Sway bar question

[Tazer]

When going off road, is it smart to disconnect your Sway Bar? I have heard, and read some guys doing this. I have a 3in lift, sway bar drop down kit, sitting on 33s. So would it be smart for me to go sway bar off?

[ExplorerTom]

It'll allow for more flex and also smooth out the ride as the axle rocks back and forth. I disconnected mine a week ago and haven't reconnected it yet- and I probably won't.

[dscowell]

It will allow for more flex. But if you do take it off make sure to put it back on when you go back on paved roads. The rear sway bar you can take off and just throw away its pretty useless.

[Tom]

I disconnect my fronts when wheeling always reconnect for the highway!

[xaza]

I used to disconnect and reconnect every time when my truck was my daily driver. I completely removed both my sway bars but when I add lift I will be putting the front back on. Had a cargo bag on top of truck this weekend with all my camping gear and I wished I had my sway bar :redface:. Definitely a must remove for off roading. With it on it prevents the axle from flexing to keep tires on ground and causes the body to roll sooner. With it off you can have your tire on a bigger rock and the body still sitting almost flat.

[RidgeRunner]

Throw the rear sway bar in the trash and use disconnects up front. That's what I did when I had my XJ. The rear one is useless but the front is nice to have if you DD it.

[Tazer]

So the rear sway bar is garage? Is it safe to drive to and from trail with out a rear one?

[Popsgarage]

Yes, as long as you keep the front connected, especially with heavier loads as Cliff mentioned. Helps keep the tires on the road and the body from leaning, which can be disconcerting and a bit dangerous at highway speeds.

[xaza]

Yeah, it is so small it doesn't do anything good anyway. Goodbye rear sway bar!

[xaza]

to give you some comparison I have roughly the same length springs on my truck(RE 3.5 inch) With your sway bars off you should get similar flex as my truck.

[Tom]

Yeah, it is so small it doesn't do anything good anyway. Goodbye rear sway bar!Lots of opinions stating the opposite on other forums all with lots of good sounding reasons. I'm not expert though. Just thought I'd point it out.

[javaman34]

I think I would try it both ways and then decide which way you like better and go with that.

[Tazer]

I will test it out with Tom on the 24th, see how it goes.

[The StRanger]

I used to disconect mine when I hit the trail.. But..
When I just left it undone and kinda liked it.. just pulled the whole bar.

[Hypoid]

With the aftermarket leaf springs, you will probably be OK without the rear sway bar.

Since our Cherokee is also our daily driver, I installed quick disconnects on the front bar. I won't drive the highway without one, won't run a trail with one.

[The StRanger]

With the aftermarket leaf springs, you will probably be OK without the rear sway bar.

Since our Cherokee is also our daily driver, I installed quick disconnects on the front bar. I won't drive the highway without one, won't run a trail with one.

I drove China wall with the bar.
Never want to do that again...

[Tom]

With the aftermarket leaf springs, you will probably be OK without the rear sway bar.

Since our Cherokee is also our daily driver, I installed quick disconnects on the front bar. I won't drive the highway without one, won't run a trail with one.
Most of the differing opinions I saw were discussing rear coils.

[Hypoid]

The Cherokee leaf springs are notorious for being soft. Adding two stock leaves to my stock spring pack, did wonders for the ride. I don't miss the rear sway bar.

[Squshiee1]

You don't need sway bars, i have been running no sways for a while, nothing wrong with a little 3 wheelin every once in awhile. I didn't think my car rolled as much as it did until i saw my brother go around a round about, He was literally 3 wheelin the damn thing, I just about pooped ma pants. but i still haven't put it on.

Just look at my avatar, that was ice racing without a sway bar, and that day there was a ton of traction!

[Robert B]

okay....... this is a personal thing and a truck specific thing .......my full size truck I took my bar off 15 minutes after I bought it ..literally.........and never had it on again ever..........my dads jeep he takes them off (quick disconnect) for the trails but he needs them on the highways or its just to hard to control the truck .......so the only thing you need to do it try it out and see if you like it or not .........if you can live with it off all the time then that works but if its needed for the roads you can go from there on what to buy and do

[Popsgarage]

Just put the wife's Blazer back on the ground after about 3 months on jack stand. Drove it to Autozone to pick up a gasket for my daughters Jimmy. Even with shocks I need to figure out a sway bar. Kinda like driving a weeble wobble. Problem is the custom width Currie bars are very pricey but they work and getting a factory bar from anything to fit is going to be a booger. Eh, it's only money, right????? Do some road tests and figure out what'll work best for you. I'd run at least a front on road.

[KnuckleHead]

I have been running my full size Blazer with out the front (never had a rear) ever since I did my lift without any problems. It made a huge difference with the flex. Mine is a DD and I can feel the body pitch on me sometimes on the road but not enough for me to put it in. Just my personal opinion... but I also have never seen a disconnect kit for my rig.

[Popsgarage]

My full size is the same, but ours are usually much stiffer than the Cherokee's, Comanche's and Grand Cherokee's. The wife's S-10 Blazer is running Grand Wagoneer leaf springs in the front with two leaves removed from each pack and it'd definitely benefit from a sway bar.

[WW2AVG]

Here's my two cents worth:
On my Yj I (naturally) have leaf springs. On my first real four wheeling trip with Geno I had my sway bar on. (I didn't know any better!) We did Saran Wrap and Eagle Rock. I only winched in one spot, but the limited flex in the front was certainly making things difficult for me. When I got home I took it off. It is a little "mushier" around corners, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I ran Eagle Rock again and it went much better w/o the sway bar! We have not put it back on and now I don't miss it at all! My son is buying that Jeep from me and he may tow a small trailer back with him. We will probably put the sway bar back on for that.

Now I recently bought a TJ. It has a front sway bar disconnect. Yesterday was the first real wheeling trip with it. I disconnected the sway bar when we aired down. It was great! When we were done I did not reconnect the sway bar for the short (relatively) ride home. It was not a big deal riding home with it disconnected, but it was also an easy ride.

Offhand, I'd say that you certainly want it disconnected off road. I felt that made a HUGE difference in my YJ and consider that a MUST now. IMHO, you just need to see how you feel about it on the road. Going with a sway bar disconnect give you the best of both world, so you might want to look into that.

[Andrew]

I don't even have sway bars anymore. I took the rear one off shortly after I got my truck and the front one went away when the mount broke.

[dscowell]

Well if you do throw away both sway bars wouldn't you have to take corners a lot slower to avoid rolling over?

[Java]

rear leafs don't generally need one, the leaf spring locates the axle unlike coils. As I understand it the rear swaybars are mostly for legal purposes on YJs / XJs after the consumer reports fiasco with the Samurai. IDK anyone with a TJ or LJ that doesn't run the rear all the time, it's too tippy without. I have disconnects on my front bar and I do drive with it disconnected on the street sometimes but never on the highway. It feels fine disconnected until you have to make an emergency stop or swerve... FWIW If I was you I'd disco the front and scrap the rear.

[Tazer]

All great input and great points. I am seeing a trend here, its all about personal preference. I do see we can all agree disconnecting the sway bar on the trail is a must, for more flex and traction.

[xaza]

I found some pics from playing on my brother's articulation ramp. I didn't label them so I am not 100% positive but first pic was with sway bar on I believe. Second pic is with sway bar off but not quite all the way flexed, was able to top the ramp (and broke ramp too) hence no picture there.

[Robert B]

not to take it over but here ya go happy http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/swaybarkit.htm

[AccordRanger]

Right now I have no front sway. It's a little bouncy but rides smoother. I have been driving around with the rear disconnected for about a week it's not to bad but a little squirmy chaging lanes. I would say remove one drive it then remove the other and see what you like.

[Ed Gates]

I bought pro comp disconnects but I threw out the bolts and used 3/8x3 1/4" tractor pins then I bought the lower pins from a set of rubicon gen II discos and pulled the inner sleeves out with 1/8 x1" ring pins all in its about $45 and you completely remove your sway bar end links the bushings hold the sway bar out of the way I love it and screw paying a shitload of money for discos

[xaza]

As bushings wear out and you hit bigger bumps it will droop down, I recommend securing a disconnected sway bar, I used a piece of bailing wire for mine when it was still in there, ghetto but it worked.

[AccordRanger]

As bushings wear out and you hit bigger bumps it will droop down, I recommend securing a disconnected sway bar, I used a piece of bailing wire for mine when it was still in there, ghetto but it worked.

Exactly what I did.

[Tom]

Exactly what I did.My Superlift discos came with straps that mount to the frame for.just that purpose.

[Andrew]

Well if you do throw away both sway bars wouldn't you have to take corners a lot slower to avoid rolling over?

I haven't had any issues. I do have leaf springs. You can tell it leans a bit more but it's not bad.

[Hypoid]

Well if you do throw away both sway bars wouldn't you have to take corners a lot slower to avoid rolling over? You can adapt your driving style, but evasive maneuvers are a different kind of animal...

http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=995817&highlight=sway+bar

[xaza]

Hey James, have you started experimenting yet to see what you like?