'99 V70 -- IPD Heavy Duty Sway Bar Link Catastrophic Failure

[E Showell]

Ok -- Props to IPD where they are due. I recently ordered a couple heavy duty sway bar end links and when they put them on sale within about 10 days of me ordering them, they offered to credit me the difference. Nice.

Now, the only reason I had to order the replacements (and I probably should have gone with another brand) was because of a complete and catastrophic failure of one IPD Heavy Duty Sway Bar End Link on my wife's ride. The failure mode, you ask? Well, the ball and socket joint on the lower end parted. That is to say the ball was no longer in the socket and the link was simply dangling from the front strut. I renewed the suspension in that car a few years ago -- probably at about 150K miles (it could have been at a lower mileage, I'm just not sure) and the part was certainly out of warranty, but IPD was not even interested in having me mail the part back to them for them to get a look at.

I say "catastrophic failure" but the fact of the matter is the car was drivable for a while without the end link without compromising safety (and it did go for a while before being discovered).

I have put several hundred thousand miles on Volvos in the past 7-8 years and never seen a sway bar end link failure like that one. Even when I redid the suspension in my wife's car, the OEM Volvo end links were in place and intact after 120K miles plus.

So. . . Anybody purchasing the IPD Heavy Duty Sway Bar End Links for their "Heavy Duty" aspect might want to rethink that one. I know of another vendor who offers a lifetime guarantee even on wear items. I'm trying to think of a reason not to use that vendor for essentially all of my future parts orders (unless it is something I just can't get from that vendor). I think IPD needs to step up its game (but that is, of course, only one person's opinion).

[cn90]

My experience with aftermarket parts has been dismal: Kaylin, Parts Professional etc. etc.
Meyle is a tiny bit better.

When it comes to suspension parts, I am sticking to TRW, Lemforder brands and that is it.

[E Showell]

Yeah -- I used to feel that way until the IPD Heavy Duty Sway Bar End Links were getting rave reviews here. . .

[mecheng]

So are they sending you a replacement? If they don't want the part back, they've probably seen this failure before. You are lucky it was not on a tie rod.

Only the OEM brand is tested to the riguours of real world durability as set by the OEM. If the OEM is good at what they do, their compliance testing with their Mule vehicles will weed out poor designs, along with any FEA,CAE work.

That is not to say that the OEM is perfect at what they do; and sometimes the aftermarket improves on the design; (there are a few examples with Volvo) but more often than not they don't. I'm still on the original suspension on my 850; no play at all and our roads have pot holes.

IF they don't send you a replacement; I've seen a lot of people try the Meyle part because the bar is thicker; but not sure of the overall quality. I can say for sure both my S70 and 850 have the original sway bar links; and knock on wood no plans to change them.

[E Showell]

Oh -- They are definitely NOT sending me a replacement. I had ordered two, which they sent me, but I called about that order after they put the parts on sale several days after my order. To their credit, they are making a price adjustment on that order (but I was foolish enough to order the same part as a replacement) . . .

My point is, the only thing apparently Heavy Duty about these links is the diameter of the steel bar, not the swivel studs, and if the swivel studs will fail like that, a beefed up link seems irrelevant.

[erikv11]

This part (IPD HD end link) got pretty good hype when it first came out, before anyone had it long enough to know if it was any good. Almost since it was introduced, there has been a steady, slow stream of complaints i.e. bad manufacturing or reported failures. They are thick (hence the HD designation) and so they reduce flex, but from everything I read they haven't been especially well made. Except for one pair of Meyle way back when, I've only ever used Lemforder or Volvo end links, so far so good.

EDIT: Oh I forgot because they have lasted so long without any problem: I did buy "QBM" end links like 8 years ago, those are super HD and are still great, they are on the T-5R.

[mecheng]

That sucks, how long has the product been installed for? Rough roads in your area?
I've never had a ball joint seperate from a socket, only seen it develop play. That is not a good failure mode; and yes who cares about bar thickness if the joint can't handle it. Maybe the rod thickness helps puts too much stress on ball joint

I thought about upgrading the links but I've come to the realization that these Volvo's will never handle like a BMW; well not without throwing lots of money into it and by that point you can buy a BMW. They handle decent, but I think summer tires will make more of a difference than any suspension modification. All season tires all suck to some degree, so that is my next upgrade. Some Dunlop Direzza is a great tire for the money.

[E Showell]

I can't say for certain how long it has been installed. Best guess is c. 3 years and let's say 30-50k miles. The point is, the original Volvo links went for over 120K miles. Any way you slice it, these are a poor alternative for me based on this experience. And yes, after last winter, the roads around me could charitably be described as "rough."

[scot850]

I was also disappointed with the IPD anti-swaybar links. I drive very little, but found the ball ends tend to become loose very quickly (i.e. flop about) and strangely it may be fine at one end and all loose on the other. That was only after 6 months (about 3000 km use).

I only used them as I had had good luck with a previous set on our 93 850, and the 2000 V70R was fitted with IPD sway bars (again not something I'm happy with after endless issues with the replacement bushes and brackets, ended up re-fitting lighter old brackets to stop graunching/groaning).

Like it has been said here, the rod portion is thicker, but the actual ball end is not 'HD' IMO. I will in future use Volvo OE only, but even there, I am less and less impressed with quality of OE parts relative to the price premium. I'm sure this can be said of many manufactures parts (GM trans cooler lines at 5 year and 70,000km! They say that is good!!).

I used to say that sometime you are just un-lucky you get a defective part, now I am of the opposite opinion, you are lucky if you get a good part!! I still prefer to use Volvo OE parts over aftermarket, but as I am getting less and less enthusiastic about Volvos after 40 years, once the current 2 we have left go, there may never be another in my garage (unless it is a 544/120 possibly).

Neil.

[tryingbe]

Any pictures of the fail parts?

Review says you're not the only one. The parts have 1 year warranty on them.

http://www.ipdusa.com/products/4789/110 ... #tbreviews

http://www.ipdusa.com/products/4760/110 ... #tbreviews


Here are set of QBM I sold.