Took off my rear swaybar... | Ford Explorer Forums

  • Register Today It's free!

Took off my rear swaybar...

SGR1600

Elite Explorer<br>ECX Member
Joined
January 12, 2003
Messages
676
Reaction score
3
City, State
Chappaqua, NY
Year, Model & Trim Level
'97 XLT 4X4 SOHC
Title says it. I don't notice too much difference yet, but I do feel a little bit of play in the rear going around turns while accelerating. I'm thinking about disconnecting the front to try it out, but I hear it is pretty dengerous and unsafe on the road. I'd like to try it out and see. My guess is I'll fab make/get some quick disconnects rather than keep it off entirely.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year or try it out for $5 a month.

Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





My front is off right now and the rear has been off for at least 4 months. I personally love how it feels and it rides like a dream until you have to make a sudden turn then it gets real fun, but you learn to deal with it. I think that I will hook mine back up becuase it is so much work to unhook and get it off becasue it is mounted UNDER the front crossmember and cannot be just disconnected or it hangs down....leave it to dodge to do something like that.:banghead:
 






I think i'll probably take my rear swaybar off too. I would put discos on the front but if I remember right...you can't or shouldn't disco the front on a 1st gen, if i'm wrong please let me know. Glad to hear it's working out :)

Later
CP :D
 






Originally posted by CodePoet
I think i'll probably take my rear swaybar off too. I would put discos on the front but if I remember right...you can't or shouldn't disco the front on a 1st gen, if i'm wrong please let me know. Glad to hear it's working out :)

Later
CP :D

You can disco the front on a first gen. I myself took off the rear when I put my lift on, and have quick disco's for the front. I only disco them when offroading, but have had them off on the road. It gets kinda interesting sometimes, but it's definately doable. I would strongly suggest some quick disco's for the front, you can buy the stuff for about 3 bucks and it makes a huge difference.
 






Are quick disco's sold for the front, or do you have to make them yourself? I think I read Warrior makes something....
 






Sweet i'm going to do that then. For some reason I had it in my head that if you disco'd the front the beam would droop so much the spring would come out of the upper seat....i guess if I had the problem I could fab up a little retainer. Anyway cool, thanks!

Later
CP :D
 






For anyone else who might be interested, the Warrior part number for the front discos is: WAR85203.
 






I can only speak for the first gen's cause that's all I know, but I just bought 2 bolts and clips for around 3 bucks at my local hardware store and bingo...you've got quick disconnects. I didn't really talk about it in my first post, but there are also some people I know of that don't run a front sway at all, but have adjustable shocks and run them pretty stiff while on the road and it seems to control the sway pretty well.
 






i took off the front sway bar completely and it makes a fun ride + i got almost 6 inches of more travel! i heard that the back sway bar, when removed, makes a bit more crazy ride and then you have to be real careful not to flex too far in the rear or you will tear out your shocks!

i havent experimented it yet but i talked to a guy that has a ranger and he said he had gone through 2 pairs of rear shocks. i plain dont have the money to blow on replacing shocks so just to give ya a heads up.

you could get the warrior quick disconnects or go to the hardware store and spend a dollar buying wingnuts -- just a reccomendation i got from jefe and it works great and real simple.

good luck
 






I will be making my own quick discos this weekend. I'm going to at least try that rout first. I bought the "real" ones for my Jeep, kind of a waste of money I think. We'll just have to see how it goes with this one.

Also, I've driven the truck some more with the rear swaybar still off, and it is still fine. I really don't notice too much body roll at all. So far, it's been 100% fine.
 






So why would you want to take off the sway bars? Don't they help with cornering and such? Or is it to give better wheel travel when 4x4ing?
 






It's for offroad. With the sway bars disconnected the axle(s) can travel more.

Later
CP :D
 






I have had both my front and rear swaybars disconnected for about 2 years now. In the dirt it handles like a dream. on the street it handles nice too I do not feel that many bumps. But when I turn thats when it gets crazy. It just takes some getting use to but with both my swaybars disconnected I feel it is a better ride but thats just me.
Also with my front swaybars disconnected I think I might get about 8-10" of wheel travel. I do not know about the back because I have not measure the rear wheel travel yet.
 






on the street, like others said, it handles fine. there is definately more body roll, but as long as you take the turns slower and don't drive like an idiot its not bad. the ride is much better. the rear really doesn't make a difference at least on mine. i removed the rear bar completely a few years ago. i leave my front disconnected almost all the time. only hook it up for longer drives (over 2 hrs or so) it only takes about 3 minutes to disco the front.. no need for quick disconnects.
 






My 96 has a solid axle in the rear, I thought sway bars only work for independant suspension?
 






i ordered a 3'BL and f150 coils and rear shackles.

would i need to extened my brake lines? front / rear?



and i found two very nice links with "how tos" for both front and rear
 






Featured Content

Back
Top