What is a Rear Stabilizer Bar Link?
All right, let’s take this one step at a time. For starters, the rear stabilizer bar link is a vital part of the car’s steering system. Hopefully you’re aware of the fact that the steering system is a critical part of your car. If not, we’re going to have to really rewind and start over.
Let’s start with the stabilizer bar. You may have also heard this referred to as the sway bar, or the anti-roll bar. They’re all the same thing. Pick whichever name you like.
Most cars have two stabilizer bars. One is in the front of the car, and the other in the back.
So, the stabilizer bar does exactly what the name suggests: It’s a bar, and it stabilizes. It runs across the bottom of the car, connecting to the frame of the car on both the driver and passenger sides. It essentially holds both sides of the car together, so that they can move in unison. As you turn one way or the other, the car begins to roll in that direction, compressing or extending the wheels in the process. The stabilizer bar helps straighten the wheels out as you come out of the turn. That’s important for both safety and performance.
That’s the main purpose of the stabilizer bar, but it’s not all of it. The bar also helps keep your car stable when you drive over imperfections in the road. That, in turn, limits the noise and vibrations that make their way to the car’s interior, allowing you to drive in moderate peace. We like moderate pace, right?
Okay, you good on stabilizer bars? Then let’s talk about the links. The stabilizer bar links are how the sway bar attaches to the suspension. Each stabilizer bar has a pair of links, which bolt directly to the suspension system. Simple.
Like so many parts of your car, the links can eventually give out, due to lots of wear and tear. When that happens, they’ll need to be replaced, though they don’t need to be replaced in pairs.