How to know when to have sway bar & struts replaced on a 2005 Ford Escape

jenic333

I was told about 3 mo ago while having tires & brakes replaced that I need to have this done, long term, the sway bar and struts. My car is running really loud and feels like its always windy when I am on the highway, are those signs that my time has run out and have to have this done? I am very limited on money so have to wait until I can afford to have it fixed. Any thoughts?

Mr_Shiftright

Struts and sway bar have nothing to do with how the car sounds, so that must be another problem.

But sure, struts and sway bar affects a car's stability, but in different ways.

A sway bar controls body roll during hard cornering or when going over highly irregular road surfaces. If your car is unstable on a flat straight freeway, then the sway bar isn't the issue.

Weak struts might be your problem. You can usually notice weak struts if your car continues to rebound when you go over a bump. In other words, they no longer have the ability to 'dampen' the impact of a bump or hole or rut. Your vehicle continues to respond to the impact long after it should, in other words.

There are other causes of instability in high wind, including worn tires, bad wheel alignment, and other worn suspension parts, like control arm bushings and tie rods.

Who told you that you needed these parts? If it was a large chain store operation, be wary.

You might invest a little money to have a qualified alignment shop check out the suspension for you.