Idea for Swaybar Quick Disconnects

[OffRoadin44]

This is an idea and just wanted to throw it out there and see what you guys thought. What if I were to invent a disconnect that was kinda like the air hose disconnects on air compresors. You knwo the ones that you pull back the spring loaded sleave on the female side and it pops out the male side via ball retention. The ones on the air compressors are probably not quite strong enough but I have a full machine shop at my disposal. If you have played around with swaybar disconnects before let me know what you think.

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

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[Kyle K.]

disconnects

Interesting idea, never heard that one. i'd like to hear more, or see more, i have toyed with the explorer sway bar problem myself, as i also have access to a full shop but the design was a little more traditional. I will still probably market mine but don't think i will make th effort to patent it, as i am currently doing with my tire rack design. if you want to bounce geometry and logic for this ball release around feel free to e-mail me at

dodgerr@hotmail.com

kyle

 

[OffRoadin44]

At this point it is just an idea. I was interested in how people were disconecting their sway bars an all of those ways seemed pretty crude and not all that strong but then i thought about it and came up with this. Havent built a prototype yet and dont know when i will have the time. I am studying to become a machanical enginier right now and that is taking a lot of time. If you have any more thoughts on this feel free to tell me.
Thanks

 

[rpenner54]

I am not sure how this idea should work. the range of motion when you swing the bar up would not work well with that sort of a disconect. At least I can't see it happening well in my mind. A hitch pin accually does a great job if you ask me. However I would say go full force and you may be onto something I just can't picture that idea working without having something flex.

 

[OffRoadin44]

thanks for the input. After thinking about it today a bit more i have decided that the tolerences would have to be very high and that this method probably just would be very hard to perfect. My conclusion is that the hitch pin way is pretty easy and strong. If you guys have any pictures of your hitch pin disconects I would love to see them and make some myself.

 

[rpenner54]

I think you have a good idea for the rear. Accually thats a great idea. The best one I can think of. However the front just due to the way the bar moves up and down I just don't know if it would be possible. To me it seems like it would unlatch and then you would start to pull it up and it would catch? and not unlatch? Maybe not. I just am having a hard time visualizing that being done of the front. The rear however that would seem to work just because of the range of motion and the amount of movement you have back there. Don't let me discourage you from trying something new though! Just cause it says Moderator under my name don't make me no Expert.

As far as hitch pins go all my pics of them have always turned out fuzzy. All you need to do is find a hitch pin cut it down re-do the hole and stick it in. (It sounds sooo easy) The hard part is finding one that will fit the hole! That hole is something like 13mm or something. Not a 1/2 inch. If you get new bushings which a PIA to put in then you have a 1/2 hole. I am sure someone here has a pic but I don't have any good ones.

 

[OffRoadin44]

well maybe I will work on the back since I have not really heard much about quick disconnects for the rear.

 

[Brian1]

I used a grade 8 bolt for my front disconnects. I had to turn the bolt down on a lathe a little to get it to fit. Here are my pics: http://home.att.net/~explorer4x4/page9.html

and http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=968624&a=9418019&f=0

BTW- I am a Mechanical Engineering student too.

 

[CHH777]

Would this work?

Wouldn't you only need a quick disconnect for one side? What difference would it make if you left the other side connected? Then you wouldn't have to worry about fastening the sway bar out of the way.

Just a thought...

 

[Brian1]

CH777, if you did that and hit a bump or went over a rock it would force the loose end of the sway bar up or down and could possibly damage something underneath the rig. It would not be worth the risk plus it is just as easy to disconnect both while you are under there and bungie cord them up.

 

[Kyle K.]

Disconnects

UH, the other reason only disconnecting one side wouldn't be as good is because even though the "left" side isn't affecting the "right" side or vice-versa the side that is still connected will still be limited in it's full droop, whereas the disconnected side can droop completely. upward travel might or might not be limited depending on type and amount of lift.

dodgerr