How many of you have no sway bars?

[railroadjeep]

I run no swaybar at 3", even after I had a incident similar to Ary. Only mine was with a girl driving a TJ while on her phone trying to come into my lane. Like Ary, I had to pull over and collect my thoughts for a few. She of course saw nothing I presume because she never stopped.
Like it's been said, it your's choice. Yes it will make your rig unstable in a emergency (well in any really) situation, like I had. But this is a choice I've decided to live with. When I go to 6" I plan to run with the front hooked up till I get used to it, then I'll wean myself off again.
I've also noted myself begining to get to comfortable with it, like cornering too fast. But I've begun to slow down again since I caught myself.
Aside from that, I have no problem. It's sorta fun while in parking lot's and such, seeing the looks people give you.

HTH

Chris O.

 

[Çrestfa||en]

Ya drive the speed limit and you'll be fine. I used to own a 1990 plymouth aclaim and would cruise around at 85+ everywhere and I got tickets. Then I when an old lady ran a red light I was going 10mph over the speed limit and couldn't brake fast enough to not hit her. Since I got the jeep I drive way safer on road. Ironic considering I've come close to rolling off road twice

 

[XJguy]

I drove my 89 with Upcountry with no sway bar up front for a while because I broke the links. It took some gettingused to but it felt okay after a while, that is until I had to make an emergency maneuver which I really though I was going to roll...very scary at highway speeds.

Those of you who do not run one, consider yourselves very lucky to have kept it shiny side up this far.

XJguy

 

[ECKSJAY]

Not trying to add fuel to the fire but if they were really that detrimental to the drivability of the Jeep wouldn't they be called "antiFLIP" bars instead "antiSWAY"?

When is Friday?

 

[Vug]

"antiFLIP" bars instead "antiSWAY"?

Would you buy a vehicle that needed an antiflip bar?

 

[Fore Wheeler]

11" and no sway bars.


It's a trail rig only tho, so my opinion doesn't count, my wife's XJ at 5.5" still has the front, won't take it off either, it's her dd and rarely gets off road.

 

[Vug]

It's her dd and rarely gets off road.

That's the truth

You're the king of your castle when she's not home

 

[ECKSJAY]

Would you buy a vehicle that needed an antiflip bar?

I would if it had an antiflip bar installed.

 

[XJZ]

You guys are being inconsiderate of the safety of others on the road. If you want to put yourselves in danger, that's fine by me. But when your putting others people's safety at risk, that's being extremely selfish. For what? So you can save 2 minutes by not having to disconnect at the trail head? That's worth it? Can anyone argue that the vehicle's handling/safety isn't jeopardized by having no front swaybar?

It's one of those Darwin, evolution, survival of the fittest things. The dim witts will be weeded out by natural selection, please just don't kill someone else in the process.

Guess this isn't going to help me win any popularity contests.

 

[Vug]

Told ya

 

[Fore Wheeler]

That's the truth

You're the king of your castle when she's not home

Hey there smarty, have you buffed the Michigan pinstripe out of your wifes Bronc yet??


didn't think so


How bout the headlights?? I'm gonna come over and get that blow job if you don't get to it!!!!

 

[johnnyc]

I also had a scary experience running with my front bar discoed...

Lose the rear, keep the front. It doesn't take that long to disco.

 

[Hunter-LynchburgVa]

for my driving style and driving experience, the front is never used and hasnt been for a while. discos were the second biggest waste of money i have spent on the jeep, parts from another company comes in first.

Hunter

 

[Bender]

About 5 years ago when I first got my RE 4.5" lift kit I ran a good 6 months with no sway bar and the ride wasn't that much different. After time the springs softened up...I lifted a bit more...I relocated some stuff for better articulation...now, if I drive without my front sway bar on I'd be risking my life. I even went to the extreme of putting in a BIGGER swaybar, poly bushings, and welded the upper diso of the RE disconnects for less movement. I'm even considering putting a sway bar back on the rear for even more control on the highway.

I put a good amount of hwy km's on my rig though and I like to have the ability to cruise at a good 80 mph and feel safe. Also, I tow a trailer the odd time which I would never even consider without having the sway bar on.

I'd say make or buy a good disco setup and keep the front sway bar. I've become another one of those "what if an emergency maneuver has to be performed" guys now.

 

[xjndmud]

sway bars?!?!?! whats that?!?!?!? both of mine have been off forever, drives fine

 

[ThePhantum]

I removed the rear bar and did not notice much of a difference. One day I brain farted and forgot to reconnect the front bar coming off a trail. I took an entrance ramp onto the highway (no I was not flying...I was driving the truck like a truck) and I almost crapped my pants.... I thought I had broken something...it is a BIG difference.

I had a buddy who rolled his Jeep at 65 MPH while swerving to avoid a drunk who cut across in front of him. He swears if he had his front swaybar connected he would not have totalled his rig and broken his leg in three places.

I would tend to agree with XJZ...there are a lot of people on this board who are learning. I would not want to see one of them wreck their rig and/or get hurt (or even worse killed), cause some nitwit said "take out your front sway....it makes no difference". There is a difference folks, don't find out the hard way...

 

[Çrestfa||en]

I personally have experienced much much better on road control (note I didn't say handling, I said control) without swaybars. I have tried several times to get my xj into a slide on loose surfaces and so far have not been successful, the traction is considerably improved. The ONLY way to get it to flip on road is by getting it into a maunally induced oscillation... or maybe going 90 and cranking the wheel as hard as you can.

I have actually bottomed out on the bumpstops while swaying it from side to side at 30 mph to see how far it could go. It never even came close to flipping. On a steep hill at my house I drove sideways to test the same. It felt much more likely to roll when the swaybars WERE connected.

Those of you who are speaking from "experience" that it makes the vehicle handle dangerously should know that I have driven for over 7 months and 8,000 miles now without them. I've had to make those emergency evasion maneuvers at high speed too. If you know what to expect, it's not even a big deal.

Now obviously on road handling will be better with swaybars installed, but it's certainly no safer. Anyone who has crashed their vehicle on account of removing their swaybars is either an idiot or a really poor driver.

 

[ECKSJAY]

Indeed. Well put.

I personally have experienced much much better on road control (note I didn't say handling, I said control) without swaybars. I have tried several times to get my xj into a slide on loose surfaces and so far have not been successful, the traction is considerably improved. The ONLY way to get it to flip on road is by getting it into a maunally induced oscillation... or maybe going 90 and cranking the wheel as hard as you can.

I have actually bottomed out on the bumpstops while swaying it from side to side at 30 mph to see how far it could go. It never even came close to flipping. On a steep hill at my house I drove sideways to test the same. It felt much more likely to roll when the swaybars WERE connected.

Those of you who are speaking from "experience" that it makes the vehicle handle dangerously should know that I have driven for over 7 months and 8,000 miles now without them. I've had to make those emergency evasion maneuvers at high speed too. If you know what to expect, it's not even a big deal.

Now obviously on road handling will be better with swaybars installed, but it's certainly no safer. Anyone who has crashed their vehicle on account of removing their swaybars is either an idiot or a really poor driver.

 

[ThePhantum]

I personally have experienced much much better on road control (note I didn't say handling, I said control) without swaybars. I have tried several times to get my xj into a slide on loose surfaces and so far have not been successful, the traction is considerably improved. The ONLY way to get it to flip on road is by getting it into a maunally induced oscillation... or maybe going 90 and cranking the wheel as hard as you can.

I have actually bottomed out on the bumpstops while swaying it from side to side at 30 mph to see how far it could go. It never even came close to flipping. On a steep hill at my house I drove sideways to test the same. It felt much more likely to roll when the swaybars WERE connected.

Those of you who are speaking from "experience" that it makes the vehicle handle dangerously should know that I have driven for over 7 months and 8,000 miles now without them. I've had to make those emergency evasion maneuvers at high speed too. If you know what to expect, it's not even a big deal.

Now obviously on road handling will be better with swaybars installed, but it's certainly no safer. Anyone who has crashed their vehicle on account of removing their swaybars is either an idiot or a really poor driver.

So in other words giving people advice to remove their sway bars and telling them that it makes no difference in handling and road control makes them a really poor driver or an idiot? I think it is the other way around my friend.

Yes, it's true that if you know what to expect, it's not a big deal...but people in this thread are saying to take both SB's out and that it handles no different...I beg to differ...and you made my point.

You just stated that you can hit the bumpstops swaying it from side to side at 30 MPH...that is making no difference in the ride/handling characteristics of the vehicle? I do not think so.

Engineering and physics dictates it is safer, both in theory and in practice. As a vehicle corners, the body rolls and the center of gravity changes towards the direction of travel. Given sufficeint speed (highway speeds), too much roll, too quickly will cause the vehicle to flip....that is just physics at it's most basic. The sway bar prevents body roll reducing the amount of delta V in the center of gravity.

If you know how the vehicle will react in that situation you can control it...but if you're told "You won't even notice" by a bunch of nitwits, you're heading for a disaster.....that's all I'm saying.

 

[XJguy]

So in other words giving people advice to remove their sway bars and telling them that it makes no difference in handling makes them a really poor driver or an idiot? I think it is the other way around my friend.

Yes, it's true that if you know what to expect, it's not a big deal...but people in this thread are saying to take both SB's out and that it handles no different...I beg to differ...and you made my point.

You just stated that you can hit the bumpstops swaying it from side to side at 30 MPH...that is making no difference in the ride/handling characteristics of the vehicle? I do not think so.

Engineering and physics dictates it is safer, both in theory and in practice. As a vehicle corners, the body rolls and the center of gravity changes towards the direction of travel. Given sufficeint speed (highway speeds), too much roll, too quickly will cause the vehicle to flip. The sway bar prevents body roll reducing the amount of delta V in the center of gravity. If you know how the vehicle will react in that situation you can control it...but if you're told "You won't even notice" by a bunch of nitwits, you're heading for a disaster.....that's all I'm saying.

Now THAT was well said.

XJguy