Sway Bar Ideas

Fred · Mar 29, 2017

My .02. I've run the 28 mm front bar for almost 20 years, I've liked it up until I put on long arms a couple of years ago. With Bilstein shocks, everything started to feel just a little too loose and uncontrolled for me. I like a tight, controlled ride. I was considering playing around with an old rear swaybar I had sitting around. Then I bought some Fox shocks. These are tight, tight shocks, maybe a little too rough for overlanding, don't know, but very controlled on the street. I've got a bunch of other issues going on with my front driveline, but currently, I run with the front swaybar disconnected. It's very controlled, no lean into corners at all, and I have a lunchbox locker in the rear.

For reference they were Fox 2.0 Performance shocks for 84-2001 XJ's 4-6" lift. Huge change over the Bilsteins.

XJEEPER · Mar 31, 2017

Here's my solution, rock solid and regularly wheeled/ daily driven for 8 yrs/100k miles.

Build Thread http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=913774&page=7

waxer · Mar 31, 2017

XJEEPER said:
Here's my solution, rock solid and regularly wheeled/ daily driven for 8 yrs/100k miles.

Build Thread http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=913774&page=7

KISS solution there, I like it. I will have to mount my sway bar first and see where things line up. I see you used flat bar to gusset the upper ear and then welded the mounting bracket to that. Any special welding technique welding to the forged ear?

Thanks for posting another solution. Your XJ looks great!

waxer · Mar 31, 2017

Fred said:
My .02. I've run the 28 mm front bar for almost 20 years, I've liked it up until I put on long arms a couple of years ago. With Bilstein shocks, everything started to feel just a little too loose and uncontrolled for me. I like a tight, controlled ride. I was considering playing around with an old rear swaybar I had sitting around. Then I bought some Fox shocks. These are tight, tight shocks, maybe a little too rough for overlanding, don't know, but very controlled on the street. I've got a bunch of other issues going on with my front driveline, but currently, I run with the front swaybar disconnected. It's very controlled, no lean into corners at all, and I have a lunchbox locker in the rear.

For reference they were Fox 2.0 Performance shocks for 84-2001 XJ's 4-6" lift. Huge change over the Bilsteins.

I too run the Bilsteins and may look into these Fox shocks. I want to see how things feel after installing the sway bar.

Thanks for posting.

waxer · Apr 1, 2017

So I got the OEM sway bar reinstalled with new bushings. I set it at the appropriate 15 degrees as per the instructions in the JKS manual. I installed the drivers side link after adjusting it's length so it set the 15 degrees on the sway bar.

The problem is I have very limited space on the passenger side, and from what I can see, I'll need to install a mount and have that passenger side link set at a much shorter length.

Question of the Day:
Will it be ok to have the sway bar end links at two different lengths from each other? Any adverse problems with that? I can't see, geometrically, in my mind where there would be any problem with that.

If ok, I can modify that track bar bracket to incorporate an end link mounting point and make this work.

Pics below, and any insight is appreciated.

Wheel turned hard right so the drag link is the furthest it would be in the way of things:

ehall · Apr 1, 2017

usually need to raise the swaybar links with HD steering like that, either that or get bent rod that will clear the links and pumpkin

waxer · Apr 1, 2017

ehall said:
usually need to raise the swaybar links with HD steering like that, either that or get bent rod that will clear the links and pumpkin

Understood there.. but do you think there will be any issues with one end link being 10" and the other being 7" ?

ehall · Apr 1, 2017

As long as the links are at the same angle it should be fine

waxer · Apr 1, 2017

ehall said:
As long as the links are at the same angle it should be fine

Thanks. Yes I'm making sure the swaybar stays at the 15 degrees it's supposed to be at rest and each link is at the same operating angle at rest.

Thanks for your response.

waxer · Apr 1, 2017

Here's my solution. I fabbed up a bracket out of 5/16" plate that clears the drag link on full right turn. The link is at the same angle on both sides and more importantly, the drag link maintains it's proper angle alignment.

Now I just need to burn it in completely. Gotta pull the track bar so I don't melt the bushing.

Tim_MN · Apr 1, 2017

waxer said:
Question of the Day:
Will it be ok to have the sway bar end links at two different lengths from each other? Any adverse problems with that? I can't see, geometrically, in my mind where there would be any problem with that.

No worries. I raised one sway bar mount, and never got around to the other one, and that was years ago. I have JKS disconnects.

waxer · Apr 2, 2017

Well, got everything mounted back up and took it for a test drive.

NIGHT AND DAY difference. Nice and stable on the street now. Takes the turns beautifully. When I get to the trail, I can disconnect the sway bar and have fun. This was just what I was after.

Thanks all for your contributions.

ehall · Apr 2, 2017

Front end is more stable with shorter links, btw. Same angle of deflection over shorter distance gives less sideways movement.

jk_surgeonfish · Apr 2, 2017

I put a vid together on my sway bar upgrade from this past week:

LINK: https://youtu.be/BFT1kHTfUTU

Love the upgrade!

Sway Bar Ideas

Fred

NAXJA Member

XJEEPER

NAXJA Member # 13

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

ehall

NAXJA Member

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

ehall

NAXJA Member

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

Tim_MN

Freakish Hand Strength

waxer

JEEP APPRENTICE

ehall

NAXJA Member

jk_surgeonfish

NAXJA Forum User

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