removed one, the end of the axle shaft is held with a key and the nut is tightened. Just do not pinch it to the end, but just make money. After lowering the machine, you can fully tighten the fasteners. It is very important to complete this task only after the stands are in the correct position. In addition, it is recommended to tighten the nuts after a short run of the car (a few kilometers will be enough).
Important! After replacing the stabilizer struts, it is not necessary to adjust the camber-toe-in of the wheels, since the replaced parts in no way affect their angle of inclination.
The stabilizer bar, or rather the stabilizer struts, are important parts that make up the car's suspension. They have quite a few names and titles - stabilizer struts, bones, stabilizer links and even ... links! In catalogs and technical manuals, the first name is most often used - it is considered the most correct and professional. But those who call the stabilizer strut LINKOY clearly demonstrate some kind of "under-education" and ignorance. A rack cannot be called a link, in an extreme case, you can say "a link". This will be true because it comes from the English. LINK - link, link, connection.
What are stabilizer struts for?
The function of the anti-roll bar is to link the anti-roll bar to the suspension components (such as the arms and shock absorbers). The presence of such a connection improves the vehicle's stability against lateral rolls and improves the responsiveness of the suspension when driving on uneven roads. By design, the stabilizer struts can be different - this is a pin with ball ends at the edges, and an element with two lugs and silent blocks in them. There are several more variants of execution, however, the functions performed remain the same.
Malfunctions of stabilizer struts and their consequences
During operation, the stabilizer struts experience enormous dynamic loads. Due to its connection with the suspension, most of the impact energy when driving over bumps and bumps is perceived by the struts. On technical condition and the service life, of course, also affects the driving style of the car owner, but the quality of the road surface is perhaps the main harmful factor.
Stabilizer's pole modern cars theoretically, they can "walk" about 100 thousand km of run, but in our reality they rarely reach 50 thousand km. The signs of malfunction of the stabilizer struts are quite obvious and tangible:
- unpleasant and intrusive tapping in the front suspension when driving on rough roads or corners;
- excessive swinging of the car when cornering;
- car drifting to the side when driving on a flat road;
Not all of the listed signs clearly indicate problems with the racks, but each of the signs should be a reason for contacting a car service - since this is not the normal behavior of the car. In principle, you can try to pre-check the condition of the stabilizer struts yourself. To do this, in the parking lot, turn the steering wheel all the way to each side and, grasping the stabilizer post, stagger from side to side. Perceptible beating and backlash will indicate the need for replacement!
There is only one comfort in this situation - the cost of racks and services for their replacement is quite low. Purchase original parts or quality counterparts won't hit your budget hard.
The stabilizer struts provide the link between the stabilizer bar and the centerpiece of the suspension, the travel arm. Performing the task of a lever, the rods move symmetrically to each other. Few people know about this system, and how it works, but in order to find out, you can read this short article. In order to drive a serviceable car, all elements need to be serviced on time. How much this or that traction will travel, it is impossible to calculate specifically for your car.
Device
It's no secret that when driving in a corner, the car rolls in the opposite direction of the turn, and in order to make this roll not so noticeable on the handling of the car, a stabilizer was developed. During intensive rotation of the steering wheel at high speed, you can overturn the car. To prevent this from happening, engineers have come up with an active stabilization system.
The stabilizer is a beam that is connected to the levers, most often the front ones, as well as to the body, through special bushings. Most often, such a system is installed on an independent suspension.
The principle of operation of the rack is based on shifting the required amount of load from one side to the other.
It happens like this. When a vehicle load (roll) is applied to the inner wheel, the stabilizer struts distribute the right amount of load to both wheels so that you can maintain control when cornering at high speeds and hold the vehicle. This system is necessary in long corners on the highway where the flow rate is high. No one will give an answer to the question of how much these parts go.
As with all systems, stabilizer struts also have their drawbacks.
The main disadvantage of the rack is that if you drive, this system puts pressure on the wheels, which at any time can lose traction. But this only applies to SUVs. Therefore, a system is installed on SUVs with which you can turn off the stabilization of the car and drive as much as necessary.
This is because each vehicle has its own anti-roll bar, which has a specific thickness and shape. If the diameter of the stabilizer is exceeded, the independent suspension will become dependent. Because of this, during the ride, what will be felt by one wheel will also be felt by the second, which means a complete lack of comfort and stability.
In almost all cases, the stabilizer struts are installed on the front axles of the wheels, because rear axle most often dependent and independently copes with the stabilizer function. If a powerful stabilizer is installed on the front independent suspension, the suspension loses all the qualities of an independent and becomes a bridge.
In order to understand the principle of operation of this system, it is required to consider the diagram in more detail. In order to find the scheme, you need to enter the corresponding query in the search box. The whole process is carried out by a bracket, which is attached to the body or subframe of the car with special bolts. This bracket presses the bushings together with the stabilizer body and does not allow them to rotate freely.
Here the stabilizer struts are an important part of the overall system. The wheel damper is the fulcrum for the entire system. The principle of operation is based on the fact that the shock absorber is compressed when the machine is tilted to one side, and gives movement to the stabilizer bar, which in turn lowers and transfers the power load to the other side through the stabilizer.
There were cases when the stabilizer bar broke off right on the move, and the driver did not feel the difference in control. Some cars are not equipped with an anti-roll bar at all. As a rule, these are city cars.
Varieties
There are many stabilizer links available. Basically, they differ according to the make of the car. Each machine has its own type of traction.
- There are rods that are completely symmetrical and can be installed on either side of the vehicle.
- There are also various rods that can be set independently of the side.
- There are also those that are completely different from each other, such are designed specifically for one side. Such rods are most often installed on cars on which other devices and units are installed in that area, which happens extremely rarely.
There are varieties of materials for the manufacture of silent blocks and stabilizer rod bushings. There are standard rods, and there are polyurethane stabilizer struts. Standard ones are most often made of ordinary rubber, and the latter are made of polyurethane.
Drivers claim that polyurethane is better than rubber based on the fact that it is rated for more mileage... In fact, this is the case. An ordinary rubber bushing and silent block go no more than 10 thousand kilometers, and at this time the silent blocks and polyurethane bushings do not even show signs of wear. Despite the fact that this material is more expensive, it is still in demand. This happens because it is better to change a part once every 15-20 thousand kilometers than to change 2 or 3 parts during the same period.
How many kilometers your traction will travel, no one can say, it all depends on what style of driving. How many kilometers a given part travels depends on how to drive a car.
The rods are divided according to the shape of the tip and the presence of the tip boot. No, of course, it is spherical everywhere, only it is welded to the rod at different angles. In order to protect the system from various dirt that can get into it, the handpieces are equipped with special handpiece anthers. Although it is a rare defect in the stabilizer link end, it should not be swept aside. Most often this happens precisely because of the damaged anther. The boot can be damaged not only during operation, but also during installation. It is worth noting that if the tip boot is damaged, the boot does not change separately, so you will either have to repair it somehow or buy a new rod.
Also, in order to get rid of unnecessary suspension noise, it is worth changing the silent blocks in time, which directly affect the noise of the system. In order to replace the silent blocks, you need to purchase them and carry out a number of procedures. In fact, the process of replacing silent blocks is not laborious, and silent blocks are not expensive, so there should be no problems with this.
It is the stabilizer bushings that can produce an unpleasant knock from the suspension. Indeed, due to the fact that the bushings are worn out, the body of the stabilizer transmits all sounds to the body during rotation.
It is worth noting that the rear links never differ in shape, unlike the front ones. The fact is that at the back there are no certain features in any car. Therefore, the rear links can be installed without hesitation on either side.
The front ones will be more difficult, but not by much. Before installation, you just need to see what kind of thrust and to which side it belongs, after which you can engage in installation. Also, if a part is out of place, it is better to determine this during installation.
Completion
Having learned about how the vehicle stabilization system works, and what it is for, we can conclude that it helps to drive the car in difficult situations on the road. You can learn in detail from the article about what kind of struts and stabilizer bushings are, and how the entire vehicle stabilization system works. For a more visual study, you can use the diagrams that are on the Internet. To consider in more detail and understand for yourself how it works, you can only with the help of a visual drawing. In order to appreciate the seriousness of this system, you need to study all the components, from the boot, tip, ending with the thrust body.
When the car moves in corners, its body tilts to the side. The angle of inclination, correctly referred to as the roll angle, depends on the magnitude of the centrifugal force as well as the structure and spring of the suspension. The load can be distributed equally on the left and right suspension elements, and then the roll angle will decrease. The element that transfers force from one rack or from one spring to another is the stabilizer. More details about the device of such stabilizers are described below. Their design, in theory, consists of an elastic bracket and two rods. And the rods are also called "racks".
To understand how the stabilizer works, it's easier to study its design right away:
Suspension stabilizer in modern cars
Couplings 6 allow the tubular bracket 5 to rotate freely. The bracket, in turn, is connected to the shock absorbers, but not through couplings or hinges, but through the struts 3. Each strut or rod is the stabilizer strut that was mentioned in the name.
Not everyone understands why the front and rear stabilizer struts are needed, and why it is impossible to connect the bracket to the shock absorbers directly. The answer is simple: if you do this, the shock absorber rod will not be able to move in the longitudinal direction. Draw the whole diagram, and you will understand what it is about.
Note that the shock absorber strut plays an important role in the design of modern suspension. The shock absorber itself not only dampens vibrations, but is also a guiding element. Roughly speaking, the entire suspension "walks" along the shock absorbers, but if you remove the stabilizer links, little will change. Unless the roll angles observed in corners will only increase. There were cases when the thrust burst on the move, and the owner did not notice the deterioration in handling.
Types of stabilizer struts
By themselves, the struts (rods, links) can be completely symmetrical (Fig. 1). Then they can be "flipped" and also rearranged from left to right. In the design of most cars, asymmetrical racks are used, which, nevertheless, are allowed to be rearranged from left to right. And the most "difficult" option is when the left and right racks are different (not shown in the photo).
It is clear that the most vulnerable part of the stabilizer is its struts (rods). In some cars, their resource is 20 thousand km. It is recommended to inspect and check these parts more often - every 10 thousand km. But a breakdown can occur in the middle of this interval.
When replacing rods threaded connections must be treated with machine oil. Well, rubbing parts, that is, bushings and axles, are best covered with a layer of CIATIM-201 or LITOL. But be aware that this option is not suitable for rubber grommets. A special lubricant is used there, or it is absent altogether.
What is stabilizer struts has been fully explained, but where to look for them in the car, we will consider right now.
How to find racks in the car itself
You can take and see what is under the bottom of the Lifan crossover. The struts of the two stabilizers, front and rear, are not covered by anything here:
In general, such an option, when the racks are not protected, is atypical. Moving units are usually covered with anthers, corrugations, covers. But the symmetrical rods shown in the photo contain a pair of anthers right in their design:
Bellow, symmetrical stabilizer bar
Loss of tightness of the boot is not the most common defect. However, this option cannot be ruled out either.
What racks look like in Chinese cars
It is necessary to remember a banal rule: the rear stabilizer struts are never symmetrical, unlike the front ones. For example, this is what it looks like rear thrust v Lifan car X60:
Rear left link
It is impossible to rearrange such a node from the left side to the right, and it is even more impossible to turn it over during installation. These "prohibitions" do not apply to the A-pillars. But they, that is, the front struts fail more often. So, everything is logical.
In the spare parts catalog, each of the racks is designated by one number. That is, it counts as one part:
| Car name | Front right | Front left | Rear right | Rear left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifan solano | B2906200 | same | – | – |
| Lifan X60 | S2906210 | same | S2916260 | S2916210 |
| Lifan smily | – | – | F2916210 | same! |
Have Solano sedan springs are installed at the rear, and there are no struts in the stabilizer structure. They are also absent in the front suspension of the Smily car - the bracket is “threaded” here into the lever couplings:
Smily front suspension design
Each of the couplings, designated 10, does not interfere with the longitudinal movement of the bracket. This option is suitable for small cars.
We identify all faults ourselves
It has already been said here that the most unreliable, most "fragile" part of the stabilizer are the struts. This is done on purpose in order to get the least damage in the event of an accident. Let's name the main symptom accompanying the breakdown of the struts or stabilizer rods. This is a dull knock that occurs when driving through any irregularities, pits, and even small pebbles. And sometimes the car starts to get out of the roll worse - conclude that one of the struts has already been torn off. But the knock will be observed in 90% of cases! It can come from both the front and rear suspension.
Let's say there is a bushing in the design of the stabilizer struts (photo 2 in chapter 2). It will then be more difficult to identify the defect: even if the bushing is destroyed, knocking does not always occur. More often the sound will be muffled, quiet, in general, it is difficult to hear it.
Squeaks and crunches, especially in corners, usually indicate the destruction of the anther. But the defect itself, we repeat again, is rare. The hinge shown in the photo will begin to deteriorate over time. And then the creak should turn into a rattle.
Ball joints inside the struts
Video for replacing the front stabilizer bar
