Sway bar fun.

[Bob Burd]

I haven't used the sway bar disconnect in over a year because of CANBUS problems causing Service Shifter and other annoying errors, so i disconnected the sway bar canbus wires at the star connector behind the glove box. On a recent roadtrip, i discovered this broken bracket after some awful noises. I don't rock crawl or jump sand dunes, mostly just driving mojave desert roads. Completely stock JLUR. I've got 153K miles, so lots of use, long out of warranty. Is this just typical Jeep quality, or does NOT using the sway bar disconnect add to stress on these brackets? Mostly just curious. Im not home yet, so I'm also wondering if continuing to drive rough roads will make this worse. Other bracket still looks good.

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[gato]

I'd say for 150K miles and a lot of off-roading it is not surprising to have metal fatigue on the bracket. Luckily it should be very cheap and easy to replace.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

Am I looking at this image the right way?... it seems like the frame mount where the sway bracket gets bolted-on broke away from the frame.. and perhaps the other side of the bracket also broke apart due to stress..

 

[Bob Burd]

Yes, the upper frame bracket broke first, then the lower one. Seems some welding will be needed to repair....

 

[jessedacri]

150k, wow! I gotta say those Mojave desert roads would be a million times smoother with the swaybar disconnected. I have a Tazer and use it to disconnect the swaybar at will (with no speed or transfer case mode restrictions), works wonders for smoothing out the horrible LA roads. One button connects it again for highway driving.

As for the break point, there's 100% more stress on those brackets when not using the disconnect. When the swaybar disconnect is engaged, it relieves all the tension in the bar and by association the brackets that hold it and transfer the forces into the body/frame - when it's disconnected the whole assembly is at rest. When you're driving normally with the swaybar connected, those brackets that busted are essentially the transfer point of the forces that keep the body from swaying excessively during a turn, bump, or other tilting event - the design purpose of the sway bar. Makes sense that's where fatigue eventually stuck.

 

[Wabujitsu]

I wonder if this was the result of some 2018s having notoriously bad welds?

 

[Headbarcode]

I haven't used the sway bar disconnect in over a year because of CANBUS problems causing Service Shifter and other annoying errors, so i disconnected the sway bar canbus wires at the star connector behind the glove box. On a recent roadtrip, i discovered this broken bracket after some awful noises. I don't rock crawl or jump sand dunes, mostly just driving mojave desert roads. Completely stock JLUR. I've got 153K miles, so lots of use, long out of warranty. Is this just typical Jeep quality, or does NOT using the sway bar disconnect add to stress on these brackets? Mostly just curious. Im not home yet, so I'm also wondering if continuing to drive rough roads will make this worse. Other bracket still looks good.

I deleted my factory front edisconnect sway bar assembly, so I'm familiar with how it attaches to the vehicle. Right now, that heavy motor assembly is solely hanging on by just the driver side frame bushing bracket. Before that one gives out, rips out the harness, and falls down in front of the front tires, I'd get that fixed. At least ziptie the passenger side, as a precaution, and manually disconnect both links on the axle side until it can be rewelded.

Safe journey, buddy!

 

[Bob Burd]

$93 for the part, $180 in labor and it's back together.
Interestingly, not the first weld to fail. One on the rear lower control arm welds failed back at 15K miles.

 

[Bob Burd]

My buddy has a JK. Noticed these same brackets are fastened directly to the frame. Any idea why the JL has an extra plate to mount it slightly below the frame? Seems like a late design kludge.

 

[Wabujitsu]

My buddy has a JK. Noticed these same brackets are fastened directly to the frame. Any idea why the JL has an extra plate to mount it slightly below the frame? Seems like a late design kludge.

Bob, just a guess - maybe it’s to maintain correct geometry due to the stock JL models being lifted higher than their stock JK equivalents?

 

[Zandcwhite]

My buddy has a JK. Noticed these same brackets are fastened directly to the frame. Any idea why the JL has an extra plate to mount it slightly below the frame? Seems like a late design kludge.

I'd bet it was a cost savings. Welding a small bracket on is cheaper than through frame bolting with weld nuts or rivnuts.

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