Anti roll bar bracket broken - Why?

[Louis Werth]

163003

Dear Defender Experts !!

I had rear Air bags fitted to tow my camper trailer. can pump them to 30 PSI max - once fitted and even when deflated (not towing) to 5psi the spent ion was "squeaking" now the bracket is broken - WHY ? and can I just remove the sway bar / anti roll bar ?? - Please help !

Defender 90 2.2 - 2014

[rick130]

Is that OE for the 90 or an aftermarket setup?
Is a long range tank fitted?

The 110 and 130 used a forged drop link (which could invert in extreme articulation)

[Louis Werth]

Its OE came standard and there is no long range tank fitted

[Homestar]

Shouldn't the links be pointing down? With them up like the pic shows, any suspension travel will cause the roll bar to be forced back and out putting huge stress on the roll bar bracket - which is what looks like has happened. With them pointing down, the articulation of the drop links and bar will work normally.

Chance are your airbag installer managed to do this somehow - I'd be going to have a chat to them.

See below pic.

[Louis Werth]

Shouldn't the links be pointing down? With them up like the pic shows, any suspension travel will cause the roll bar to be forced back and out putting huge stress on the roll bar bracket - which is what looks like has happened. With them pointing down, the articulation of the drop links and bar will work normally.

Chance are your airbag installer managed to do this somehow - I'd be going to have a chat to them.

See below pic.

Yes this is quite likely, I was to lazy to drive 30km so I had the air bags installed locally.

Homestar - Would you have it re- installed properly or can I just remove it ?

[ramblingboy42]

It looks to me like you have just dragged the bracket on something like a rock and its torn the bracket away at about a 45* angle.

you can remove the anti sway completely if you want to, you will notice it

[Louis Werth]

It looks to me like you have just dragged the bracket on something like a rock and its torn the bracket away at about a 45* angle.

you can remove the anti sway completely if you want to, you will notice it


Ramblingboy - Thanks mate! notice it in a good or bad way, considering I now have air bags fitted inside the rear coils ?

[ramblingboy42]

you will notice more body roll.

the airbags may alleviate a lot of that though

edit....it may oversteer more on a dirt rd.

try it , it doesnt take long to remove and you're going to have to get under it regardless.

[Louis Werth]

you will notice more body roll.

the airbags may alleviate a lot of that though

edit....it may oversteer more on a dirt rd.

try it , it doesnt take long to remove and you're going to have to get under it regardless.


Thanks Mate ! I will do this and see how it goes and if I have a issues Re fit it !

[rick130]

Shouldn't the links be pointing down? With them up like the pic shows, any suspension travel will cause the roll bar to be forced back and out putting huge stress on the roll bar bracket - which is what looks like has happened. With them pointing down, the articulation of the drop links and bar will work normally.

Chance are your airbag installer managed to do this somehow - I'd be going to have a chat to them.

See below pic.This.

I couldn't work out/see the drop links on the phone.

The drop links are inverted, as Homestar said, that's caused the problem with the chassis mount.

This sometimes happens in extreme off road articulation situations, more than likely as mentioned above, it's been done when the air bags were fitted.

[trout1105]

Don't remove it, The sway bar is there for a Good reason.
Simply take the Defender back to whoever fitted the airbags an get them to do the job properly and for NO charge, After all they ****ed up the job that caused this issue. [thumbsupbig][thumbsupbig]

[justinc]

The person fitting the air bags has dropped the axle too far, inverted the antiroll bar links, and THAT is what has broken the bracket. I would be having a chat to them.