should the stock swaybar move side to side?

[SSpeed]

Is the stock swaybar designed as to move side to side when cornering?

 

Today I went under and replaced my swaybar bushings as I was getting nasty clunking on bumps... The clunks have gone away, but I noticed with one bracket undone I could move the swaybar at least an inch in each direction. With the new bushings on and clamped up it seems that the snugness of the bushings is really the only thing keeping it from moving side to side...

 

Our '98 Outback clunks as well, so I went under and grabbed the swaybar... even just a lazy arm pull got it to move about 1/4"... I guess the ball joints in the endlinks allow some movement side to side? Is that normal?

[torinalth]

should it, no, can it yes.

 

typically the stock bars of any car are too weak to "bind" enough that they would slide, instead the lateral force would bend the bar more... a harder bar will resist the torsion and then if there has to be a give in movement it then goes lateral and the bar slides.

 

now, its not normal, but yes can happen. with me and my 25mm rear bar, I can feel it slide (and yes it clunks) under a hard turn (also creates a moment of instability as well) but thats fairly normal for a large bar... I am fixing this by ordering locking collars for a pipe and putting them inboard of the body mounts. thus would prevent the lateral movement. these collars are cheap at McMaster, but hard to find at local hardware stores... no lowes or home depot locally has them.

 

T