Sway Bar Removal

[Knivx]

Tonight I removed the front sway bar completely from the vehicle. The ride is alot softer and cushy in the front. No more carving corners but hey it's an off-road truck. I left the rear sway bar on and hooked up and my logic is that if it's limited then maybe it'd force the front to flex to it's potential. Does that sound like a sane thought on the subject? Is there any harm that could be done by leaving the sway bar off? I can't foresee any problem with it. It always seemed odd to take an IFS setup and limit it to not independently moving like a solid axle by putting a sway bar on. I was able to flex it out and max out both front and back at same time. Will post the pics up later cuz i just don't have the patience for it now. Anyone have any thoughts or comments or anything else please do share. Should i put it back on and keep it that way? Should i stay as it is now? Should i take the back one off too?

[taylorRichie]

You can always install quick disconnects...

Available from Independent4X...

That's what I plan to do...

Race car handling on road. max articulation off.

[crager34]

My understand is: Don't disconnect the front, due to the independent front suspension and the extra articulation (if any) may cause to extreem of an angle on the CV joints.

I have disconnected my rear sway bar and the ride is still very stiff. I didn't notice an increase in articulation in the rear when I had it jacked up and disconnected them; however, when I am wheeling it does flex easier over all and I have gotten better traction.

How do I know for sure? Look up the Strike Ravine trail here in Moab.... not a pretty trail, but a tough one and I got through it with the VX (no lockers). :rolleyes:

[ZEUS]

I would say put it back on just for safety sake. You never know when you might have to swerve for some reason. Besides, how can you not love to take some quick corners too?! I disconnect my sway bar when I hit the trail, just be sure to disconnect both sides and figure out a good method to secure it out of harm's way. I enjoy the cushier ride and the extra flex on the trail. I personally don't think the CV's are an issue in this case.

[creeg]

It woudl seem to me that removing the front sway bar would make it easier to roll the car. This is not based on any expertise, it just seems to make sense to me.
Someone please correct me if that is wrong, Im really not sure...

[Knivx]

Well the plan is to get disconnects for the front. Still have yet to decide on what to do with the rear. I had a chance to take it on the freeway today and there is a hard bump at an over pass and it was actually softer and felt almost more in control. I do want to have the sway bar on though for longer freeway runs though and thats why disconnects are in my future. With the rear still hooked up i only feel the body roll in the front though and it actually handles more like any other "lesser" suv like an exloder or cherokee in my opinion. It'll go back on with the disco's but it's interesting for the time being. I would think the cv's wouldn't be any more angled than i could get them with the sway bar on since it's not what limits down travel i can just flex independently better now? This being my first IFS rig I'm sure there's lots for me to still learn though.

[Tone]

Oh yeah, I want in on this guy's life insurance policy! Off road, going slow it's a noticeable improvement and makes crawling much less harsh. Bu on road? Wow - wonders never cease.

[Knivx]

.....ok well i guess i'll put it back on. I know the risks handling wise and am not worrying about it. I'm a professional truck driver so i'm used to driving things that don't handle well. I was just concerned about mechanical disadvantages and things like that. But with the crap i just got about it i'll just put it on and forget about that idea. But hey i guess everyone is entitled to opinions and i did ask for them.

[taylorRichie]

Now you can safely make it to the Utah Meet ;)

[a745035]

Has anyone tried a thinner sway bar up front for a compromise? Is there anything else that fits? :_steering

Thanks - BPA

[tom4bren]

"But with the crap i just got about it i'll just put it on and forget about that idea."

Try putting on wheels with 'offset from hell' & see what comments you get.:)

[don moore]

ouch.

you asked

[Maddawg]

I took mine off two years ago. Your fears are unfounded. No problem, better ride and it still handles the same. What's the point of IRS if you tie them together, lol. Ok, if your doing slolam courses I can see it, otherwise take it off, but don't throw it away. For resale you might want to put it back on. HOWEVER, don't remove the rear! I did that and it is noticeably a different cat. Still driveable but with a degree of caution. Finally, take off the front but not the rear.

What prompted me to take the front sway bar off was I remembered the first thing to go on off-road VW's is the front sway. Hold it! I know you're going to say the VW has trailing arm IRS and the VX has A-Arms but with stiff torsion bars and shocks up front as well as in back the front sway bar is just an unwelcome passenger IMO.

[VXorado]

I took mine off two years ago. Your fears are unfounded. No problem, better ride and it still handles the same. What's the point of IRS if you tie them together, lol. Ok, if your doing slolam courses I can see it, otherwise take it off, but don't throw it away. For resale you might want to put it back on. HOWEVER, don't remove the rear! I did that and it is noticeably a different cat. Still driveable but with a degree of caution. Finally, take off the front but not the rear.


I'm going to disagree. I went without a front sway bar for a few months and noticed a big difference in handling. The VX felt softer up front but the turning was terrible. I remember the VX having trouble keeping up with a lifted jeep cherokee on a winding mountain road because I had to slow down so much on the turns. Even turning the VX in the city took a bigger rotation of the steering wheel. As for off road, IFS doesn't have much articulation anyways. I didn't notice much or any difference with the front sway bar being off.

All of our articulation is from the rear solid axle which does benefit from not having a sway bar. I drive the VX daily without a rear sway bar and haven't noticed much change in handling.

but off road...
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Nikon_Pics_235.jpg

I'll admit the rear axle gets too much articulation off road for the regular coil springs (they'll unseat) but there's ways you can address that issue. The idea is, the more flex you get from the rear axle, the longer all four wheels will stay planted on the ground.

Sorry Maddawg, but from my own experience... I 100% disagree.

[BigSwede]

People always think a car is more likely to roll over with the sway bars removed. But the laws of physics don't change, your center of gravity is still the same. Your body will roll more within the framework of the suspension (sway bars are more accurately called "anti-roll" bars), but you're not going to just flip over because those little bars are disconnected.

[JAMAS]

People always think a car is more likely to roll over with the sway bars removed. But the laws of physics don't change, your center of gravity is still the same. Your body will roll more within the framework of the suspension (sway bars are more accurately called "anti-roll" bars), but you're not going to just flip over because those little bars are disconnected.

I believe the "motion in the ocean" can help to push you over though.

Think about when you push/pull someone out of a ditch (without a vx)...you rock the car back and forth until you can finally complete the push. Without sway bars, you take a couple back and forth bends and the momentum will be much greater without the sway bars.

[BigSwede]

Strictly speaking, the momentum is the same either way, but it may carry a bit farther to each side. If you had a tall vehicle and a lot of weight up on the roof I could see a change in the COG, otherwise not so much, not enough to matter anyway.

Out in Moab I disconnect my sway bars for the entire week...drive winding roads like hwy 313 to Canyonlands NP...you get used to the body roll. Aired down tires are a bigger menace to highway cornering than disconnected sway bars.

[VXorado]

I never felt the VX handled dangerously with either sway bar off and I don't ever see myself putting the rear bar back on. I just noticed the front had a lot of under steer that persuaded me to leave it on full time.

Swede... I figured you weren't running a rear sway bar in Moab. We we're the only 2 Zus that had issues with unseating our coil springs. Too much flex :bgwo:

[BigSwede]

Yep, I have disconnects for both sway bars...that was the first time I had lost a coil on this Trooper; I didn't know the Ranchos that came with it were long enough to allow that to happen. I now have OME shocks that are a bit shorter and so should retain the coils from here on out.

[Maddawg]

People always think a car is more likely to roll over with the sway bars removed. But the laws of physics don't change, your center of gravity is still the same. Your body will roll more within the framework of the suspension (sway bars are more accurately called "anti-roll" bars), but you're not going to just flip over because those little bars are disconnected.

Yep, that's what I was referring to.

[Triathlete]

My rear swaybar has been in 2 pieces for the past 18 months with no adverse affects. If there is any differences in handling it is very little.

[Maddawg]

The defense rests its case.

[VXorado]

The defense rests its case.

I'm surprised you haven't had understeer with the front sway bar removed. Maybe more noticable with bigger, wider tires? :_confused

Possibly something to consider when you go bigger...

[Maddawg]

Could be, my turning radius seems to be unaffected. I'll be putting on bigger tires with a wider stance wheel soon so I'll see how much of an effect it has. I'll let you know.

[Maddawg]

Yes, the wider stance did affect my turning radius understandably.

[Scott Larson]

Drastically so??

[Maddawg]

No, but enough that it is noticeable. I have a corner I turn every day that is approx 110 degrees. The wheel input I always used puts me a bit nto the oncoming lane. Not a big deal, I just have to crank the wheel a bit more. Not thrilled but I can live with it.