Failed sway bar end link - common?
 

My H-sport 25 mm tubular bar was on the car, a 2010 MCS, for about 5 months when I started hearing a rattling sound while going over bumps. It sounded just like when the bushings went bad on the stock rear sway bar. The Hotchkiss bushings were fine, though. The problem was a worn sway bar end link.

The car is sitting on stock springs with Koni FSD shocks.

Is it common to have end links fail when switching to a stiff rear bar? Would upgrading the end links prevent this?

The rear end sway bar end links on my MINI were toast after only 60,000 miles. I had a stock sway bar. It is my impression that MINI suspension can be a bit lame with the passage of time.

Replaced at 30k

stock suspension, rear endlinks replaced at 30k. can already hear another loosening up

Replaced mine at 53000, as you can see the replacement was better than the original.

I have the same bar in an R53. On my second set of end links and one is already making a racket. Since it's the time of year when I crank it up to tightest setting while installing summer wheels/tires, I am going to try a set of NM Engineering rear links from Way....

This can also be caused just by the nut on the link at either end coming slightly loose. It isn't enough that you can wiggle the link by hand and feel that it is loose, but enough that bumps will make it rattle. I developed a rattle a few weeks after installing my RSB, even though I had carefully torqued everything to spec. I tightened the nuts up and it solved it, but it came back after a few months. So I put some Loctite blue on all the threads and no problem since.

This could be too, excellent idea on the loc-tite. I adjust the rear bar for winter to a lower setting so I don't spin out on slippery roads. Could also be they really aren't designed to be constantly unbolted and retightened twice a year as I do, maybe they don't cinch down as tight after 4 or 5 times.

What brand are those links? I am putting a rear bar in Artoo when the weather gets nice. I will be replacing end links too. Artoo does not see the track and although the adjustable links look stronger, I am wondering if it really doesn’t make sense.

Also, when do rear control arms typically fail? Are adjustables worth it for a street, but thrown into a corner or two, street machine?

///Rich

Hotchkis rear bar led to one ball joint on one link to develop slop in 25K miles. Replaced with aftermarket link, assuming dealer would not warranty because of aftermarket bar. Last visit at dealer, they gave me a new OEM link under warranty at 49K miles. Other side (right) has original link.


DOC

I had one of the stock end links go almost as soon as I replaced my sway bar. After some time thinking it was the sway bar I decided to replace the end links with the powergrid adjustable ones that Way carries. Fixed the issue right away and being able to adjust the links is a huge bonus.

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No doubt that was on your 2006. Interestingly, the part you show is the one that local auto parts stores keep trying to give me, but it doesn't fit my 2010 MCS. The one from the 2010 has one stud longer than the other. After 2 stores gave up trying to find the part I had to go to the dealer.