How does a sway bar work?

The sway bar acts as a torsion spring. When the vehicle travels straight and both wheels move up and down uniformly (e.g., over a flat bump), the sway bar rotates freely in its bushings and has no effect. However, during cornering, centrifugal force pushes the vehicle’s body outward, causing the outer suspension to compress and the inner suspension to extend. The sway bar twists in response, transferring some of the load from the compressed outer side to the extended inner side, resisting excessive body roll and keeping the vehicle more level. This also lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity during turns, further improving stability and tire grip on the road.