Originally Posted by babymog

I'm disagreeing as a life-long automotive Engineer also, who has worked directly with Mercedes' Engineers, and as a former SAE member.

Reasonable people can and do disagree. I spent some time under two 124s last night studying the problem and its possible causes, and it is on this which I base my stated opinion. I respect Mr. Hunter a good deal, and his opinions, but there is a reason that even learned Engineers consult with each other and try to pick up on any missed details (and we enjoy it), the reason that an Engineer on a program almost never signs-off on his own FMEAs.

Yes, having one spring shorter than the other for any reason, front or rear, will cause a static load on the sway bar. This load is within its design I feel, and not at any unnatural angle. Were the sway bar bent asymmetrically, if something is binding, other possibilities exist that can cause a failure. I would like to look for a reason that the bracket is trying to rotate with the sway bar, which would in theory cause a failure like the one pictures.