Sway Bar Disconnection for Off Roading

[StuartR]

So there is a discussion happening on one of my Facebook groups where a guy is trying to convince people you only need to disconnect one side of your Sway bar in order to achieve all that is necessary from Sway Bar Disconnection for off roading? Is there any truth to this? See screenshots for relevant portions of the discussion. I have blacked out names and some disparaging comments for privacy and respect.

Just curious wha tthe hive mind here might have to say on this as I trust this internet brain trust much more than anything I could locate on Facebook....

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[thx138]

Yes you only need to disconnect one end to get it to work but then you will have one end link flopping around if not tied down and the sway bar will move up and down from being connected at one end. It's one of those "just because you can doesn't mean you should"

 

[StuartR]

Yes you only need to disconnect one end to get it to work but then you will have one end link flopping around if not tied down and the sway bar will move up and down from being connected at one end. It's one of those "just because you can doesn't mean you should"

He doesn't mean one end. He is trying to say you only have to undo the driver or passenger side and then you will get the full effect of having the sway bar disconnected.

 

[MrMischief]

He's right, you only need to disconnect one side to get the full effect of a disconnected sway bar. The problem is, then what? The side you disconnected is going to be moving up and down sorta flopping in the breeze. If you didn't completely remove the end link that can easily impact the tire or other suspension parts and cause damage. Even with the end link entirely removed the bar itself is still there moving around. So yeah, the person is right you only need to disconnect one side, but as someone else here said, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Removing both sides and securing the endlinks/bar up out of the way means it will not impact and damage anything else.

 

[StuartR]

He's right, you only need to disconnect one side to get the full effect of a disconnected sway bar. The problem is, then what? The side you disconnected is going to be moving up and down sorta flopping in the breeze. If you didn't completely remove the end link that can easily impact the tire or other suspension parts and cause damage. Even with the end link entirely removed the bar itself is still there moving around. So yeah, the person is right you only need to disconnect one side, but as someone else here said, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Removing both sides and securing the endlinks/bar up out of the way means it will not impact and damage anything else.

This is interesting. Yeah I know to ziptie the disconnected link to the Sway Bar to prevent damage. That is a given. I am curious tho why disconnecting both wouldn't provide the opportunity for more articulation.....

 

[Roky]

This is interesting. Yeah I know to ziptie the to me , it’s just not a good idea,disconnected link to the Sway Bar to prevent damage. That is a given. I am curious tho why disconnecting both wouldn't provide the opportunity for more articulation.....

Technically it will work to a point, but the axle is still hooked to the frame, and to me , it just isn’t a good idea, especially if your on a lift with more shock travel. For me it’s no bueno.......My .02

 

[blnewt]

Technically it will work to a point, but the axle is still hooked to the frame, and to me , it just isn’t a good idea, especially if your on a lift with more shock travel. For me it’s no bueno.......My .02

Listen to the Roky, he speaks the truth for all things Jeep!

 

[JimLee]

Listen to the Roky, he speaks the truth for all things Jeep!

All hail the flex king!

 

[Headbarcode]

This is interesting. Yeah I know to ziptie the disconnected link to the Sway Bar to prevent damage. That is a given. I am curious tho why disconnecting both wouldn't provide the opportunity for more articulation.....

With one side disconnected, there's nothing countering the motion of the side that is. As one wheel is rising or falling, and both sides are connected, the sway bar twists to limit and control its range of motion. The thickness of the bar is tuned to the weight of the vehicle. A thicker bar will further decrease the range of motion, and a thinner one will increase it.

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

This is interesting. Yeah I know to ziptie the disconnected link to the Sway Bar to prevent damage. That is a given. I am curious tho why disconnecting both wouldn't provide the opportunity for more articulation.....

If the sway bar's arms, and the sway bar links are not long enough to allow for full downward travel of the axle, the risk of "flipping" the sway bar during "normal" operation, and destroying a sway bar link is increased.

So, if those parts are prudently dimensioned to be long enough to allow for a trouble free downward travel during "normal" operation then they are long enough to allow for full downward travel in the not so normal circumstance. It just kind of works out that way.

That said, it seems like a bad idea to purposefully allow one end of a sway bar to swing up and down with unopposed force when you can disconnect and secure both ends to render the system benign.

 

[MrMischief]

I am curious tho why disconnecting both wouldn't provide the opportunity for more articulation.....

The sway bar will freely rotate when both end links are removed. When both end links are connected to their respective side of the axle as one side of the sway bar goes down the other comes up, this twists the sway bar. That twisting is what gives the resistance to help keep the vehicle flat but also reduces articulation. If you remove just one end link the sway bar will again freely rotate following the side of the axle that is still attached. Assuming the detached side does not impact anything there is nothing to stop it from rotating and restricting movement. The only way that a sway bar with just one end link attached can restrict wheels travel would be if axle droop is farther than the length of the sway bar with the end link straight out (that is where you risk flipping the sway bar). I'm sure someone can math out what size lift that would be for factory end links, but I'm going to assume it's fairly significant since the Rubicon does not disconnect the end links.

But like I said, it's a bad idea because you have the other side of the sway bar flopping around where it could impact other components.

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