removing front sway bar

[btimm86]

Will this increase the chance of snapping a t bar?

 

[gijoecam]

Uuuh, no. It will, however, reduce the stability of the vehicle. For a top-heavy SUV, that's never a good thing.

 

[carlover]

Yeah been there done that. DO NOT remove the front sway bar on a DD. It will be so unstable and feel like its going to roll over making even a simple slow speed turn

 

[btimm86]

I know it will be unstable but any more so than something with coils and a solid axle? I just don't want to snap one on the trail. but if it does maybe i could put a bottle jack to push the upper control arm down and a ratchet strap for when the suspension unloads or something. :roll:

 

[carlover]

I know it will be unstable but any more so than something with coils and a solid axle? I just don't want to snap one on the trail. but if it does maybe i could put a bottle jack to push the upper control arm down and a ratchet strap for when the suspension unloads or something. :roll:

ive beaten the crap out of my tbars and never had any problems at all. The sway bar is the only thing keeping it from being so instable due to the fact the torsions sit so far inward. id be more worried about breaking ball joints than torsion bars

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

Um ya, I drive with out a front sway bar on my X. Sure I can't drive like I'm in an Indy car, but it's not like I'm going to flip over just driving like normal (for a lifted truck).

 

[btimm86]

id be more worried about breaking ball joints than torsion bars

How hard is it to change the upper ones by yourself? I took it to some place to get aligned and they said they couldn't align it w/o changing the uppers, they wanted $600.

 

[chad551]

You can do it your self for under 200 and about 1 hr.

 

[btimm86]

You can do it your self for under 200 and about 1 hr.

word. they were all telling me something was a solid piece. thanks

 

[410Fortune]

it is a solid piece, you have to replace the entire upper control arm on the D side and at least the outer part of the passenger side arm. Many of us however use the one peice aftermarket arm for the pass side too.... so you can swap out the entire upper control arm on that side at the same time.

Alignment places are always saying that... they want big $$$$ from you.

I ask them to SHOW ME the loose ball joints, so far I did not agree with them the upper ball joints on our 97 are tight as can be, Big O was saying $800 and they wont touch it without new ball joints
the guy down the street had it done in an hour for $60, he said nothing about the ball joints.

 

[carlover]

Um ya, I drive with out a front sway bar on my X. Sure I can't drive like I'm in an Indy car, but it's not like I'm going to flip over just driving like normal (for a lifted truck).

Dont you have coilovers though?????? That is the hugedifference since the weight if the vehicle is now being supported closer to the outside of the vehicle.

 

[btimm86]

looks like i need to take it somewhere else. dont want to be driving around on triangle tires

 

[btimm86]

it is a solid piece, you have to replace the entire upper control arm on the D side and at least the outer part of the passenger side arm. Many of us however use the one peice aftermarket arm for the pass side too.... so you can swap out the entire upper control arm on that side at the same time.

Where's the best place to buy these? I don't need them to be good or last a long time, I'm just trying to last until after summer for my SAS. Was thinking about not even replacing them just b/c i'm going to cut them out later anyways.

 

[carlover]

Where's the best place to buy these?

Rockauto.com

 

[Gator Jeff]

I snapped the swaybar links last year (both of them) while bombing up a WVa mountain road. While noticable, I have to say that the truck was still very drivable. Still wouldn't recommend it for a daily driver though.

 

[storlied]

How much more flex would someone get without a front sway bar?

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

I'm sorry, but what is a tbar?

 

[HahnsB2]

Torsion bar. I'd personally remove it. Don't confuse body roll with how easily the rig will roll over, sway bars main function is occupant comfort. With sway bars attached it transfers more energy into lifting the tires instead of compressing and stretching springs. Mine are gone and my rig is taller and more top heavy than an explorer and I can take corners much faster than anyone riding with me (Or me) is comfortable with, (60 around a 35MPH rated corner).

 

[brianjwilson]

It's plenty streetable without the front sway bar. You just have to adjust the driving style. Yes you will have more body roll, but it's not a sports car anyway. Go into the corners smooth. There isn't that much flex anyway. I could drive my ranger on the mountain highways without swaybars and fly around corners fast enough to bottom out one side, and top out the other side. It was still completely stable. The problem comes (potentially) from an abrupt left to right or vise versa (a fast weight shift).
It will not cause you to snap a torsion bar. Here's the easy thing to do. Leave it connected around town. Offroad, remove one endlink (a 16mm and 15mm socket and 2 minutes). The ride is MUCH smoother. And it will allow the front suspension to work side to side (only around 7"). But it's better than with the swaybar on (almost no side to side movement).

 

[storlied]

I tried it, I don't like it. I even went off-road just a little bit and didn't notice any better articulation. But who knows, I might experiment with it more.