Does this look like a sway bar about to burst?

[alrightroad]

This is my rear on the RS6. Might be time for H-Sports. Twist my arm.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZFT9yCVDjyw/T6AFYP4iqUI/AAAAAAAAAe4/UEUjGY219JM/s800/IMG_2502.JPG

[aussie rs6]

This is my rear on the RS6. Might be time for H-Sports. Twist my arm.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZFT9yCVDjyw/T6AFYP4iqUI/AAAAAAAAAe4/UEUjGY219JM/s800/IMG_2502.JPG

.. not a good look!

[JSRS6]

damn, thats a lot of oxidation under there!! i would if i were you

[Aronis]

12573

Hotchkiss.

Mike

[alrightroad]

damn, thats a lot of oxidation under there!! i would if i were you

Yeah, looks a little worse than it really is. I am tackling the underside of this car with a mini soda blaster soon (stronger grit in areas where I'll need it). Going to remove everything I can to get it looking much better under there and replace parts as I go along. 48K miles right now... it needs to last another 100K so no sense in leaving the corrosive areas on there.

[alrightroad]

12573

Hotchkiss.

Mike

Is that a box of H-sports for sale or just a "get these" post? I will be ordering h-sports this afternoon unless someone has some used ones sitting around.

[Brav]

Question while on sway bar topic - after my last oil change, where I usually unbolt front sway bar, the bolts would not tighten.. I used the air gun (no-no?) and maybe it was stripped, or the bolts are spinning and need to be held from the top, but I cant see how I can get that angle. Ideas?

[kismetcapitan]

I have a set of stock bars if you're interested.

[ben916]

Question while on sway bar topic - after my last oil change, where I usually unbolt front sway bar, the bolts would not tighten.. I used the air gun (no-no?) and maybe it was stripped, or the bolts are spinning and need to be held from the top, but I cant see how I can get that angle. Ideas?

Is this OEM or Hotchkiss?
If Hotchkiss, that is a major PITA.
If OEM, find someone with a set or two (hint, hint, wink, wink) in San Diego ;)

[Brav]

Is this OEM or Hotchkiss?
If Hotchkiss, that is a major PITA.
If OEM, find someone with a set or two (hint, hint, wink, wink) in San Diego ;)

OEM. So should i be tightening them on the top?

[JSRS6]

OEM or hotchkis, doesn't matter. The bolts that are in the aluminum piece that the sway bar attaches to are press in. It is a PITA, but i had to get a new bolt with an allen head, fish a socket on there blind, and then tighten by hand. SO...never use an air gun on those. You actually shouldn't on most things on these cars. Things strip easily on them.

[JSRS6]

a good rule of thumb on bolt torque:
M6: 9Nm
M8: 20Nm
M10: 40Nm
M12: 65Nm

[Justin9212]

On topic - That sway bar in the picture is fine. The rust pushing the paint out makes it look real bad, but it is not. I could take a picture of similar sway bar rust almost everyday on many cars we work on. Lots of roadsalt in our area leads to quick rust damage to cars. But your picture is pretty normal for a car of the age that has been winter driven. You can take a file or wire brush and lightly brush all of that off , then you will see it is still solid underneath.

[alrightroad]

On topic - That sway bar in the picture is fine. The rust pushing the paint out makes it look real bad, but it is not. I could take a picture of similar sway bar rust almost everyday on many cars we work on. Lots of roadsalt in our area leads to quick rust damage to cars. But your picture is pretty normal for a car of the age that has been winter driven. You can take a file or wire brush and lightly brush all of that off , then you will see it is still solid underneath.

That's what I am thinking. Only reason I snapped the shot is during tire installation at shop and just happen to notice it. I have not put the car up on stands to 'really' look at the issue. I'm sure it would take many more years for typical rust to eat through sway bar steel before coming to a break point.

[Aronis]

They are happily in my car....easy DIY job....

Mike