F430 front sway bar fell off today--WOW | FerrariChat
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F430 front sway bar fell off today--WOW

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by Joegnsx, Sep 1, 2013.

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  1. Joegnsx

    Joegnsx Formula Junior
    Owner

    Dec 1, 2012
    958
    Valrico, FL & Franklin, NC
    Full Name:
    Joe Gliksman
    #1 Joegnsx, Sep 1, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I started looking for the source of fron suspension noise today expecting to need to grease the sway bar bushing and was shocked to find it disconnected--see photo.
    Spent some hours with a tap and die repairing the stripped threads, but all good now.
    How does this happen? Another thing to check if you have suspension noise.
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  2. Nativetroy

    Nativetroy F1 Veteran

    Nov 29, 2010
    5,995
    central fl
    Full Name:
    Troy
    #2 Nativetroy, Sep 1, 2013
    Where the threads stripped all the way in? Only two things I can see happening is it was cross threaded and tore the threads out, or loosened up until it tore the remaining threads out.
    Has there been any suspension work done recently?
     
  3. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

    Jul 28, 2010
    7,569
    Calgary, Canada
    #3 JeremyJon, Sep 2, 2013
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2013
    Joe, personally I would replace the sway bar link, and the female nut receiver (lower shock bolt) each

    You might be able to use some thread-lock after taping it to hold, but even after re-cutting the threads it's going to have much more loose clearance than before, and likely to reoccur

    Very odd occurrence, it looks unlike something that could just back out on it's own, as said most likely damaged by/after last service work done
     
  4. Joegnsx

    Joegnsx Formula Junior
    Owner

    Dec 1, 2012
    958
    Valrico, FL & Franklin, NC
    Full Name:
    Joe Gliksman
    #4 Joegnsx, Sep 2, 2013
    No service work in 8 months I've owned it. Only the first/last maybe 4 threads were damaged, so I think that is OK. I did not actually tap it--just "cleaned up" the 4 threads.
    Had that not worked, I am with you...I'd have replaced the parts.

    By the way--is it easy to remove the female receiver (shock absorber lower bolt)?

    Seems likely those threads wore as the sway bar moved around just before it separated. I agree, does not seem like something that would back out, but I will add, the link was not easy at all to screw back in--especially the last half-inch. It may be someone was lazy.......if so, that stinks!

    Appreciate the help.
     
  5. 166&456

    166&456 Formula 3

    Jul 13, 2010
    1,723
    Amsterdam
    #5 166&456, Sep 4, 2013
    Fasteners are far more often left loose, than they come loose. It is also possible that the sway bar link was unbolted at a stage in the cars' life, or has been loose since inception.
    Those sway bar links are nearly always poor quality by the way, and don't often make it past 60k miles. Very generic parts, used on nearly all vehicles these days. I think that is interesting as the old solution for this, a long bolt and some rubber rings, easily lasted the life of a car.
     

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