Safety concerning Removal of sway bars

[ld50]

I was once ascared to get rid of my rear sway bar and finally decided to try it. Once I took it off it never went back on again, and finally ended up in the scrap bin. The difference was almost unnoticeable. I also have stiffer shocks and an add a leaf so that probably helped.

I have only been disconnecting one side of the front bar when off road. I use some different studs and big wing nuts so I just have to get them loose and do the rest by hand. The ride on even a flat dirt road with my front sway bar still attached is unbelievably harsh to me now that I have felt it when disconnected.

Also as touched on here it is safer offroad without sway bars. one of your tires can drop into a hole without making your whole truck tilt over like its going to tip.
When I wheeled with the bars still on it was like being shaken from side to side by guys pushing on the sides of the truck! Picture a tire riding over a bump. The sway bar tries to raise the tire on the other side at the same time, making the truck want to lean away from the bump. A couple bumps either way and you`re bouncing your head off the window.
You can still get that, but what a difference having them disconnected.
I`ve tried freeways with the front disconnected and find that it tends to wander more. It is easy to get used to, it is smoother, but IMO not wise. Someone mentioned an emergency situation arising where you have to swerve quickly. I get the same uneasy feeling, and prefer having them connected on the street. It doesn`t feel as loose up front, and gives you a little more confidence.

To summarize my opinion:

-Throw away the rear
-disconnectablize the front

 

[Xplodor]

You guys are freaking me out. I'm probably the worst case with my setup running NO bars... Thank God I've been lucky so far. I deffinately adjusted my driving though, especially during winter.

 

[section525]

Ron, hows driving at freeway speeds? I haven't had my front sway bar on for a month or so now.. but I only took it on the freeway once and it was a little scary. But, driving in town was a little awkward at first.. but I'm now used to that.

Did freeway driving only feel unsafe the first few times you took it out?

 

[Xplodor]

Naw it's fine. I'm use to it because of my CJ. It's a little leany around turns. If you jerk the wheel back and fourth then she gets swayie, other then that she rids good. As long as someone adjusts their driving, it's manageable. Keep a look out for others and keep a safe distance between you and the car infront of you. I've had to brake hard a few times. The nose just dives forward without the bar and having the IFS. Pretty wild.

 

[GR899V8]

Disconnecting a bar won't make the truck have more or less "dive", it just affects the side-to-side.
I disconnected my front one once and it scared the piss outta me. Yes, you learn to get used to it, but it's like having 15-20 PSI in your tires, it's not the first swerve that gets you, it's the 2nd or 3rd getting back in your lane. Go ahead and try it and be ready for a suprise, but you can adjust to it somewhat. I put mine back on and it's stayed because I don't have quick disco's.

 

[section525]

I just haven't had one since I did my conversion.. I was thinking I might not need one. But I think I'm gonna get one now! Thanks guys.

 

[ld50]

good idea, The hairs on the back of my neck are tingling, I feel like I`m talking to a dead man.

 

[Maniak]

Rob,
We dont' run either sway bar either..

I drive 5 miles or so of dirt road (not straight) at about 35mph through the curves.. then 75 on a 2 lane twisty... and then 80mph on the highway (until the speed limit drops from 75 to 55)...

The truck never feels unstable... I have had to jerk the wheel to make an emergency move to not hit an animal on the 2 lane a few times.. The truck leans more than it did before.. but I don't drive the lean.. I drive where the truck is, and where it is going (comes from riding the motorcycle)..

I don't even notice the lean or swaying.. but when I have people in the truck that haven't been in there before they notice the lean.. especially if they are used to how a sports car rides..

BTW.. I run rs9000 shocks and have them set to 3 up front and 4 in the rear (was carrying more weight in the rear for a while and just never set it back to 3.. and 4 seems fine to me)..

If I had different shocks (less rebound/compression) I'm sure this would be a different story...

~Mark

 

[Xplodor]

Oh, on the second Gen you sure notice the lean. My friends that drive lifted trucks trip out when they see me take a corner. I like it because it gives it true character of a rock crawler.

I'm sorry, but I don't agree with GR899V8, I notice a conciderable difference in a nose dive with out the front sway bar vs. with it on. Whether the steering wheel is straight or turned the dive is more drastic. Think about the set up, with out the links to the bottom A arm, the suspension is just going to tuck really fast. With the sway bar on it makes the tuck even but there is also some support as well which helps dissapate <sp?> the nose dive.

 

[Alec]

I reconnect mine soon after I get off the trail, I really don't like it disconnected.

 

[GR899V8]

I still think the bars have nothing to do with dive. If you drove at 30 MPH and slammed on the brakes, and you could somehow stop time(??), you could ge out, unbolt the bar from either end, and it should not be under any load, just like it should be at a stop sign.

Please, anyone correct me if I'm wrong or let me know if I'm irght.

I am now going to disconnect my REAR bar since I've read this thread, and give it a try. This is a good thread!

 

[Jason_25]

I can't imagine how the sway bar has any affect on nose dive.

I regularly drive highway speeds and corner along with other vehicles with very little problems. I have no sway bars. My biggest concern is about stuff in the truck sliding one way or the other because of the increased lean.

 

[ld50]

There is no way the sway bar would affect straight ahead nose dive, all the bar does is link the two sides of the suspension together.

However, If you slam on the brakes in a turn, the inertia will force the outside (of the turn) front suspension farther up your wheelwell, shifting even more weight to that side of the vehicle.
The inside (of the turn) suspension will be allowed to droop farther than normal, aided by the sway of the vehicle.

In an emergency where you slam hard on the brakes in a turn while going fast enough, it will sway hard. You could instinctively overcorrect, suddenly sending the weight to the other side even harder. If your unlucky, you will be on your side.

Part of vehicle safety testing will include a maneuver like this, and they still flip them. ( before you challenge their methods of testing, I already know some people have voiced that their tests do not accuately depict real world driving conditions, but anything can happen, and it has.)

The anti-sway bar was added to vehicles as a safety measure after this problem was found. As cars got faster, they could turn faster, etc.

 

[Xplodor]

ID50, I think that's what I'm experiencing, the steering wheel is turned because when I slam on my brakes, I notice that I tend to veer to the right or left, that way if I don't stop in time, and can possibly go around them, provided there isn't any on coming traffic.