Can I drive without my sway bars?

[bipolarbob]

Can I disconnect the rear sway bar and just leave it off? I know if I disconnect the front ones, the springs could fall out.The advantage would be more travel, right?Should I take it right off in the rear?Re-attatch it when on the road?

 

[Fusion213]

The rear one doesn't do that much. Mine has been sitting in my garage for at least a year.

 

[nissanboy]

your gonna have all the safety peole hounding you if you leave em off.

IMO it is determined by your driving style and where you srive whether or not you CAN drive with out them.

If you are a guy who rides with traffic and occasionally has to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a wreck leave them on.

If you drive like a 100year old man with a horse and buggy take em off.

 

[CarFreak146]

take the rear one off, and make or buy disconnects for the front one.

Rear leaf springs pretty much act as a rear sway bar and they greatly reduce body roll by themselves.

I took my rear one off about 4 months ago, and I do a lot of four wheeling, but also a lot of highway driving, and nothing has changed as far as ride, but if I make the occasional sharp corner at a little higher speed, i can feel the rear of the vehicle sway a bit more than the front, but nothing drastic.

I say remove your rear sway bar, you will get a llot more flex from your rear end, and you'll hardly notice its gone when your on road.

 

[Robb]

The first drive I made without my rear sway bar was an unexpected trip to W. VA for about 5 hours. I couldn't tell the difference.

The front is a different story...........................

 

[Byrd91]

I agree, rear one can come off, front one should have disconnects. I have neither right now and its fine except for a quick back and forth motion of the wheel, and/or evasive manuever.

 

[GIJOE]

I am running my X without the front and rear sway bars on it.

 

[SVO]

Originally posted by nissanboy

If you drive like a 100year old man with a horse and buggy take em off.

Originally posted by GIJOE
I am running my X without the front and rear sway bars on it.

Let's just say it can be very attention grabing!


I also fall into both catagories that I quoted.

 

[NOTAJP]

I haven't had a rear sway bar since I lifted this X. My first one I took off after it was lifted and never noticed any different except for lots more wheel travel. I haven't had a front swaybar since the SAS, but that's a different story. The front springs won't fall out if you don't have the swaybar connected. I used to run around all the time without it connected (quick disconnects). Get a set of J hooks (or make them) for the front springs if you think you have that much flex. You'd need some serious radius arms to worry about the springs falling out. If you don't have adjustable shocks(RS9000s) you really need to keep the front swaybar but get some quick disconnects from a CJ (they bolt on). The length will all depend on how much lift you have.

Remember there is quite a bit of difference between the generations of Exploders and their suspensions.

 

[SVO]

Originally posted by NOTAJP
Get a set of J hooks (or make them) for the front springs if you think you have that much flex. You'd need some serious radius arms to worry about the springs falling out.

Got my "J" hooks and bolts from an F150, took about 10min to drill and tap the hole and install.

I did this after losing a spring on the trail took about 15min and a hi lift plus a hammer and prybar to get it back in place.

 

[SiLenZe]

you guys have a lot of faith in your explorers! even with my ee swaybar i try and take it easy. any amount of rain or snow and my truck is a raging death trap.

 

[Doug]

I've got 35s and no sway bars, the key is to drive slower, i can still do 65 on the highway no problem. but with the m/ts i definantly have to take it easy in the snow and rain. I do get a bit of body roll around turns but it's nothing i havent been able to get used too.

 

[jimbo74]

if you take off your swaybars your truck will roll, also you cant put anything on other than stock tires



my swaybars are in the backyard and i have 31s

 

[LukeDog3D]

ive got an 89 econoline with 33's and no front or rear swaybar, and bad front shocks. It rides like a soft turd on wheels, but its tolerable.

 

[410Fortune]

hahahah Your truck will roll over as soon as you take the sway bar off, just like Jimabena said....

Its amazing to watch, I say 4 or 5 Explorers sitting on their roofs just this morning.....

Can you feel the sarcasim yet?

Sway bars are there to fight body roll.
Body roll is increased without sway bars.
You can drive with or without them, it just drives different.

try it and see.........

 

[Maniak]

Sway Bars? I don't need to stinking sway bars....

The sway bars have been off our X for well over 100k miles. The sway bars have been sitting in the backyard for so long that they are now burried (rain+dogs)

We have roughly 4" of lift, with Progressive front springs.. and 32" tires and use Rancho rs9000's

I have to drive on a 2 lane twisty road everyday and animals like to wander out in front of me. I can do emergency manuvers (sp?) and stay under control. It is different to drive without sway bars... You drive where your going, not what your feeling...

~Mark