Eibach Warning!!!

[turbomangt]

WEll, after one month of my sway bars on the top bolt snapped off. It seesm as though when you do the install (and the weight of the chassis is off the springs) when the bars are installed and the car comes down from the lift, ALL of the weight of the entire car is on those top bolts. What a poor design. I'm really upset over this. anyone have Eibach toll free number? gary

[SteelBlueGT]

Toll Number is 951.256.8300 Toll Free from USA 1.800.507.2338 and good luck. I have installed mine in April and no problems so far exept for a squeek which was cured (so far) with a lot of silicone lube.

[Mr.2U]

i am very hard on mine, have had no trouble.

i don't believe the rear bar holds any of the
cars weight at all.

the most pressure is put on the bar, with
very hard cornering, as it fights to keep
the body from leaning, by keeping it's 2
ends aligned.

i hit a pot hole while going around a
corner at an autocross level, all tires
in a drift, i too was concerned about the rear bar,
after inspection, one of my top bolts was slightly bent,
i replaced it.

[PT2NV]

turbomangt - top bolt . . . do you mean the stud bolt that you attach to the body, and the top of the endlink attaches to it?? Did it shear off, leaving the threads in the hole . . . or did it break somewhere else? Those two stud bolts hold none of the cars weight directly, but when cornering they do bear the forces from the sway bars (resistance to) torsional twist

I just finished reinstalling my Eibach rear bar after one of the axle brackets broke . . . Eibach simply found it easier to send me a whole new rear installation kit instead of the 3 individual pieces I needed. And surprise . . . this kit arrived with instructions. I received one of the first rear kits they offered, back in '03 . . . no instructions back then.

Anyway, I simply backed my PT up onto Rhino ramps, and reinstalled in driveway. Even with Eibach springs installed, plenty of room to work when rear axle is on ramps. Assembled everything, tightened body bolt and axle bracket (and a bit of Loc-Tite), but not endlink bushings nuts. Drove it off ramps, went forward and back a few times in driveway, then slithered under and tightened bottom endlinks. Top endlink-to-body-bolt nut easily tightened with 12-inch plus 6-inch socket extention, inserted between the wheel spokes.

Hope these axle brackets last longer than the two years this time. By hey, Eibach warrantees 'em. When you contact Eibach, ask for Tech services (I spoke with Peter) . . . he was helpful and resolved it quickly.

[turbomangt]

Ok, here's the update. I spoke to Eibach Tech support and they are sending me a new kit. it seems some of their early kits had problems ( as posted by people here as well) and the bolts were hallow, making them likely to snap off. He said intructions will be inclosed. I still think that the problem resulted in installing with the load off the car. If the body and chassis is in its driving state, the bar won't have any pressure associated with it. If you install with the weight off the car, (and if the bolts are not fitted at the exact spot) when the car is lowered, pressure from the weight of the car are forced on the bolts themselves. This is the only logical explaination why so many of us are having the same problems. Gary

[PT2NV]

Originally posted by turbomangt
I still think that the problem resulted in installing with the load off the car. If the body and chassis is in its driving state, the bar won't have any pressure associated with it. If you install with the weight off the car, (and if the bolts are not fitted at the exact spot) when the car is lowered, pressure from the weight of the car are forced on the bolts themselves. Gary


Gary
Relating the swaybar connections to your leg, and how it b-a-s-i-c-l-y moves . . .
Upper body bolt/upper endlink connection is thigh joint
Lower endlink/sway bar connection is knee
Sway bar/axle connection is ankle
*In unloaded (on hoist) state, the 'leg' is straight.
*Wheel on ground, leg is bent, mainly at the knee, but also at thigh and ankle. Amount of 'bend' is dependent on compression of spring.
*ALL three joints . . . thigh, knee, ankle . . . have urethane bushings that allow large degrees or rotation.
*Sway bar basicly ties your two legs together. They both have all the same joints and movement potential, but if the left leg tries to bend more than the right, the right side resists the movement.

(Anti)Sway bars attempt to keep the axle and body parallel. It provides tortional resistance whenever one side only is compressed or unloaded (compared to other side at same time). That is why sway bars have ZERO effect when driving straight over speed bumps . . . axle is going up'n'down parallel to body. Same idea of on hoist install vs on ground. UNLESS joints are binding and have NO movement potential, they will bend equally when raised/lowered from hoist.

You mentioned that "and if the bolts are not fitted at the exact spot" assumes manufacturing error by Chrysler in their bodywork, not an Eibach error. Even if this was so, it could be corrected by having a swaybar that had it's bends custom matched to the irregularity, or different lengths of end link. I'll bet some cars are purposefully manufactured with this offset . . . though I don't personally know of any. Also, if the hoist vs onground thing were true, it would also cause problems with the front bar install . . .
These problems have ALL been associated with rear bar area, and ONLY when using Eibach's rear sway install kit. Unaware of anyone with problems with the swaybars themselves, the front install (that re-uses Chrysler brackets) or when rear is installed using Chrysler endlinks and brackets.

Glad to hear Eibach was able to take care of you, and hope the new parts will last the life of your car and provide m-i-l-e-s of

[JoePro]

There is no weight on sway bars at all when static.
People break them when they jack them improperly. Sway bar cars must have WHOLE front or back lifted, not just one side.

Otherwise, breakage will occur.