Apex AutoLYNX quick sway bar disconnect solution

[Gravytheclown]

Ordered my 8" stock set, they should be here Monday, which is before my new willys JLU will be here. I'm going to also add / change out the springs to the Rubicon springs and maybe add 1" just for a little extra rub clearance.

Gravy

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[blink9cd]

So I'm still a noob at all this, but doing an off-roading this class series this weekend! I went to my first Jeep meetup last week and one of the most common suggestions was getting sway bar quick disconnects. I feel pretty lost with all the options, and my last car was a stock sedan so I don't have a lot of experience with vehicle mods yet (already doing stuff to the jeep though, so I'm slowly learning).

I have a pretty new stock '21 JLU Willys. There's no way I'm off-roading every weekend and this is my daily driver/only vehicle, so I need it to fit in my work garage/others in the city, get decent gas mileage, etc. Thus the idea of a lift kit and giant heavy tires isn't appealing to me. I've read in a few of the threads that most of the disconnects are made for lifted vehicles, and at least one or two that would work require permanent cutting (also not especially appealing to me).

From what I've read from this thread, it seems this set would work well for a stock Willys? I'm less concerned about the price than if they're 100% for sure compatible, something I could install myself/with a friend, and a quality product. Anyone mind giving me a rundown to make sure I'm following correctly?

 

[Odyssey USA]

So I'm still a noob at all this, but doing an off-roading this class series this weekend! I went to my first Jeep meetup last week and one of the most common suggestions was getting sway bar quick disconnects. I feel pretty lost with all the options, and my last car was a stock sedan so I don't have a lot of experience with vehicle mods yet (already doing stuff to the jeep though, so I'm slowly learning).

I have a pretty new stock '21 JLU Willys. There's no way I'm off-roading every weekend and this is my daily driver/only vehicle, so I need it to fit in my work garage/others in the city, get decent gas mileage, etc. Thus the idea of a lift kit and giant heavy tires isn't appealing to me. I've read in a few of the threads that most of the disconnects are made for lifted vehicles, and at least one or two that would work require permanent cutting (also not especially appealing to me).

From what I've read from this thread, it seems this set would work well for a stock Willys? I'm less concerned about the price than if they're 100% for sure compatible, something I could install myself/with a friend, and a quality product. Anyone mind giving me a rundown to make sure I'm following correctly?

Yep. There’s two sets. Don’t recall the exact lengths but you want the shorter of the two. The Nylok nuts, keep going until the resistance suddenly changes and starts feeling like a tightened bolt is one tip. Paranoia kept me from going tight enough and got noise driving around from the links. Follow the instructions and you’ll be good to go.

A guy on here put some on his bone stock Willys, no rubbing while disconnected.

 

[omnitonic]

I've read in a few of the threads that most of the disconnects are made for lifted vehicles, and at least one or two that would work require permanent cutting (also not especially appealing to me).

From what I've read from this thread, it seems this set would work well for a stock Willys?

I had TeraFlex quick disconnects on a stock JLU Willys, and then with a Rubicon takeoff lift. They don't require cutting, and they do work with a stock Jeep, but they suuuuuuck. Just buy the Apex autoLynx if you can afford them. Get the 8" stroke length. You may have to cut a hole or otherwise make some clearance in your fender liner. People have reported using a heat gun and a tennis ball to dent out a little pocket for clearance.

I need to do that on my Jeep, as my links are rubbing, but the rubbing is minor enough that I can put off addressing the issue indefinitely.

 

[omnitonic]

I grabbed stuff and wiggled it by hand, and it all seemed tight, but I didn't actually throw a wrench to anything. Maybe it will quieten up and quit clacking.

I got out there today to try to do something about the clacking issue. The lower bolts were quite tight. The upper studs snugged up a little more. I also hit the adjustment nuts, and they didn't budge. The links were basically tight, and I barely changed anything.

Okay, not the problem. So what is the problem? The LOWER CONTROL ARMS!

I installed Rock Hard 4x4 control arm skids, and I didn't go back and re-torque the front LCA bolts. They had gotten loose enough that the little spacer flag washers could be flipped around by hand. Holy crap! I am a MORON! It felt like my axle was flopping around, because my axle was flopping around!

I checked the control arms first thing, and they seemed tight. I'm really disappointed in what a dumbass I turned out to be. I've been living with this clacking for about the last 1500 miles.

Oh well. Score one for Jeep suspension being tough and error tolerant, I guess. I didn't have any death wobble, and steering performance was so good I didn't think it could possibly be an issue with the axle itself being loose. I thought it had to be the sway bar and/or links.

So now I have torqued the hell out of those bolts, and hopefully the clacking has been dealt with. The Apex links had nothing whatsoever to do with this issue, and I blamed them unfairly. They seem to be totally tight and solid after quite a number of wheeling trips. My front LCA bolts, not so much.

 

[blink9cd]

Yep. There’s two sets. Don’t recall the exact lengths but you want the shorter of the two. The Nylok nuts, keep going until the resistance suddenly changes and starts feeling like a tightened bolt is one tip. Paranoia kept me from going tight enough and got noise driving around from the links. Follow the instructions and you’ll be good to go.

A guy on here put some on his bone stock Willys, no rubbing while disconnected.

I see 30ft/lbs mentioned a couple times in the instructions. I have a 3/8" torque wrench in that range. Is that what you're referring to?

And rubbing is from the flexing wheel hitting the fenders, right? I did see a picture from the OP that looked like there was space, but there was also talk about brake lines, is that something to worry about?

 

[blink9cd]

I had TeraFlex quick disconnects on a stock JLU Willys, and then with a Rubicon takeoff lift. They don't require cutting, and they do work with a stock Jeep, but they suuuuuuck. Just buy the Apex autoLynx if you can afford them. Get the 8" stroke length. You may have to cut a hole or otherwise make some clearance in your fender liner. People have reported using a heat gun and a tennis ball to dent out a little pocket for clearance.

I need to do that on my Jeep, as my links are rubbing, but the rubbing is minor enough that I can put off addressing the issue indefinitely.

Cool thanks for the feedback on what you used. Is there an easy way to test if I bought and installed this if there'd be rubbing before going out? (stick a big rock in a parking lot? haha). Or I guess how do I find out if I'm on the trail?

 

[blink9cd]

I got out there today to try to do something about the clacking issue. The lower bolts were quite tight. The upper studs snugged up a little more. I also hit the adjustment nuts, and they didn't budge. The links were basically tight, and I barely changed anything.

Okay, not the problem. So what is the problem? The LOWER CONTROL ARMS!

I installed Rock Hard 4x4 control arm skids, and I didn't go back and re-torque the front LCA bolts. They had gotten loose enough that the little spacer flag washers could be flipped around by hand. Holy crap! I am a MORON! It felt like my axle was flopping around, because my axle was flopping around!

I checked the control arms first thing, and they seemed tight. I'm really disappointed in what a dumbass I turned out to be. I've been living with this clacking for about the last 1500 miles.

Oh well. Score one for Jeep suspension being tough and error tolerant, I guess. I didn't have any death wobble, and steering performance was so good I didn't think it could possibly be an issue with the axle itself being loose. I thought it had to be the sway bar and/or links.

So now I have torqued the hell out of those bolts, and hopefully the clacking has been dealt with. The Apex links had nothing whatsoever to do with this issue, and I blamed them unfairly. They seem to be totally tight and solid after quite a number of wheeling trips. My front LCA bolts, not so much.

Maybe elementary question, but after installing this, with the bar in connected state, and everything tightened down properly, then expected state for daily driving should be exact same as preinstallation? Like no normal vehicle characteristics should be changed.

 

[omnitonic]

Cool thanks for the feedback on what you used. Is there an easy way to test if I bought and installed this if there'd be rubbing before going out? (stick a big rock in a parking lot? haha). Or I guess how do I find out if I'm on the trail?

They have a section in the install video showing you how to mark and cut your fender liners if you have aftermarket metal ones, and need to make a clearance hole. I don't honestly remember the procedure they recommend. I didn't go through all that, since I have plastic fender liners. In theory, they shouldn't have rubbed. The one that's rubbing has a lot of loose push pins, and I think it's just not seated properly. It only rubs on the passenger side when the link is unlocked, and I can tell it's rubbing, because there is a flat spot on the blue knob, and a blue witness mark on the fender flare.

If you wanted to figure it out faster, I suppose you could try coating the blue knob with sidewalk chalk or something, and then wheel it a little bit, and check for chalk on the fender liner.

Maybe elementary question, but after installing this, with the bar in connected state, and everything tightened down properly, then expected state for daily driving should be exact same as preinstallation? Like no normal vehicle characteristics should be changed.

It's hard for me to say if the links themselves caused any change in vehicle characteristics, as I installed them at the same time as a lift and new shocks. All my characteristics changed dramatically.

However, I really don't think they changed anything in of themselves. When they're locked, they stay locked, and they're basically a solid link. There is some play, I'm sure, but you'd need a dial indicator to measure it.

When I blamed the Apex links for my clicking and clacking, I really wasn't thinking. My TeraFlex links clicked and clacked, and they did so constantly, because the sway bar moves constantly. With my most recent clacking, it didn't happen during the course of driving through a wavy parking lot, for example. It only happened under certain conditions that caused my axle and lower control arms to bang together or bang apart. I should have figured that out a lot sooner.

If I hadn't mentioned the clacking on this thread, I might still be driving around with my axle flopping around. This is scary to realize. I am a real dumbass for not checking the torque on those bolts after I drove around for awhile.

 

[LittleDog]

Maybe elementary question, but after installing this, with the bar in connected state, and everything tightened down properly, then expected state for daily driving should be exact same as preinstallation? Like no normal vehicle characteristics should be changed.

Connected during low-speed turning on pavement, everything will be the same as pre-installation. During high speed (dangerous) turns on pavement, definitely, technically, roll and traction will have gain/loss depending on your choice of the groove above or below the length of your existing links.

Normal pavement driving would see negligible effect.

I've had the short ones on a stock suspension Sahara for a year or so, and she drives the same. Highly recommend them as the perfext blend of ease of use and cost, for light wheeling at least.

Keep an eye on the knob orientation. It might shift a wee bit at first, but it's an easy bit of maintenance.

 

[blink9cd]

Connected during low-speed turning on pavement, everything will be the same as pre-installation. During high speed (dangerous) turns on pavement, definitely, technically, roll and traction will have gain/loss depending on your choice of the groove above or below the length of your existing links.

Normal pavement driving would see negligible effect.

I've had the short ones on a stock suspension Sahara for a year or so, and she drives the same. Highly recommend them as the perfext blend of ease of use and cost, for light wheeling at least.

Keep an eye on the knob orientation. It might shift a wee bit at first, but it's an easy bit of maintenance.

Thanks for the tip and suggestion! I assume I don't do a lot of high speed turns on pavement...doesn't normally feel right in the Jeep. So that's good to hear I shouldn't notice any difference during normal driving.

 

[blink9cd]

They have a section in the install video showing you how to mark and cut your fender liners if you have aftermarket metal ones, and need to make a clearance hole. I don't honestly remember the procedure they recommend. I didn't go through all that, since I have plastic fender liners. In theory, they shouldn't have rubbed. The one that's rubbing has a lot of loose push pins, and I think it's just not seated properly. It only rubs on the passenger side when the link is unlocked, and I can tell it's rubbing, because there is a flat spot on the blue knob, and a blue witness mark on the fender flare.

If you wanted to figure it out faster, I suppose you could try coating the blue knob with sidewalk chalk or something, and then wheel it a little bit, and check for chalk on the fender liner.

It's hard for me to say if the links themselves caused any change in vehicle characteristics, as I installed them at the same time as a lift and new shocks. All my characteristics changed dramatically.

However, I really don't think they changed anything in of themselves. When they're locked, they stay locked, and they're basically a solid link. There is some play, I'm sure, but you'd need a dial indicator to measure it.

When I blamed the Apex links for my clicking and clacking, I really wasn't thinking. My TeraFlex links clicked and clacked, and they did so constantly, because the sway bar moves constantly. With my most recent clacking, it didn't happen during the course of driving through a wavy parking lot, for example. It only happened under certain conditions that caused my axle and lower control arms to bang together or bang apart. I should have figured that out a lot sooner.

If I hadn't mentioned the clacking on this thread, I might still be driving around with my axle flopping around. This is scary to realize. I am a real dumbass for not checking the torque on those bolts after I drove around for awhile.

Ah ok interesting on the fender liners. I'm completely stock with the plastic fenders so maybe I wouldn't need to do that. After install maybe some chalk and go up on a curb somewhere to check? Or are you saying that even if there was some rubbing on the trail, it'd be light enough so it wouldn't break anything that day, or bad enough to where I'd be like "uh oh...." and I could back up and re-connect?

You're making me very happy I have several torque wrenches now. I just installed a hitch receiver yesterday and was amazed at how much tighter the recommended torque was than what I would normally do hand-tightening.

 

[omnitonic]

After install maybe some chalk and go up on a curb somewhere to check? Or are you saying that even if there was some rubbing on the trail, it'd be light enough so it wouldn't break anything that day, or bad enough to where I'd be like "uh oh...." and I could back up and re-connect?

Here is a picture of what I've been talking about.

Yes, the blue knob is rubbing in the red circled area, and this has gone on long enough to damage the knob. It's really superficial damage. Yes, I am annoyed that the pretty blue is messed up, but this is no cause for panic.

If you slathered the knob in chalk and hit some curbs, you might get in front of a problem like this before it gets as far as it did in my case.

 

[blink9cd]

Here is a picture of what I've been talking about.

Yes, the blue knob is rubbing in the red circled area, and this has gone on long enough to damage the knob. It's really superficial damage. Yes, I am annoyed that the pretty blue is messed up, but this is no cause for panic.

If you slathered the knob in chalk and hit some curbs, you might get in front of a problem like this before it gets as far as it did in my case.

That's a great illustrative picture! And yeah doesn't look too bad overall

 

[blink9cd]

I contacted Apex and they got back to me saying the shorter set should work for my Willys and it's very unlikely I'd have to worry about the fender liners at all. Given everybody's experience with them here and it's Black Friday so I decided to order them! Hopefully I'll have a review to add in the near future.

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