Sway Bar Quick Disconnect Recommendations?

[jeepoch]

All,

I have recently installed the Teraflex Quick Disconnects and have been able to do several runs with them on some pretty difficult trails. Quick summary, there's no going back. This disco kit rocks!

I did have a little trouble getting them installed, but that was because of me not the Teraflex kit. I just couldn't break the bolts free on the original stock sway bar links. FCA must have used loctite and I didn't own an impact driver. A local 4x4 shop helped me out and installed everything for $50.

Disconnecting the sway bars are very easy, I have it down to between three or four minutes. Putting them back on is a bit trickier. The secret is to do this on flat level ground. Unfortunately, I must have never yet found a patch of ground flat enough.

This first side is easy, I do the passenger side first. The driver's side requires a little assistance. That's where my pry bar comes in handy. Just a little nudge between the sway bar and frame then everything goes back into place no sweat. The driver's side has the best place to apply the pry bar. It certainly would be nice to just reconnect them without needing to crawl under the rig, but lugging the crow bar around when wheeling is peanuts.

Regardless, I'll never (ever) consider any off-road adventure without disconnecting them. The added articulation is magic. Unlike with the Rubicon's and other disco kits that only partially disconnect, (this allows them to fully reconnect), the Teraflex kit allows for complete 100% mechanical release. My suspension is then free to travel the entire range that my springs will allow.

What a difference! Keeping the front wheels squarely on the ground (especially on open diffs) is traction heaven. My Sport now goes places where no one believes it should. I get complemented often for getting past obstacles that some Rubi's require help over. Granted, the stuck Rubicon's are typically stock, or close to it but nonetheless, they still have lockers.

With the amazing articulation potential that's now achievable, I feel my Sport is about the most capable rig around with open-diffs. Regardless, and with some humility I know it's limits. I'll let the modified bad-ass Rubi's mangle their under armor and leave tread marks on the biggest boulders they care to climb.

I'm just interested in going out and having fun. I'm no longer worried about getting into real trouble. With my aired-down All Terrain 35" Duratracs and the disconnected sway bar, I'm very confident my Sport will now take me anywhere I'm willing to point it.

Highly recommend this Teraflex kit. That is if your willing to do a little bit of finagling in getting everything reconnected. After a little more experience, I'll likely find that perfectly flat ground isn't the answer. A little upward slant toward's the driver's side may be the secret sauce after all.

Jay

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[4Jeep]

Have a question about the Teraflex Quick Disconnect kit...could I use the Teraflex kit but use my stock Mopar sway bar end links instead?

I have a JLU Sport S with no lift and 33s. I've read on 0" lift the Teraflex kit angles the sway bar almost 45 degrees which can cause rubbing or excessive wear at that height. Looking at the specs on their website it the Teraflex sway bar end link length is 8.5" and the stock Mopar sway bar end link length is 6" according to Quadratec. Looking at the Mopar link for 2" lifts it's listed at 7.5" so I think Teraflex link at 8.5" is a big excessive for 0-2" lift.

If I used my Mopar end links on the Teraflex disconnect kit would that 1.5" shorter difference
keep my sway bar at stock height which should be almost parallel to the ground? Or would they not work with the Teraflex kit and be too short to reach the brackets.

I don't want to cut my Jeep so with no lift these are my only option.

 

[fat_head]

Have a question about the Teraflex Quick Disconnect kit...could I use the Teraflex kit but use my stock Mopar sway bar end links instead?

I have a JLU Sport S with no lift and 33s. I've read on 0" lift the Teraflex kit angles the sway bar almost 45 degrees which can cause rubbing or excessive wear at that height. Looking at the specs on their website it the Teraflex sway bar end link length is 8.5" and the stock Mopar sway bar end link length is 6" according to Quadratec. Looking at the Mopar link for 2" lifts it's listed at 7.5" so I think Teraflex link at 8.5" is a big excessive for 0-2" lift.

If I used my Mopar end links on the Teraflex disconnect kit would that 1.5" shorter difference
keep my sway bar at stock height which should be almost parallel to the ground? Or would they not work with the Teraflex kit and be too short to reach the brackets.

I don't want to cut my Jeep so with no lift these are my only option.

No. You couldn't use the mopar end links. It's the end links on the Teraflex kit which make it QD. I have a Sport with no lift (Rubicon springs is all) and it's a good kit. No rubbing anywhere.

 

[4Jeep]

No. You couldn't use the mopar end links. It's the end links on the Teraflex kit which make it QD. I have a Sport with no lift (Rubicon springs is all) and it's a good kit. No rubbing anywhere.

Thanks that's good to know. Don't the Rubicon springs end up lifting the Sport 1.5" or is that with the shocks too?
Is the sway bar angled up higher than 10 degrees?

 

[fat_head]

Thanks that's good to know. Don't the Rubicon springs end up lifting the Sport 1.5" or is that with the shocks too?
Is the sway bar angled up higher than 10 degrees?

Yes, I think it's about that, 1.5" additional lift. The sway bar is angled much higher than 10 degrees with the Teraflex kit. I called them this summer about that, with the same concern. It's not a problem they said. And after a 4000 mile road trip right after I installed it, I guess I agree. It drives the same.

 

[jeepoch]

@4Jeep,

I have a Mopar 2.5" Lift (actually closer to a full 3.0"), on my Sport and with the Teraflex Links connected the Sway Bar rides about 20 to 30° above parallel to the ground. I've likely now have about 4K miles driven and zero issues. No rubbing, no instability, it rides great.

I'm loving this kit. However, I do wonder why Teraflex doesn't offer a shorter link just for non-lifted applications. While the purpose of what the Sway Bar provides is still intact, raising it higher than stock still must have some dynamic differences. It's there to prevent roll (or sway) at higher speeds and as long as the sway bar mechanically connects both sides of the vehicle's suspension, this is probably all that is needed independent of the sway bar's connection angle.

So maybe it is truly a one size fit's all type of solution.

I opted for the higher clearance with the lift and 35's. Living in Colorado, this certainly makes my Sport capable enough to tackle about 90 percent of all the difficult to severe obstacles within our National Forest Trails pretty well. With the added articulation of the sway bar disconnected certainly helps make off-roading (without lockers) so much more doable.

I can only give you positive feedback for this kit from my experience.

Jay

 

[JWAustinVTX]

Hey Jay,

Like I mentioned on the other thread these have play in them and make a significant amount of noise in every day driving.

 

[mgroeger]

Hey Jay,

Like I mentioned on the other thread these have play in them and make a significant amount of noise in every day driving.

I've got the Teraflex links and they make zero noise and have zero play. ANY link that has noise or play is either installed incorrectly, has the bolts loose or is faulty.

 

[jeepoch]

I've got the Teraflex links and they make zero noise and have zero play. ANY link that has noise or play is either installed incorrectly, has the bolts loose or is faulty.

Mike, I second your statement. I have no noise and zero play as well. I experience nothing of what @JWAustinVTX has described. My Teraflex kit has been a real sound investment. It has dramatically improved my off-road capability.

I do grease my parking and link studs regularly. Do you?

Jay

 

[mgroeger]

Mike, I second your statement. I have no noise and zero play as well. I experience nothing of what @JWAustinVTX has described. My Teraflex kit has been a real sound investment. It has dramatically improved my off-road capability.

I do grease my parking and link studs regularly. Do you?

Jay

73k miles on one Jeep and 43k on the other and never greased anything associated with parking brake.

 

[jeepoch]

73k miles on one Jeep and 43k on the other and never greased anything associated with parking brake.

Mike,

Not the parking brake, the Teraflex Quick Disconnect Kit Parking stud. The stud thad holds the link out of the way so that you don't have to Zip Tie anything. I grease both the top (parking) stud (for when the link is disconnected) and the lower Sway-Bar Link stud (for when it is connected).

I grease both when I do my oil changes and before any planned off-road adventure.

Sorry I wasn't clear. Nothing intended for the parking brake. I never grease my parking brake either. As long as you use it regularly, I don't believe you ever should.

My question was specifically pointed at greasing just the Teraflex Disconnect components?

It sounds like your answer is no. This makes me feel even better about the Teraflex kit. Perhaps I was masking the noise issue by greasing my Disconnect's Studs at all.

Parking Stud:

Sway-Bar Link Stud:

Jay

 

[mgroeger]

Mike,

Not the parking brake, the Teraflex Quick Disconnect Kit Parking stud. The stud thad holds the link out of the way so that you don't have to Zip Tie anything. I grease both the top (parking) stud (for when the link is disconnected) and the lower Sway-Bar Link stud (for when it is connected).

I grease both when I do my oil changes and before any planned off-road adventure.

Sorry I wasn't clear. Nothing intended for the parking brake. I never grease my parking brake either. As long as you use it regularly, I don't believe you ever should.

My question was specifically pointed at greasing just the Teraflex Disconnect components?

It sounds like your answer is no. This makes me feel even better about the Teraflex kit. Perhaps I was masking the noise issue by greasing my Disconnect's Studs at all.

Parking Stud:

Sway-Bar Link Stud:

Jay

My bad. I'm running regular Teraflex links on my Jeep and Metal Cloak discos ones (like yours) on my wife's Jeep. They have a poly bushing in the disco end and I use silicon spray on it and the post to make it easy off and on. The silicon dries and does not attract dirt like grease does.

 

[JWAustinVTX]

I've got the Teraflex links and they make zero noise and have zero play. ANY link that has noise or play is either installed incorrectly, has the bolts loose or is faulty.

I have to disagree on installed incorrectly. Maybe it's faulty.

Install is very straight forward and there is play and it's quite noisy.

Watch this link starting around 7m mark, I had to do the just about identical grinding on the axel and the bracket to get it installed.

 

[jeepoch]

I have to disagree on installed incorrectly. Maybe it's faulty.

Install is very straight forward and there is play and it's quite noisy.

Jason,

Just the luck of the draw I suppose. I didn't have to grind on anything. All the brackets just fit.

If you did have to grind, did everything come out flush and smooth? Maybe your noise is from some flex or bend on the bracket???

Stupid question but how about greasing the zerk fittings on the Link bars themselves. Both mine were bone dry. Sorry, call me Captain Obvious.

It's unfortunate you are unhappy with your kit. But I'm sure you'll find something (a replacement or fix) that you can live with. Disconnecting the sway-bar while on trail really makes a huge improvement in negotiating the tough stuff.

Good luck. Please post your solution.
Jay

 

[mgroeger]

there is play and it's quite noisy.

I had to do the just about identical grinding on the axel and the bracket to get it installed.

Then for me these would have gone back and a different brand purchased.

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