Shalooby

I noticed a thunking coming from the right rear. Let me first say that I have the Comptech 22mm (or is it 24??) rear sway bar. It's been on there for two years now. I also have the polyurethane bushings.

The right mount where the sway bar attaches to the sub frame has completely broken off. It looks like the weld broke and the rest of the mount - flange just broke.
The service dept says the car needs a whole new rear sub frame. I'm pretty pissed. I've heard of end-links breaking or wearing out early as a result of the bigger bar, but I've never heard of the mount on the sub frame actually breaking free.
They asked me if I have ever taken the car off road, or fell into a ditch or something. My car is spotless, not even a door ding. Off road. Sure. All the time......

So has anyone ever heard of this happening before? I'm thinking of finding a welding shop to fabricate a new bracket to weld onto the sub frame. I think replacing the entire sub frame and the potential problems as a result of that kind of work are a little extreme for repairing a broken mount. Any suggestions are welcome.

I hate cars

Nothing wrong with re-welding it as long as it's done by a competent shop. Shouldn't be more than $150.

With a bigger sway bar, hard cornering is probably the least stressful thing on it. Hitting a bump or pothole with only one side of the car is the hardest on it. Hit a speed bump evenly with both rear tires at the same time and there's no stress at all. Hit the same bump at an angle and there's tons of stress. I have a 1-5/8" rear bar on my other car and I have to watch how I take bumps or I will break the grade 8 bolts that hold it on. You may have to adjust driving habits with the bigger bar. And besides, newer cars aren't exactly overengineered in many ways. The stock mounts were probably just enough for a stock bar.

Edit: better shocks and maybe even stiffer springs would help the mounts last longer.

Shalooby

I think re-welding it or fabricating a new mount is the way I'll go. Replacing the entire sub frame because a mount is broken makes no sense at all. There is nothing wrong with the sub frame. Plus if the stock mount broke it'll just happen again with a new stock mount.

I don't do anything like autox however I have thrown it around a little. That's probably what caused it to break. It's just surprising as I don't think I've seen this issue ever posted on here before.

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

I am confused, isnt the sway bar held to the frame by bushing mounts that are bolted?

Can you post some pics please

Shalooby

I don't have pics. The bushings for the sway bar are bolted to flanges or brackets that are tack welded to the subframe. The welds failed and the bracket cracked and broke completely through.

zeezz

whoa whoa, it's kind of weird that i have the exact same situation as you- comptech RSB, energy suspension, and snapped bracket. see my post
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-tires-wheels-suspension-97/fubared-need-some-help-rear-sway-bar-689881/

did you ever get this fixed?

brianp6621

Man, I just had this happen to me. Exact same. Right side rear mount snapped except in my case it seems to NOT have broke at the weld but the bracket itself.

I also had the RSB on for about 2 years.

What did you guys end up doing?

Jesstzn

If your going to reweld it make sure the shop knows to use that rig on the battery that keeps the current from frying the ECU.

Muffler shops use them all the time. I'm not sure if undoing the battery terminals will do the same thing.

Bearcat94

Just curious - what bushings were you using? Comptech rubber ones, Energy Suspension Poly, or something else?

Shalooby

I had a small body shop weld the bracket back onto the sub-frame. It's as good - if not better than it was.

I've got the poly (red) bushings with the 22mm bar.

Looks like this is a definite weak point in the suspension. To the guys that this has happened to as well, did you experience significant wheel travel (up and down deflection) on one side or the other prior to noticing this? I had the right rear drop off the end of a driveway into a drainage ditch as I was turning out, damn car thunked down onto the muffler on that side but no damage. I thought the extensive wheel travel as a result of that is what might have broken mine but it's starting to sound like this is just a weak spot.

I hate cars

You guys are scaring me. I took a corner very hard yesterday but didn't see the bump mid corner. When I hit it with the car already stressing the bar, this thread popped in my mind. I'm putting the car up on the hoist to change trans fluid tomorrow and I'm definately checking the bar for peace of mind.

I hate cars

You are correct, large amounts of wheel travel with only one wheel like your wheel dropping off, only one wheel hitting a large bump, or very steep driveways taken at an angle put more stress on the bar and mounting points than cornering hard.

This is why I thnk the bar and mounts have a better chance of survival with stiffer springs and shocks.

zeezz

i had this same problem, had a photo in some other thread. ended up getting the whole subframe replaced, and got rid of that bar. oh well. cost more, but i didn't want any more problems. plus couldnt find a non-shady place to get it welded around here.

EDIT: doh, i realized i posted in this thread already back in october.. lol.

brianp6621

I am using the Enery Suspension poly ones after people reported issues with the comptech ones degrading.

brianp6621

Wow, how much did replacing the whole subframe cost?

brianp6621

I honestly don't remember exactly when I started hearing it. I do seem to remember a decent pothole or something lately but nothing I would have deemed catastrophic.

brianp6621

In all cases, TSX as well, is it the right rear??? Is this a manufacturing/design weakness on that side?

Shalooby

Yep!

Shalooby

Well, the rattle is back. I haven't taken it in yet but it doesn't look like the weld has broken. And the car still feels solid so I'm thinking it might be something else. Plus the rattle sounds like it's coming from both sides now.

What else back / under there gets loose? Wears out? Makes a rattling sound?

Bearcat94

Broken End-Link???

Although, I'd think the car would feel a bit squirrely and only be noisy on one-side.

Rob12098

Been hearing the same noise for a few months now from the back right hand side of my car , figured it was something wrong with the suspension :-/ now i know what it is. Is there an alternative bar to comptech that may be a better option after i get the subframe re welded?

Rob12098

In regards to the broken end link, before i came across this thread, i had a mechanic drive the car and he assumed the same thing but he wouldn't be able to let me know for sure until he put the car up. Ill keep you guys posted.

Bearcat94

Rob, without the car being lifted, you can slide up under the rear and see the end-links and sub-frame mounting points easily.

Unless you're slammed.

Rob12098

slammed.... uhh yea thats it! LOL i wish, maybe next summer

I would definitely slide under and check it out but i have no idea what it looks like.

94eg!

This is actually a pretty common issue when moving to larger sway-bars, and I know for a fact that Comptech is aware of it. Perhaps not on this particular model, but on the older 92-00 Civics. When people started bolting on larger rear sway bars, the mounts would end up tearing out of the stock subframe. Even when using an OEM 22mm rear bar from the Integra Type R. It turned out Honda used a much thicker rear subframe on the Type-R's to cope, but never really told anybody...

Here are some pictures from the Civic/Integra camp:





Here was Comptech's solution to this problem (a large aluminum subrame brace):



Perhaps you guys should inform them of this problem. They may have to recall the part (or at least redesign it so this doesn't happen to more people)....

pwr2panda

wow...i was really considering gettin a bigger RSB until i saw this thread.

would this also occur if an AT went with the MT/Type-S 20mm bar?

Red Voodoo

x2... Sounds like the possibilities of this occurring outweighs the benefits of the upgraded RSB. I don't auto-x, nor do I swing this car around the twisties like a bat out of hill. I'll put my $$$ elsewhere, possibly towards more curb appeal (which the vast majority of my money has gone to anyway).

Ahhh... Another reason why AZ is da bomb.

Shalooby

Update: The sway bar and the mounts are fine. Nothing is loose, broken, and the welds to replace the original crack in the mounting flange are holding tight. The end links are also fine.

So, what else back there is prone to working itself loose and rattling around when going over bumps?

And a side note to Red Voodoo. I don't auto x or drive like a banshee either, but I will say that the bigger sway bar is by far the best upgrade that I've done to this car. It's definitely worth doing. The difference in overall feel and stability is incredible.

Majofo

That sounds like a good idea.. Did the brace hold up?

Bender

I have had a clunk in the right pass for 5 years. I only notice it when going slow over bumpy roads or speed bumps. Other than making the car sound cheap nothing has happened.