steering/handling question

i did a thread search and it was very helpful. yuccaman...good info.
alot of people seem to have wobble issues, and the elimination of the rear sway seems to cause some issues. my question is: after the 4.5 inch lift (RE specifically, but others probably have the same issues) is there a rear sway replacement to rid you of the topsey-turvey? also is ther a way to improve the on road handling as well as off road (long arm kit?) because my rig will see off road as much as possible, but will also have to be the DD for another two years. this is kinda off the question too but will the FIPK kit help my 2000 get some more grunt or am i wasting the $$?
Nimbo
p.s. wher i live there is an "autobahn" of sorts and i regularly drive the 8 miles at 90+ mph... stock everything is fine..but i do have inchitus.

First, this question belongs on the Modified forum ... I'll move it there for you.

Second, define your terms. "Handling" means different things to different people. A long arm kit, IMHO, won't materially affect "handling" but it will significantly affect ride quality and off-road articulation.

As an example, back in my racing and autocross days, many of us dumped power steering and ran quick ratio manual steering boxes. One of the guys in my club did that, and for months after making the change complained about how badly his car "handled." (Mind you, he was winning every autocross he entered during this period.) I finally had enough, and got him to let me take it for a test drive. It handled great. When I pinned him down as to what he meant, he meant it was harder to steer than it had been with power steering (duh!).

So ... handling does not equal ride quality does not equal steering effort. I don't think many people use the term "handling" in regard to off-road performance, so since you did ... I think we need to know what that means to you before diving headlong into trying to answer the question.

rear sway bar doesn't do much unless you are autocrossing or bajaing. I notice mine being gone when I get into corners really hard on gravel roads. You can feel the rear end of the body roll a bit more. The stiffer tomken springs do help add a bit of rollresistance back though. I would be 95% of people would never notice it was gone though.

thaks for your reply guys. i re-read my question and realized that eagle is spot on, because everybody does view handleing differently.
to be a little more specific, i would like to lift the truck, but also improve on road handling and power. i was looking at the re 5inch lift with the long arms and read that if you lift you bring up more vibe and steering issues. i was wondering if there was anybody out there who did the long arm thing and a steering fix. i'm in a quandry because i want everything to be better and longer lasting than stock, but i want all of the comforts of stock.
again eagle and weasel thanks for your replies...and the sway in the body in my stock vehicle drives me nuts...so without a sway bar i think it would sent me straight to the looney bin.
nim

:spin3: maybe u should just go to the looney bin right now b4 u send me there!

if u lift ur vehical it is diffently not going to be better than stock.
and where did u read people were having problems with dissconting the rear sway bar. i think u should go back and read them again.

also if u put bigger tires on u will loose power and milage thats just the way it goes.

i think u should get over ur girly ways of having a comfort little offroader and grow some balls and just lift it. lastara

(my rig is a great trail rig and DD but its becuase i know that its not ever going to b as comfortable as stock and i just deal with it. thats why i bought andother car.!)

stoney

biscuitboy87 said:

thaks for your reply guys. i re-read my question and realized that eagle is spot on, because everybody does view handleing differently.
to be a little more specific, i would like to lift the truck, but also improve on road handling and power. i was looking at the re 5inch lift with the long arms and read that if you lift you bring up more vibe and steering issues. i was wondering if there was anybody out there who did the long arm thing and a steering fix. i'm in a quandry because i want everything to be better and longer lasting than stock, but i want all of the comforts of stock.
again eagle and weasel thanks for your replies...and the sway in the body in my stock vehicle drives me nuts...so without a sway bar i think it would sent me straight to the looney bin.
nim

Click to expand...

2000's aint easy!!!!!!Check out my profile and web page.I got vibes after my first 3" lift,steerring is marginal now(still thinking about the Currie set-up).

biscuitboy87 said:

to be a little more specific, i would like to lift the truck, but also improve on road handling and power.

Click to expand...

IMHO, not possible. A lift raises the center of gravity. Improved handling calls for a lower center of gravity and/or increased resistance to roll, both of which are antithetical to off-road performance.

Let me put this in perspective: I'm a former autocrosser and road racer. I still like my vehicles to have some semblance of "handling" on the street, although I don't expect a Jeep to match my autocrosser. My "big" Jeep is a Comanche with a 4" Trailmaster lift. Springs and shocks are VERY stiff (uncomfortably so), ride is horrible, and the increased height makes handling worse than I like. You want to go higher and maintain a decent ride. Can't be done.