Hellwig sway bar and offroad... Disappointing.

[Jeepin' John]

I want to share what I know about the oem rear sway bar……it does not reduce or stop flex in any way. On mine it hits the track bar frame brace and makes a hell of clunk when passenger stuffs, on driver stuff it hits the frame. Here I’m twisted up and I’m doing my best Bronco impression, hanging a wheel, to show my point. The shock is the limiting factor here. The factory sway bar will hit the frame and stop, but it will continue to twist, not limiting anything……….this is what I know for a fact on my rig, OMMV…….

Of course I’m always looking for a better mouse trap, but so far this is it for me. I finally rode in a Jeep with a rear anti rock but didn’t like it in curvy highways we have here. So the search continues………..

"in any way" likely doesn't apply when the jeep is at a decline and the rear is light. If someone has access to an RTI ramp and wants to test backing up with the rear connected vs disconnected, i'd love to see it

also, you've got a rear wheel in the air in your pics. Is it possible that rear wheel would be touching the ground if the rear bar was disconnected?

Sponsored

 

[word302]

that hasn't been my experience from wheeling multiple jeeps and a land rover discovery with the front and rear disconnected. Disconnecting any sway bar reduces body roll resistance, but like zandcwhite said, none of them magically flopped over from not having a rear bar connected, and you will get more flex with the rear disconnected when the jeep is at a decline. When all the weight is on the front, you'll run out of front spring stiffness before the rear does, and the rear will be pushing your light back end over. I'd like to see a comparison of rear connected versus rear disconnected backing up an RTI ramp, simulating flex for stability going down a technical trail

You aren’t fighting for traction going down anywhere near as much as you are going up. But you do you man.

 

[word302]

"in any way" likely doesn't apply when the jeep is at a decline and the rear is light. If someone has access to an RTI ramp and wants to test backing up with the rear connected vs disconnected, i'd love to see it

also, you've got a rear wheel in the air in your pics. Is it possible that rear wheel would be touching the ground if the rear bar was disconnected?

No, it’s hanging in the shock.

 

[word302]

Currently not so much, 10-15 years ago...nearly identical. I've seen hundreds of rock buggies over the years on the Rubicon and Fordyce that were coils, shocks, and links just like the jl. Some were triangulated 4-links, many still ran track bars like the jl. Sure many had longer arms, but almost none had sway bars. On road, you absolutely want a sway bar, off road maybe not so much. Either that or an extremely light swaybar like an anti-rock. You obviously don't want a heavier and thicker bar like the hellwig. If you want the on road benefits of the hellwig, I'd have no problem running discos in the rear off road personally. Of course you'll have more body roll, but you'll also gain smoother suspension travel and flex. I've personally wheeled a tj, an xj, a wj, and a zj without rear swaybars and driven them on the street. None fell over, and only the tj felt sketchy in higher speed corners, but that has more to do with wheelbase than rear swaybar.

Again, nobody is worried about falling over. Do whatever you want though man.

 

[Roky]

"in any way" likely doesn't apply when the jeep is at a decline and the rear is light. If someone has access to an RTI ramp and wants to test backing up with the rear connected vs disconnected, i'd love to see it

I can’t afford a RTI ramp, I’m a modified Jeep owner, hell, I can barely afford to eat, lol… but I have my DIY 42” ramp I use to check shit out. Try to get some pics this afternoon

 

[Jeepin' John]

I can’t afford a RTI ramp, I’m a modified Jeep owner, hell, I can barely afford to eat, lol… but I have my DIY 42” ramp I use to check shit out. Try to get some pics this afternoon

No hurry, but man that would be fantastic thanks. Genuinely curious

 

[Jeepin' John]

You aren’t fighting for traction going down anywhere near as much as you are going up. But you do you man.

great, that's exactly what we're not talking about

 

[Bombout800]

I want to share what I know about the oem rear sway bar……it does not reduce or stop flex in any way. On mine it hits the track bar frame brace and makes a hell of clunk when passenger stuffs, on driver stuff it hits the frame. Here I’m twisted up and I’m doing my best Bronco impression, hanging a wheel, to show my point. The shock is the limiting factor here. The factory sway bar will hit the frame and stop, but it will continue to twist, not limiting anything……….this is what I know for a fact on my rig, OMMV…….

Of course I’m always looking for a better mouse trap, but so far this is it for me. I finally rode in a Jeep with a rear anti rock but didn’t like it in curvy highways we have here. So the search continues………..

Yep same shocks and lengths. I have heard that with the anti rocks. Which is why i didn't jump to them. Rig looks good man

 

[Roky]

Yep same shocks and lengths. I have heard that with the anti rocks. Which is why i didn't jump to them. Rig looks good man

Thanks !

 

[Roky]

No hurry, but man that would be fantastic thanks. Genuinely curious

Hooked ……..

unhooked……

Hooked ……..

unhooked……

If there’s a difference, it sure as hell not worth disconnecting for, IMO…….

 

[Headbarcode]

Yep same shocks and lengths. I have heard that with the anti rocks. Which is why i didn't jump to them. Rig looks good man

It's definitely worth noting that the Antirocks are purposely designed to work best when both the fronts and rears are paired together. I have their JL specific .770" bars front and rear, and I've only noticed a marginal increase in body roll when flinging it through curves and corners. I didn't go with the optional JK specific .880 bars because all of the weight that I've added to my Jeep is at and below the frame rails.

This change was one of my most researched, because it's also my daily driver and I am specifically not wanting to cross the thin line of ending up with a jeep that is a big compromise on road. Most of the on road complaints that I dug up were centered around previous generation Jeeps, which have their rear shocks mounted inboard of the frame vs outboard like our JL's. Most of the JL complaints seemed to stem from only having a front or a rear setup. A stiffer and connected factory front will cause the rear Antirock to give sooner and more so, because the balance is off.

 

[Jeepin' John]

Hooked ……..

unhooked……

Hooked ……..

unhooked……

If there’s a difference, it sure as hell not worth disconnecting for, IMO…….

thanks! You need a bigger ramp

 

[Roky]

thanks! You need a bigger ramp

My wife makes fun of me, because this is how us old guys have to do it…….

 

[oceanblue2019]

Hooked ……..

unhooked……

Hooked ……..

unhooked……

If there’s a difference, it sure as hell not worth disconnecting for, IMO…….

With it unhooked is it even close to lining up when under flex? That will be the interesting point.

 

[Roky]

With it unhooked is it even close to lining up when under flex? That will be the interesting point.

Is what close to lining up ?

Sponsored