Swaybar removal on '93 xlt

[FMExplorer]

I am wondering what kind of response I should expect both on and off road if I remove the sway bars on my '93 xlt. I currently am running Rancho RS5000 shocks. Ultimately I am going to lift (4-5.5") and will run double shocks. How much safety am I sacrificing without the swaybars? Will I get better suspension travel without them?

JonM

 

[GJarrett]

Can any of you guys with pre-'95's help Jon here? I've removed my swaybars but it's on my '99 with "b" torsion bars so I couldn't inform him what it would be like with an early model, if he'd need stiffer coil setup, etc.

If any of you early model owners have removed your swaybars please give him a hand.

 

[RangerX]

The only real way to find out is to take them off and drive around and see what YOU think. Or you can do what many of us have done, which is leave them on for street driving, and disconnect them when offroad. Its just two bolts. Its worth having disconnected offroad, you'll get more wheel travel, which is good!

 

[Ray Hutchinson]

Swaybars

JonM,

One of the better improvements I made to my '93 XLT, IMHO, was to remove the rear swaybar completely! I have the Rancho 9000's with in-cab adjust, and I run them stiff OP (on pavement)..... about the 4 setting, and haven't missed the sway bar in about 30K miles! For the front, I made some pins from bolts that were longer than the stock sway bar link to I-beam connecting bolts. I removed all the thread with a hacksaw, then drilled them for a hair pin clip. Now I can easliy disconnect my front swaybars when I go OR simply by pulling the hair pin clips then sliding the pins out, and bungeing the sway bars and links up out of the way. This mod really does improve OR traction by increasing axle travel. As Bill (RangerX) said, you can cheaply and easliy test this by just giving it a try, remove the rear bar (4 bolts) and unbolt the front links to see how you like it

 

[FMExplorer]

Thanksf or the help guys,
Looks like I have a test run to do Wednesday

I'll keep you guys posted!

JonM

 

[Scott B.]

JonM,

You can probably remove your rear sway bar, and not notice a thing. It would be safer to leave the front bar while driving on the street - just fabricate a disconnect system.

I wrote an article on fabricating a quick-disconnect for the front sway, but Rick hasn't put it up yet. It's pretty much what Ray did, and there are several pictures included.

 

[rpenner54]

After I lifted my Explorer I ran with no rear sway bar and the crappy Superlift shocks for a few months. Since then I have installed the rear sway bar but have quick disconects on it just like I have on the front. I also have RS9000's now. When I am off-roading a lot and know I will go out the next day I leave the sway bars disconected and leave the shocks on 5 and I am pretty much okay going around corners and such. Just gotta watch it sometimes. Having Dual front shocks would improve it a bunch for me though. I also know that the rear sway bar keeps my Explorer from having the shakes more so then the front one. Its probably easier to not run a rear sway bar in a truck like a Ranger because there is less weight back there. I know a large amount of trucks don't even come with rear ones installed at all. On Explorers though they do help out bunches when going on the road.

 

[FMExplorer]

rpenner54,
I have heard you have a quick-disconnect system you made for your sway bars. Is there a link to a how-to page to get a good idea how you did this?

JonM

 

[rpenner54]

No, there is no link that I know of. Your best bet is to remove the lower bushings in the sway bar links at all 4 corners of the truck. Then replace those with AutoZone's Anti-Sway bar repair kit. This will give you 1/2" bushings. Then go to a supply store that carries hitch pins. Get some that are 1/2" in size, you will probably land up getting ones that are 5-8" long. So those will have to be cut down and have a new hole drilled for the pin. Now be forwarned that if you take this meathod of doing it all, you will have noise under the truck. This is because the hitch pins are somewhat sloppy and don't fit totaly snug like a bolt does. The benifits out weight that one draw back though. Sorry I don't have any pictures of my setup, and my camera just gets blurry if I try to take those pictures. Someday I will get a digital so I can take them. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Gofast]

Quick Disconnect pictures

Here is a link to a friends Website. Look under Projects for the quick disconnect details. It has pictures that are very good. Also I wnet to a bolt & Fastner supply ( Look in the yellow pages ) and got a Tine pin that was the correct size, no cuttin needed. Total cost for my kit was less than $3.00

The link is;

http://home.flash.net/~ffoster/frames.htm

Good Luck