Principle of operation
Do not confuse the anti-roll bar with the stabilizer bars located behind the wheel. The stabilizer is installed below, between the posts. During rotation, the opposite side rises, and the device in this case lowers one side of the stabilizer, the other rises, and the rod begins to twist.
This aligns the vehicle with the plane of the road. The main task is performed by the central rod, the degree of twisting of which depends on the collapse of the body.
Features, design, functions
To understand what
The main
purpose of
suspension
elements such as
struts
, you just need to imagine where they
are installed
in the car, and they are located on
the anti-roll bar
.
Therefore, it can be argued that the stabilizer bar
is one of
the elements of
the vehicle’s chassis system, which
is designed
to
ensure lateral stability of
the car body.
If you imagine that a car
not
with
stabilizer struts
, then while driving when
maneuvering
the car will
listen much worse to the steering wheel
, when
cornering , you will
feel
excessive
vibration of the body body
and possibly even
the appearance of skids
.
If the struts
are in
a faulty condition
, then often
body
simply
loses balance
and
of other
suspension parts
accelerates , and at a rapid pace.
For reference, we note that significant
In recent years, a number of automakers have been trying not only
to improve the car’s suspension system
, but also to make it
easier
to
maintain
.
That is why on a large number of cars in the budget price segment
you can find
installed racks
MCPherson
type of action , which are not only
simple
in their
design
, but also meet many of
the requirements
of manufacturers.
Thus, the vast majority of independent type suspensions
are necessarily
equipped
with stabilizer struts
, which are
part of
a complex
system
.
In addition, the struts
are only
one
of
the elements of stabilization of the
car body; in
combination
with them there are also all kinds of
levers
and
suspension supports
.
As we know the suspension
A car is
a system
consisting of a large number of
individual components
and
mechanisms
that,
working
together,
provide
comfort
,
safety
and the necessary
controllability
while the car is moving .
Among the numerous suspension parts
the stabilizer
stands out separately , which is responsible for
reducing body roll
when the car enters
turns
, as well as
maintaining the trajectory
during
acceleration
and suppressing
skidding
when
braking
the vehicle.
The struts,
in turn, greatly
reduce the swaying
of the car while driving.
These elements are key
parts
of the stabilizer
, which
take
on enormous
loads
.
To some extent, the task of the struts
is to
connect the suspension
and
body
, turning them into
a single
large
mechanism
.
Based on all of the above, it’s difficult to even imagine how the suspension
The car existed
without stabilizer struts
, because even domestic cars had special
elements
that
stabilized the body
while driving.
By the way, in the same Zhiguli
,
the functions of the struts
were performed
by bushings
and
rods
.
On modern cars, if there were no stabilizer struts
, then
the body
and
suspension
own
separate lives,
without communication
each other, which is very
unsafe
, especially when
cornering .
Stabilization of the
car body is needed not only to
combine the body
with
the suspension
, but also, it is necessary to
improve the dynamic performance
and
safety
of the vehicle.
In order to understand what role the racks play
and
front suspension stabilizer
, let's look at simple real-life
examples
.
So,
all the delights
of the absence of struts
and
a stabilizer
during
acceleration
reflected , since if they were
not there
would
very
hard backwards
.
As for the braking
, the situation here
is the opposite
of the previous one, since
body,
on the contrary
would
sharply tilt forward
, and when
turning
,
the body would tilt
to
the left
or
right
side.
In addition, without the same stabilizer struts,
cars would not have
high speeds
,
fly
off
the road
in
turns
, and on
slippery surfaces
, movement would be difficult to imagine in general.
As we see, the need
in
body stabilization
was not created by engineers and designers in one day.
This system
changed
many times , and even now it is still at the
development
.
The suspension
and
body
of any modern vehicle
function
as
a single unit
, evenly
distributing loads
when
body tilts
among themselves.
Thus, it turns out that the stabilizer struts
seem to
hold the suspension elements
in a certain
balance
, thanks to
the combination of components
into one large
system
.
Just like any other detail
car,
stabilizer struts
have their own specific
service life
.
Wear of the struts
occurs due to
the high loads
that they
withstand
during
vehicle
operation In addition, the service life of the racks
is directly affected
by the quality
of the roads.
Due to the low quality of
domestic
roads
, these
suspension elements break down
and
sometimes
fail 2 times faster
than
the manufacturer’s
intended
life cycle of the part
.
Besides quality
roads, an equally important
reason for rapid breakdowns of racks
is
the quality of the fabric
from which they
are made
.
For reference, we note that warranty
on
chassis components
covers an average
mileage
of
100 thousand kilometers
, including
stabilizer struts
, but this takes into account
the quality of
European roads.
On our roads, most suspension parts
begin to “
fall apart
” already after
a mileage
of
40-50 thousand kilometers
.
In addition, do not forget about
the driving style
of the manager, since this point also has a strong
influence
on
the durability of the stabilizer struts
.
It is not for nothing that many experts
in the field of
vehicle
maintenance the more carefully
the driver drives the car, the
longer the suspension parts
, including
struts
with
stabilizer
, last.
Main signs indicating replacement of stabilizer struts
:
- Most common symptom
To quickly
replace the struts,
there is a distinct
tapping sound
while driving, which comes from
the front suspension
of the car.
The sound
especially clearly when
driving
over
uneven surfaces
or when
entering
turns
;
— Appearance of slip
car
sideways
, that is, the car begins
to pull
to the right or left while driving.
Note that experienced auto mechanics
check
the wear of struts
using
pull
-out
method , that is, while driving,
they release the steering wheel
and watch how
behaves
.
But it is worth understanding that
this
sign
does not always one hundred percent
indicate
excessive wear of the stabilizer
struts .
Sometimes the cause
may be simply
unevenly inflated tires
or
incorrectly adjusted camber
and
toe
.
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— Also indicate increased wear of the struts
maybe the fact that
one side
of the car is slightly
lower
to
the ground
than
the other
.
However, in this case,
the springs
with
shock absorbers
may be the cause of the problems .
Therefore, in order for this sign
certainly
confirm a malfunction of the struts
, the car must be
checked
in
a pit
or on
a lift
.
— The final main feature
,
which may
indicate
breakdown
of the stabilizer struts
is excessive
swaying of the
car body at
speed
, when
braking
or when
entering
turns .
How to check stabilizer links yourself?
a simple method
for this that will most likely
determine the condition
of the parts.
The algorithm
for checking the serviceability of the stabilizer struts consists of
turning the front wheel
to the right or left until
it stops
.
Then we take
our hand to
the rack
, which is located in
the wheel well
and strongly
pull
it from side to side.
For reference, we note that when checking
in this
way
,
there is no need to worry
about the fact that we
will break the stand
, as we said earlier, these parts
can withstand enormous loads
, so they will definitely survive our touches.
If, when the stand swings,
it has a strong
play
, that is,
it moves back and forth
, then with a probability of 99 percent,
the stand needs to replaced
.
This method
applies not only
to the front struts
, but also
to the rear struts
, if the car has them.
In the event that we have a garage
with
a hole
, then you can
check the stabilizer links
for
serviceability
differently.
We unscrew
the bottom nut
from the rack , thereby
freeing
the part and, as with
the method
above,
pull
the element in
different directions
.
If the hinges do not provide
stubborn resistance
to us , and the actions are accompanied
by a
with
play
, then again with a 100% probability, we can say that
the rack is out of order
.
The second stabilizer link
can be
checked without unscrewing
the mounting nut.
To do this, without returning
already partially removed
first part
place
,
we rock
the car
holding
the
stabilizer
and
listen
for
possible
sounds from
the rack
.
If a knock
when
swinging
, then we get ready and go to the auto store for
a set of stabilizer struts
.
Also using a pit
You can use another
way to check the stabilizer struts
.
True, he will need the help of a friend who will rock
the car, and thereby we will go down into the hole under
the bottom of the body
in the area of
the front suspension
.
To establish the condition of the struts
, you need to
place
several fingers on
the hinge
while
is rocking horizontally
.
In the event that the rack
needs to be
replaced
, then the hand on
the hinge
will feel
a vibration
that cannot be confused with anything else.
Thus, when we imagine what tasks
perform and
why stabilizer struts are needed
, then we are unlikely to
ignore the suspicious sounds
coming from them while driving.
After all, stabilizer struts
are primarily about
safety
while
driving
, since they
directly affect
the
handling
of the vehicle.
In details
During a turn, thanks to physics, the body shifts relative to the turning axis, trying to fly off it. That is, the outer wheels try to slip out when the inner ones lift up, losing traction.
In this case, the stabilizer, with the compressed suspension of the outer wheel, compresses the rod, which twists and pulls down the other end of the beam. Thus, the inner wheel begins to be attracted to the ground. As a result, the load is redistributed, and the car is aligned relative to the asphalt plane.
Stabilizer device
It has a U-shape with left and right arms, which are attached to the rods, and they in turn are connected to the shock absorber struts.
Full set:
- main steel pipe;
- traction;
- fastenings;
- bushings.
The central rod is an elastic strut made of spring steel, which is most often not of an even shape, since the other suspension elements get in the way.
The posts provide mobility so that the central rod can be lowered and raised. The racks are a rod with hinged elements at the ends, protected by a boot. They bear the main load when cornering, so it is often necessary to replace the stabilizer rods, rather than the entire mechanism.
On average, traction rods last 30 thousand kilometers, despite the material. Yes, most often the pillars are metal, but sometimes durable plastic is used, for example, in the Chevrolet Cruze. They are not particularly inferior in reliability.
The best premium stabilizer links
This category is filled by German and American manufacturers. Their products are of the highest quality and have a long service life. Due to the reliability of the products, many concerns initially agree to install these elements on the production line on their cars.
TRW is one of the most expensive brands
Racks from this German manufacturer are produced for a wide range of European, Korean and Japanese cars, including BMW, VW, Toyota, Mazda.
The connecting rods have different lengths from 50 to 241 mm, which allows you to select a part for a car of any generation and year of manufacture. The products are suitable for both right-hand and left-hand drive models.
Pros:
- the thread diameter on the ball pin M10 ensures strong fastening in the suspension;
- solidly turned fingers are not welded, so they last longer and withstand sharp jerks;
- the overhead boot tightly compresses the rod, so the ball joint is better protected from dust, moisture and destruction;
- complete with self-tightening nuts and washers.
Minuses:
- cost from 1100 rubles;
- there are many fakes on the market;
- It is not always possible to find the part (only from official dealers or large suppliers).
Lemforder - in the best German traditions
These stabilizer links are the best in quality as there is a lot of control in their manufacturing. The German industry leader has deployed production plants not only in Europe. Now Lemforder products can be found assembled in Taiwan, which is also an original.
Pros:
- neat casting;
- smooth movement of the ball pin;
- in a triangle on the side of the rack indicates originality;
- the thickness of the connecting rod is 10.13 mm, which indicates high strength;
- are delivered in cardboard boxes, and inside there is still polyethylene, which protects the racks from drying out or getting moisture;
- The kit already includes nuts;
- the finger is equipped with a protective anti-corrosion coating;
- the back cover is completely made of metal and convex so as not to collect water;
- there is a hexagon inside the finger to hold it with a key;
- soft rubber boot.
Minuses:
- no o-ring;
- on short stands of rods with a diameter of 8 mm;
- cost from 1500 rubles;
- sometimes the package may contain stands from CTR.
Various types
Essentially there are two of them: normal and active. Active is often used in modern sports cars, its task is to change the stiffness depending on different conditions. There are several types of active stabilizers:
- with hydraulic cylinders;
- with active drive;
- with hydraulic cylinders instead of bushings.
Conventional linkages are most often located at the front, sometimes found on the rear axle with a slightly different shape.
There are also tripping stabilizers that are physically disconnected and stop working. This type is installed on the Jeep Wrangler SUV so that off-road it will greatly increase the suspension travel and, accordingly, cross-country ability.
Signs of faulty parts
It is not enough to understand what stabilizer struts are; you also need to detect their malfunction in time, because inoperative elements negatively affect the controllability of the car. Worn parts can be determined by the following signs:
- The car body begins to roll more when cornering.
- It becomes noticeable that the car describes a large arc when going around an obstacle.
- During intense acceleration or sharp braking, a slight skid of the body is felt.
- When the steering wheel is turned sharply or speed bumps pass, a dull knock is heard from the front part of the suspension.
One of the most reliable ways to diagnose struts is to conduct a “moose” test.
. The point is to go around an unexpectedly appeared obstacle at a speed of 40-50 km/h - the so-called “moose”. You need to choose a traffic-free area and place a couple of plastic bottles in a convenient place. Then accelerate to the specified speed and try to quickly drive around them.
Beam design. Anti-rental works in a similar way. He connects both levers and moves it from one side to the other. This means that if the left control arm rises during a turn, the right control arm also rises. The extent to which this movement moves is controlled by the diameter of the torsion thread in the stabilizing bar. The stiffer it is, the more the force moves.
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The real role of anti-bars
This will essentially cause the car to understeer, but it will also cause the car to behave very naturally once it turns. This is due to the increased clearance left on the rear axles. When driving slowly, the stabilizer bar will cause the steering wheel to respond correctly.
If during the maneuver the front part of the vehicle rolls heavily and “yaws” to the sides, and a distinct knock is heard from the chassis, then the struts must be replaced immediately. In some cases, the car describes such a wide arc while driving around that it can go into a skid.
However, this will be different when designing a car designed to turn at higher speeds. In such cases, such as on motorsport vehicles, such vehicle will be equipped with a rear crash bar. This will increase the movement of the front wheels of the "accelerating" car during a turn, when the weight transfer moves mass to the rear wheels.
How does it all work
The rigidity of the car body also plays an important role in the mass anti-bar movement. It transfers the balance of mass from the front of the car to the back, and vice versa. This is one reason why automotive designers and construction specialists strive to create more rigid structures.
You can make sure that stabilizer links are needed for replacement using the traditional diagnostic method - manually rocking the parts. To do this you need to do the following:
- Secure the car with the handbrake.
- Turn the front wheels all the way so that you can reach the right or left pillar with your hand.
- Grasp the rod near the ball pin and actively swing it in different directions. To be sure, you should pry the hinge with a mounting spatula, this will reveal the play inside the bushing.
If noticeable play is detected, the element must be replaced
. Due to poor roads in the post-Soviet countries, the racks constantly experience high loads and rarely last more than 20 thousand km. Fortunately, these parts are inexpensive and change quite quickly. If you wish, you can install new parts yourself, having the usual set of metalwork tools, a jack and a puller for pressing out the ball pins.
Worn stabilizer links do not prevent further movement, but only worsen the vehicle's handling. Even a finger that has jumped out of the sleeve allows you to move on under your own power. This is taken advantage of by careless motorists who do not pay attention to the suspicious behavior of the car and the knocking of the suspension. Such driving is dangerous and at high speed can lead to loss of control and an accident with unpredictable consequences.
Disadvantages and tuning
There are practically no shortcomings, unless you consider an SUV. The stabilizer greatly reduces the suspension travel, which is extremely important for SUVs. To solve such problems, there are active stabilizers. Passenger cars benefit on all fronts from this design.
A simple tuning is to install an STC if your car did not have one, the benefits of which you will immediately feel. If you are thinking about installing a thicker and stiffer rod, then it is better to reconsider.
Due to the strong compression of the rigid stabilizer, you will turn your independent suspension into a dependent one, thereby completely killing the car's handling. The manufacturer has calculated everything for you.
