My 1990 Dodge Spirit now has a problem that has been covered in this group several times. The stabilizer bar has cracked.
Dan Stern mentioned that he fixed this by replacing the *U* shaped bar with a solid one.
What would I need to look for in a welding shop to have this done? Are there any specific instructions that I would need to provide?
Thanks,
Kirk Matheson
I would take the old bar to the shop and tell them to weld a replacement.
Ted
No. The U-shaped bar stays. The broken/cracked tubular round bar *inside* the U-shaped bar gets cut out and replaced with a length of solid round bar, skillfully welded at both ends.
It's not a tough job at all.
Thanks Dan. That is exactly what I was looking for. I had it in for a safety inspection last Saturday. They had in on the hoist, and showed me the crack, on the right side.
-Kirk Matheson
Why not just weld the crack? Would not replacing that part with a solid part result in an increased rear roll stiffness and a resulting change in handling?
Richard.
Because it will crack again, in very short order. The original design is weak.
Yes.
Yes, a change for the better. That's why the Spirit R/T and IROC R/T used a solid bar (that doesn't crack) rather than the crack-prone tubular piece of junk.
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