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How important are sway bars?

dandecicco

NAXJA Forum User
Back again!
Question: On an XJ, how important is it to keep the sway bars connected while on pavement? MY CJ never has the sway bars attached and I didn't notice a difference. So when I build up my XJ, do I really need to keep the bars connected while driving down the road (hince disconnects) or do the sway bars actually keep the XJ on the road and keep that boat feeling down?

Just a thought.
Thanks, Dan
 
on my 98 I dont miss the rear at all. never drove this one with the front disconected on the road. however had a friend with an older 2 door, grand springs in the front, small blocks in the rear and no swaybars at all. It was a little creepy on the road. with him sitting in the passenger seat(450lbs) left hand turns on three wheels where common!
 
i made some home made disconnects up front and usually go a couple weeks before i get back around to connecting them. i have a 99 w/3" lift. i do have the rear on still so that might be a factor. i dont miss the front sway bar, i cant quite corner like i did(actually i can, its just "more fun") just disconnect and drive it around and if you feel you need it, get some quicks or make your on with hitch pins and a drill and some washers
 
I run w/out them. I have the rear removed, & the front disco'd. I keept the front, just ncase I get in a spot that I can't get the front jacked up, I can re attach the sway bar. I feel it's a softer ride w/out them. I'm at 5- 5 1/2" RE Super Flex

Rob
 
I saw this thread and felt it important to share a personal experience....my rig is lifted 6" with 12.5 x 33's...I ran for quite some time with the front bar disconnected because the ride was a LOT smoother and I thought the body roll was ok...and was fine for the way I drive.....one day some Whacko in an Accord pulled out in front of me and I had to make an emergency lane change at about 45 MPH...Why my rig didn't roll over is a mystery..or a miracle...Now I keep mine connected any time I'm on the road. Just had to share that.
 
I'm running the RE ZJ 4.5" coils and brand new DoeschTech 4000s and it is scarry without the front anti roll bar connected.
Some say you can live without it if you drive carefully but I don't think you can make the people in other vehicles around you drive carefully. ;)

Jes
 
Jes said:
I'm running the RE ZJ 4.5" coils and brand new DoeschTech 4000s and it is scarry without the front anti roll bar connected.
Some say you can live without it if you drive carefully but I don't think you can make the people in other vehicles around you drive carefully. ;)

Jes

Interesting. I'm running the same coils but with Bilstein 14" travel 5100s with(I believe) 255/70 valving and some very stiff rear springs(Rusty's 4.5" springs with an AAL thrown in) and I'm VERY comfortable with the way it handles. I've driven my rig at every height I've had it with and without the front swaybar and this is the first time I've been comfortable with it at highway speeds. I've been stock, 3", 6.5", 4.5", and now about 7.5" and oddly enough it's more stable now than any of the other heights w/o the swaybar. One thing that may contribute to that is my new axle is now about 2" wider than the stock axle and I went from 4.5" of BS with 33x10.50s to 3.75" of BS with 35x12.50s. All in all I'm comfortable running without a swaybar.

Jes, I'd be curious to know what rear springs you're running and what the valving is on those shocks.

Ary
 
mine is great with no swaybars at all! but i have leafs up front, so you can just ignore that.

take the rear swaybar off, it hardly does anything and some XJs came from the factory without one (so I'm told). Keep the front one connected on the road. It is more dangerous without it if you have to make a sudden evasive maneuver. If you got in a wreck, and even if the swaybar wouldn't have helped, I'm sure the police and insurance would just be thrilled to see that you have your swaybar disconnected :O
 
No idea what the valving is on the shocks but it is so much better than the blown DT3000s with RE 4.5" XJ coils I had on there. I still need to replace the poly anti roll bar bushings as they make a big difference and mine are worn out.
In the rear I'm running RE 3.5" pacs with 3/4" blocks, 1.25" shackles, and new DT3000s. The rear is definately softer than the front, both in damping and spring rate.
No setup that I've ever had was I comfortable running with out the anti roll bar.

Jes
 
BrettM said:
take the rear swaybar off, it hardly does anything and some XJs came from the factory without one (so I'm told).
The Up Country suspension does not have a rear sway bar. However -- it compensates by having a higher spring rate. I have a 2000 with Up Country, and I will be taking the rear sway bar off a wrecked XJ and installing it on the 2000. I have also gotten the larger front sway bar from an early XJ Wagoneer and I will be replacing the stock sway bar on the 2000 with the larger one.

Having survived two highway "incidents" at speed, IMHO you cannot possibly have too much sway bar when driving on the street. Keep the sway bars and use disconnects if you need to flex off-road.
 
Eagle, I used to firmly believe in swaybars after having to perform an evasive maneuver on the highway w/o one. However, I believe that if the spring/shocks and overall setup are stiff enough, you can go without them. I've always hated my swabar, but viewed it as a necessary evil. It always makes the ride harsher and bounces the Jeep around like crazy when entering ramped up parking lots and the like. Now the Jeep is smooth. Like I said though, I did significantly stiffen the suspension, as well as widen it and add significant mass to the unsprung weight helping to keep the COG lower. As I drive the Jeep more at speed I may change my mind about this, since the Jeep has only been driveable with this setup for 3 days. So these are just my initial impressions.

Ary
 
Personally I dont run sway bars currently. I'm sitting at 8" with 35's... so I'm kinda up there. It has definatly changed my driving habits... now I'm alot safer all together. Havnt gotten a speeding ticket in a looong time. But I'm considering putting my front bar back on... just cause really. I'm fine with no away bar with just myself in the XJ, but once I get a load of peeps in there.... corners become mighty scary. :scared:
 
Safari Ary said:
Eagle, I used to firmly believe in swaybars after having to perform an evasive maneuver on the highway w/o one. However, I believe that if the spring/shocks and overall setup are stiff enough, you can go without them. I've always hated my swabar, but viewed it as a necessary evil. It always makes the ride harsher and bounces the Jeep around like crazy when entering ramped up parking lots and the like. Now the Jeep is smooth. Like I said though, I did significantly stiffen the suspension, as well as widen it and add significant mass to the unsprung weight helping to keep the COG lower. As I drive the Jeep more at speed I may change my mind about this, since the Jeep has only been driveable with this setup for 3 days. So these are just my initial impressions.

Ary
probably also a result of your roll-axis. I'm assuming your trackbar (panhard) is raised over the axle, this raises the roll-axis as well.
 
I've been running w/o the swaybar since I put the new front axle in. It's mounts had been cutoff and I'm too lazy to have new ones welded on since I can't weld. I would never purposely remove the swaybars. I will eventually have the mounts put on. The body roll is totally managable but it is a little scary. I've resolved to NOT swerve in an emergeny unless absolutely necessary.
 
BrettM said:
probably also a result of your roll-axis. I'm assuming your trackbar (panhard) is raised over the axle, this raises the roll-axis as well.

Do what? Sad to say, but I pretty much winged it on suspension design when I put the front together. Just went based off of everyone else's design. The trackbar is located about 7" above the axle tube, parrallel with the draglink that connects to a hy-steer arm on the passenger side. How does this affect stability though? I'm more stable now than I was stock with up-country springs and no swaybars. I don't know why, but I am :confused:
 
basalt51 said:
I've resolved to NOT swerve in an emergeny unless absolutely necessary.

Sorry man, but I gotta call BS on that. I've never been in an emergency situation where I had time to think, "nah, I'm not gonna panic at all, I'm just gonna drive straight through this incident." Maybe your reaction times are better and your ability to stay come and resolved in an emergency are better than mine. But when shit happens, instinct takes over. Just my .02

Ary
 
with a trackbar (panhard) the roll-axis is through the middle of the bar (not exactly but close enough). the middle of your panhard is several inches higher than if it went all the way down to the axle tube, so your roll-axis is several inches higher. Your roll-axis is the line that the body rolls around. I can't think of how to explain it, but when you raise it you gain stability because the body is rolling around a point 2ft from the ground instead of a point 1ft from the ground.
 
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