Sway Bar + Garage Fire = ????

Had my sway bar stored in the garage. Garage (and house) burned to the ground. I'm thinking of reinstalling a sway bar to the Taco and wondering how the heat may have affected the sway bar? Temperature was high enough to melt most aluminum items, others malformed.

I had my OEM shocks w/springs stored in the garage too, those springs look funky enough I figure they are shot but the sway bar "looks" fine.

What should I expect? Will the bar just be weak or will it snap? Could it be ok?

 

They don't cost that much to replace. Cheaper than what if and find out.

 

I think you already know the answer. Don’t chance it.

 

Upgrading to no sway bar is free.

 

Attach a magnet to a string and go to the ocean. You’ll pull a couple for free

 

So I don't want to replace a sway bar if I already have one unless it is damaged.

I had a sway bar, then I removed it. Now I'm thinking of putting it back on because for my use I'm not sure removing the sway bar was an "upgrade".

 

I wouldnt use it. If aluminum stuff in your garage melted that means it got to around 1000 deg F. That is awefully close to the temps needed to heat treat steel.

 

The sway bar would most likely still have the links attached, plus bushings. Those components are absolutely toast, and will be a pain to remove/replace after becoming toast. The bar itself - structurally should be okay for a short while. Funny thing about steel that has been in high temperatures though: it seems to be an open invitation for rapid corrosion shortly after exposure.

I'd let it go.

 

Not to threadjack, just some nerd info on heat + rust -

A few things are happening. One, any residual oils (even from the mill) are cooking out, leaving the steel completely bare. Two, carbon and other smutz will hold moisture against the steel. Three, depending on the alloy, there can be chemical changes to the affected areas that invite oxidation.

 

Just a final resolution on this. I was offered one for free and I picked it up. That's when I noticed it had bushings on it. The burnt bar has no trace of them. They melted off. So the bar was basically useless to me.

Thanks for the info.