Swaybars on a stock suspension?

O.k. First of all i would like to conferm what i think i know about swaybars, that they are used to keep the body from rolling/swaying which means good for road use and bad for off-road use.
Also i think my Hanes manuel refers to them as "stabilizer bars" are they one and the same?
So i guess my question is wether or not i should remove them.
I have heard that removing the rear swaybar makes little difference in the ride of the vehicle on the road, the front more so. My 88 with stock suspension has recently been graduated fromm DD status, so it doesent see road use evry day, but i always drive it to were im going to wheel it. I guess I want your opinions on what i should do with these things, and please do correct me if i am wrong.

Also i think my Hanes manuel refers to them as "stabilizer bars" are they one and the same?

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Sway bars, stabilzer bars, same thing. You can get rid of the rear one without any problems, but i would just quick-disco the front one. That way, you still have the stability on road and the flexability off road.

Any sugestions for diskos, im looking at getting some JKS supernerfs sometime soon should i get theres at the same time and mabe save on some shipping?

For my first two rigs, I removed the swaybar completely... not a huge deal, but one must remember that the rig will flop around more than a little. On my last rig, I wanted it to handle better on the street, so I kept the 1 1/8" bar.

JKS QDIIs set the standard for swaybar disconnects... I've read too many tales over the years of folks unhappy with "brand X & brand Y" to consider anything but JKS.

I also added a pair of Energy Suspension greasable poly bushings/mounts (IIRC I got them off the shelf at the local parts chain...but Jegs or Summit have them as well) Match the bushing size to your bar diameter. If nothing else, I'd replace the rubber mounts with new OEM parts (or aftermarket urethane) even if you pass on the greasable brackets.

All swaybars are not created equal. The earlier (like your 88) Limited models had a thicker diameter: 1 1/8" comes to mind. Normal XJ size is 1 1/16" IIRC. Not entirely sure how much difference 1/16" thickness makes, but if you're going to retain a factory swaybar, it might as well be the beefiest OEM piece.

JKS is the fore runner when it comes to quick disco's. Keep an eye on the classified's of your local chapter as sometimes people will be selling them there for alot cheaper than you can buy new.

JKS it is then, there stuff is expensive but ive never heard anything bad so i hope its worth it in the run. I guess ill be saving up for a while, thanks for all your help and patience.

Ok my manual says i should jack up the rear of the jeep, but it tells me to jack it up whenever im under it, do i have to or can i just crawl under?

I don't think you need to jack it up to remove the sway bar but I could be wrong. It's not loaded unless the vehicle is leaning

O.K. i got the swaybars outa there, ill go test it out with a buddy of mine later tonight, im way excited to see what its like. Ill get some diskos ordered up and put the front back on eventually, but for now i'll just take it easy on the roads, no reason to flog the poor XJ as it is.

from what ive read u dont want to drive onroad at all w/o the front unhooked if you have to swerve for any reason u run the risk of a rollover

Ill just take it out tonight and probably leave it till i get the discos, i sheared one of the bolts so its not going back on anytime soon. :bawl: