034 Rear Sway Bar - Sheared off body at mounting point - What do I do?

[IKE20VA4]

Explain me how this happens?

I have the 034 bar set to "stiff" along with their recommended 034 end links, both of which I bought on the original group buy when it first came out. The thing has been awesome until now apparently. Pics do better so describe what happened. This is on the driver side. Passenger side was fine. The bar is just kind of flopping around under there right now. I have never tracked or auto-x'd the car & it's my daily driver. Is this something that I can have a shop weld back on? It just looks like steel based on the rust on the parts that were ripped off. Kind of a crappy thing to find on a Sunday morning...

[Solarsuplex]

Wow, never seen that before. Im sure a shop would have no issue welding that back on for you. It looks a bit bent too. I'd have them look at the other side and see if they could toss a small brace on there to avoid coming back for the same issue on the other side.

Good luck mate

[Ringsby4]

Explain me how this happens?

I have the 034 bar set to "stiff" along with their recommended 034 end links, both of which I bought on the original group buy when it first came out. The thing has been awesome until now apparently. Pics do better so describe what happened. This is on the driver side. Passenger side was fine. The bar is just kind of flopping around under there right now. I have never tracked or auto-x'd the car & it's my daily driver. Is this something that I can have a shop weld back on? It just looks like steel based on the rust on the parts that were ripped off. Kind of a crappy thing to find on a Sunday morning...

I have the same bar but not set on stiff setting.I remember when I put mine on just recently looking at those very welds thinking Hmmm.Yes,just release the bar and get the part welded back on-properly.Awesome bar nonetheless....

[Okedokey]

Is it just me or is that RSB installed upside down? Imagining that as it was when welded, you look like you had it in a U shape rather than a n shape. Hard to explain, but it should be like an upside down horse shoe, not the other way around. If this is the case, it may be the cause.

[IKE20VA4]

It was installed in a rainbow shape, if that makes any sense? Like an arch.


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[Okedokey]

Ok, cool.

[IKE20VA4]

Ok, cool.

Yeah, it is swinging pretty freely at the moment though...

[vce1232000]

This happened to me . Mine was set on the soft setting with stock end links. I dont track my car at all. Just some free spirit sometimes. But the break was where the rsb mounted on the bracket. It had stressed cracked in half only leaving 1 mounting point left to hold the rsb in place. It would squeak over bumps. I had http://www.driveautoworks.com/ in Clifton fabricate a new repair bracket and weld into place. Has been over a year ing an no issue's.

[XanRa]

Anxious to see if 034 responds to this and or what they'll have to say

[vce1232000]

Its pretty common problem in the B5 world from what I was told

[IKE20VA4]

Its pretty common problem in the B5 world from what I was told

Hmm I didn't find those coming up when I searched. I did limit my search to B7 though... That's not real good to hear though...


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[IKE20VA4]

Anxious to see if 034 responds to this and or what they'll have to say

Yeah, ditto. They are usually very helpful and Johnny on the spot.

I was going to email them but all they have is a phone number and one of those "fill out a contact form" thingies, which I wasn't going to be able to attach a picture to, so I bagged that for now.


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[vce1232000]

That's not real good to hear though...

Just part of the modding game

[Charles.waite]

I don't really see how this is the fault of 034. You (and vce) are the first two people I've heard of this happening to across the b6 and b7 platforms. I ran mine on soft for 3 years on my 2004 b6. Granted it had zero rust anywhere but the brackets were solid when I removed it and put the stock bar back in. I jmguess t never occurred to me those brackets wouldn't be up to the task. A shop could definitely weld those back on though. Access is pretty easy so I bet it wouldn't take them more thank 30 minutes including getting it on the lift.

That sucks though. I wonder if the residual rust had a large part in weaning that factory bracket weld

[Ringsby4]

In reality it would take a lifetime for rust to eat through those welds,they are typically more resistant than the parent material....
But as NY knows,rust never sleeps..........

[Okedokey]

Could this be caused by improper endlink set up?

[IKE20VA4]

I don't really see how this is the fault of 034. You (and vce) are the first two people I've heard of this happening to across the b6 and b7 platforms. I ran mine on soft for 3 years on my 2004 b6. Granted it had zero rust anywhere but the brackets were solid when I removed it and put the stock bar back in. I jmguess t never occurred to me those brackets wouldn't be up to the task. A shop could definitely weld those back on though. Access is pretty easy so I bet it wouldn't take them more thank 30 minutes including getting it on the lift.

That sucks though. I wonder if the residual rust had a large part in weaning that factory bracket weld

Not trying to place any blame on 034, just seeing if they have any advice for others with this issue or without it.

It is a CA born, OR raised car with no other noticeable rust. This rust appears to have taken root post shearing off.


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[IKE20VA4]

Could this be caused by improper endlink set up?

IDK. I'm not the expert. That's where y'all come in..


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[08 classic]

Seems like a weak point on these cars... Maybe that's why the Neuspeed sway bar comes with a reinforcement bracket to weld to the stock one. Neuspeed did their homework on this one.

[Charles.waite]

Seems like a weak point on these cars... Maybe that's why the Neuspeed sway bar comes with a reinforcement bracket to weld to the stock one. Neuspeed did their homework on this one.

You mean the b5?? It's not a weak point on the b6/7 chassis that I've ever seen or heard of.

Edit: just saw neuspeed's bar that you mentioned. Never heard of it before. I don't know, those brackets don't look particularly beefy.

[08 classic]

I always wondered why they choose to add this bracket with their sway bar. From my understanding its supposed to be added to the oem brackets. I am going to upgrade mine at some point, this stuff catches my eye to see if I can improve or take other things into consideration.

[IKE20VA4]

Seems like a weak point on these cars... Maybe that's why the Neuspeed sway bar comes with a reinforcement bracket to weld to the stock one. Neuspeed did their homework on this one.

Yeah, I never would have thought it being a weak point until I saw the metal ripped in half! It is kinda on the thin side...

Also, thinking more about "why my car" among the many that are running this 034 RSB. My work has a driveway that is a right turn into it that I take everyday and it is probably a 30-40 degree slope that rises up about 24" which gets you over 2 sets of railroad tracks into our lot. I could see that angle putting some serious stress on things. I'm on stock sport suspension other than B5 caps and the RSB + endlinks and I feel like it gets onto 3 wheels sometimes when pulling in.

[Charles.waite]

I think "why did it happen in my case?" Is the operative question here.

Regardless find a shop who can weld them on and talk to them about reinforcement. I bet there are some gussets they can weld on to keep it on there nice and sturdy.

[vce1232000]

I dont blame 034 at all. Figure that a beefed bar has consequential results to weaker stock oem designed mounts for a smaller bar. No biggie for me. I just got it ed and moved on Again all part of the modding game

[nizmosx]

This happened on my b5 s4 avant because i was running a sway bar without re-enforcement brackets. Ive never seen a b7 bar that came with any re-enforcement brackets so i didnt think this was an issue on the b7 chassis.

Maybe 034 and other companies can develop a re-enforcement bracket to add to this RSB to prevent this ever happening.

Here are some brackets from the b5 world

HSPORT



NEUSPEED

[vce1232000]

This happened on my b5 s4 avant because i was running a sway bar without re-enforcement brackets. Ive never seen a b7 bar that came with any re-enforcement brackets so i didnt think this was an issue on the b7 chassis.

Maybe 034 and other companies can develop a re-enforcement bracket to add to this RSB to prevent this ever happening.

Here are some brackets from the b5 world

HSPORT



NEUSPEED

you for chiming in and confirming .....

[IKE20VA4]

Good to know. Waiting for a quote from the shop on welding it back on and reinforcing it a bit on both sides! I'll post back up once I hear back.

[034Motorsport]

Whoa! I'm sorry to hear about this issue on your car.

As others have mentioned in this thread, the B5 chassis was notorious for having rear subframe failures, even with the stock rear sway bar. For that reason, we make our Billet Aluminum Subframe Reinforcement Kit to use with our rear sway bar on that platform.



It looks like the combination of the stiffer rear sway bar and some corrosion at the welds caused the sway bar brackets on your factory subframe to detach. We'll look into this a bit further, and I'll update this thread if we come up with a solution for the B6/B7 chassis.

We tested this bar from day one on my personal car (B7 Audi A4 2.0T) and the subframe is still in great shape years later, but my car is not exposed to snow/salt as often as cars located in other climates.

- Laszlo

[Okedokey]

Also if you do get it welded back on, make sure you put a protective epoxy style rust prevention coating over the area.

[IKE20VA4]

Ouch. 3 hours of labor to re-weld and paint for corrosion protection so looking at roughly $300. The shop said they had to take the wheels off and remove and re-install the sway bar.

Does that sound fair?

[vce1232000]

I dont understand why the shop had to the wheels. I and re- by 034 RSB in less then 30 minutes and didnt have to the wheels. Corrosion protection is nothing but rust inhibitor-undercoating out of a spray can. In fact when I my sway bar bracket I didnt even re- the RSB. I just removed the RSB bracket on the passengerside and swung it down and then the shop did the welding from there. But 300.00 is still cheaper then buying a used rear subframe and everything over

[Charles.waite]

Could you remove it yourself and drive there? The handling will suck but having no rear seat installed won't hurt anything.

[vce1232000]

The handling will suck but having no rear seat installed won't hurt anything.

No rear seat

[IKE20VA4]

I dont understand why the shop had to the wheels. I and re- by 034 RSB in less then 30 minutes and didnt have to the wheels. Corrosion protection is nothing but rust inhibitor-undercoating out of a spray can. In fact when I my sway bar bracket I didnt even re- the RSB. I just removed the RSB bracket on the passengerside and swung it down and then the shop did the welding from there. But 300.00 is still cheaper then buying a used rear subframe and everything over

Yeah, don't know why they a) had to remove the wheels either and b) had to completely remove the rsb.... Might need to get a 2nd opinion tomorrow.

[IKE20VA4]

No rear seat

Yeah? Sedan? They didn't mention anything about needing to take out the seat...

[Charles.waite]

Rear seat. Rear sway. Siri autocorrected me. Dumb broad...

But seriously though, couldn't they just swing the bar down and out of the way, weld that stuff on, hit it with paint, and be done? Why do they need to remove the bar and the wheels?

[Okedokey]

Id rather spen 300 and get it professionally welded.

[konarider94]

The chassis was only designed for so much force. I would say the failure mode was more a function of fatigue as opposed to corrosion. Its a common failure mode with fillet welds.

[Okedokey]

The chassis was only designed for so much force. I would say the failure mode was more a function of fatigue as opposed to corrosion. Its a common failure mode with fillet welds.

Id agree with that only if we saw many of these issues. I think this is rather rare.

[konarider94]

Id agree with that only if we saw many of these issues. I think this is rather rare.

I don't mean its common on the car or for this particular part. There are a lot of things that affect fatigue life and this may have had a defect to make it an issue. There is something called an endurance limit. If your stress stays below the endurance limit fatigue failures should never happen. Obviously cant say for sure why it was a problem looking at pictures, but I'm just saying its a lot more likely related to that as opposed to corrosion, especially being a fillet weld.