Timmay
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Marlton, NJ
I had been running the stock links at 3.5" lift for a while now and I was starting to get tired of unbolting them to play. About a week ago one of the links snapped, so I took the whole swaybar off. It wasn't too bad until I had to make an emergency lane change at 65mph. I knew I had to come up with something I could do for cheap yet be effective and strong. This is what I came up with.
Parts I used:
4 - stock XJ swaybar links with bushings
2 feet - 5/8" threaded rod
2 feet - 1" x 3/16" flat bar
2 - 5/8" x 2" coupler nuts
2 - 5/8" nuts to act as jamnuts
2 - 1/2" hitch pins
2 - 1/2" x 2.5" bolts with washers and nuts
This came to a total of $12.96 at the "local" steel yard. Stock links I had lying around.
Anyway, pics.
What I started with. The stud is pressed into the lower swaybar mount with splines. What a bitch to remove. I cut off the torx head and beat it back and forth with a punch and hammer until it popped out.
10 second timer on the camera = sparks shooting at it.
Pic of the splines.
The bottom mount is now going to be double sheared. This is where I used the 1" flatbar. I basically made an extension of the existing mount and welded it to anything it was close to. The washer is to add some space to allow the bushing to slide in and out easily.
Here's a much better pic from the driver side.
I had to clearance it some so it cleared the TRE on the tie rod. Should be good now.
Welded on. You can see the hitch pin is way too long. I drilled a new hole for the retaining pin and cut it down.
It is now short enough to where I can slide it in from the driver's side. Before trimming it would hit the steering stabilizer. In the end I had to put it in from the pass side anyway because the handle contacted the TRE on the tie rod again.
Here's the peices. From top to bottom we have : 1/2" bolt, stock swaybar link lower bushing, coupler nut, jamnut, 5/8" allthread, another stock swaybar link lower bushing, and the shortened hitch pin.
This is the upper mount. I actually made this out of 1/4" plate before I got the 1" flatbar. It doesn't really matter though. I just made a U shape around the stock bushing and welded it all together. Then I welded the stock swaybar link upper stud to the top of the U and installed it as shown.
Everything mocked up and tacked in place. I made the main link section 6 1/8" long. That was with the coupler nut threaded as far down the allthread as it can go. I am adding 2" spacers to the front sometime in the future, so I added in 1.75" of adjustability with the coupler nut.
Welded up.
Welds look decent enough to hold a swaybar link together.
Installed...
Disconected. I'll be making some DPG style swaybar retainers in the near future.
Looks better painted eh?
All finished. The jeep is leaning to the pass side. I think it is from when my driver's side coil unseated and rotated under flex. It sits on top of the coil perch instead of in it. The driver's side disco is adjusted 1" longer than the passenger side for now.
The pic makes this look like its on a crazy angle. Its more like 3-5 degrees.
Thoughts? Questions?
Parts I used:
4 - stock XJ swaybar links with bushings
2 feet - 5/8" threaded rod
2 feet - 1" x 3/16" flat bar
2 - 5/8" x 2" coupler nuts
2 - 5/8" nuts to act as jamnuts
2 - 1/2" hitch pins
2 - 1/2" x 2.5" bolts with washers and nuts
This came to a total of $12.96 at the "local" steel yard. Stock links I had lying around.
Anyway, pics.
What I started with. The stud is pressed into the lower swaybar mount with splines. What a bitch to remove. I cut off the torx head and beat it back and forth with a punch and hammer until it popped out.
10 second timer on the camera = sparks shooting at it.
Pic of the splines.
The bottom mount is now going to be double sheared. This is where I used the 1" flatbar. I basically made an extension of the existing mount and welded it to anything it was close to. The washer is to add some space to allow the bushing to slide in and out easily.
Here's a much better pic from the driver side.
I had to clearance it some so it cleared the TRE on the tie rod. Should be good now.
Welded on. You can see the hitch pin is way too long. I drilled a new hole for the retaining pin and cut it down.
It is now short enough to where I can slide it in from the driver's side. Before trimming it would hit the steering stabilizer. In the end I had to put it in from the pass side anyway because the handle contacted the TRE on the tie rod again.
Here's the peices. From top to bottom we have : 1/2" bolt, stock swaybar link lower bushing, coupler nut, jamnut, 5/8" allthread, another stock swaybar link lower bushing, and the shortened hitch pin.
This is the upper mount. I actually made this out of 1/4" plate before I got the 1" flatbar. It doesn't really matter though. I just made a U shape around the stock bushing and welded it all together. Then I welded the stock swaybar link upper stud to the top of the U and installed it as shown.
Everything mocked up and tacked in place. I made the main link section 6 1/8" long. That was with the coupler nut threaded as far down the allthread as it can go. I am adding 2" spacers to the front sometime in the future, so I added in 1.75" of adjustability with the coupler nut.
Welded up.
Welds look decent enough to hold a swaybar link together.
Installed...
Disconected. I'll be making some DPG style swaybar retainers in the near future.
Looks better painted eh?
All finished. The jeep is leaning to the pass side. I think it is from when my driver's side coil unseated and rotated under flex. It sits on top of the coil perch instead of in it. The driver's side disco is adjusted 1" longer than the passenger side for now.
The pic makes this look like its on a crazy angle. Its more like 3-5 degrees.
Thoughts? Questions?
