How do you do this?
Thread Starter
Registered!!
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville
Rep Power: 267 
How do you do this?
I was coming into work yesterday morning and I saw this Mazda 626 parked in the lot by where my office parks. I have to drive thru the lot which is on a steep slope downward, so you really get a good view of the rear underside of the cars. And I saw this:
I was running late so I thought I'd go out later and look at it again, because I wasn't sure what had happened to the sway bar. But when I went back out, the car was gone. So I found it this morning to satisy my curiosity and the sway bar is broken. Clean split at the center of the bar. Now it doesn't look like a beefy 24mm bar, but still how do you break the bar? And especially at the center? Wouldn't an overloaded bar usually break at an attachment point or at the end? It doesn't look like it got snagged by something going under the car, so I don't get it.
I left the driver a note so they know that their sway bar is broken and should replace it. My good deed for the day is done.
I was running late so I thought I'd go out later and look at it again, because I wasn't sure what had happened to the sway bar. But when I went back out, the car was gone. So I found it this morning to satisy my curiosity and the sway bar is broken. Clean split at the center of the bar. Now it doesn't look like a beefy 24mm bar, but still how do you break the bar? And especially at the center? Wouldn't an overloaded bar usually break at an attachment point or at the end? It doesn't look like it got snagged by something going under the car, so I don't get it.
I left the driver a note so they know that their sway bar is broken and should replace it. My good deed for the day is done.
Registered!!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
Rep Power: 0 
mazda 626's were never very good cars, my cuzin drives a2000 626, piece of crap. they are built on the ford/mazda GF platform. in other words they share too many parts with ford and therefore, THEY SUCK.
A long winded 7th genr
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 0
From: Northern California Humboldt
Rep Power: 287 
regardless if it's a crappy car or not, which stating so does not answer the question of how it happened which in turn is the original question that mr. bobsagator originally asked; I think it's possible, if it were manufactured with aluminum, or something that can be stressed at a molecular level by rapid temperature change (Such as parking outside overnight on a cold night then warming up by parking on or near an exhaust vent.) it could change the brittleness of the metal. And if such a series of events happened to aformentioned sway bar, and then maybe got caught on something, or hit a pointed rock could crack the bar and then the regular stress of chassis flex could eventually break the bar in half.
Last edited by Eyger; Feb 16, 2007 at 04:55 PM.
My Pony Princess is the inspiration for my ride.
iTrader: (17)
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,217
Likes: 0
Rep Power: 0 ....or a flaw in the casting process caused a weak point, thereby allowing it to snap on a hard corner or something. An air bubble or other anamoly when it was made could be the cause.
It's a mystery we'll never find the end of until our local good samaritan (bobsgator) gets a response.
But I like the serial-crusher theory. Yup, I feel he's on to something here. Probably going to see a lot of these popping up all over town. (and the movie is???)
It's a mystery we'll never find the end of until our local good samaritan (bobsgator) gets a response.
But I like the serial-crusher theory. Yup, I feel he's on to something here. Probably going to see a lot of these popping up all over town. (and the movie is???)
Thread Starter
Registered!!
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville
Rep Power: 267 The only thing that makes sense to me is a poorly constructed or damaged bar. It wasn't a tiny little bar, probably bigger than the 13mm that was on the rear of my Civic, but it was a good size. I wish I had measured it, and I haven't seen the car since (hospital parking lot, probably on a different shift).
Now assuming the bar is not flawed, the car is heavier and therefore should have more load going thru the bar around curves. But to shear the bar in the middle would seem almost impossible. If it were to shear (again no defects) wouldn't it happen at an attahment point or at the end?
So a flawed bar, or damaged bar, seem to be the only plausible reason for the failure.
Now assuming the bar is not flawed, the car is heavier and therefore should have more load going thru the bar around curves. But to shear the bar in the middle would seem almost impossible. If it were to shear (again no defects) wouldn't it happen at an attahment point or at the end?
So a flawed bar, or damaged bar, seem to be the only plausible reason for the failure.
Feel safe at night, sleep with a paramedic.
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,259
Likes: 0
From: Rochester, NY
Rep Power: 289 ....or a flaw in the casting process caused a weak point, thereby allowing it to snap on a hard corner or something. An air bubble or other anamoly when it was made could be the cause.
It's a mystery we'll never find the end of until our local good samaritan (bobsgator) gets a response.
But I like the serial-crusher theory. Yup, I feel he's on to something here. Probably going to see a lot of these popping up all over town. (and the movie is???)
It's a mystery we'll never find the end of until our local good samaritan (bobsgator) gets a response.
But I like the serial-crusher theory. Yup, I feel he's on to something here. Probably going to see a lot of these popping up all over town. (and the movie is???)
and your answer is boondock saints.
