Sway bars - keep or remove?

[NWJeepr]

I'd keep the front but add manual disconnects for when you want it hooked up.

I don't like the Rubicon setup at all; worthless IMO with the nannies that re-engage it at 15mph or whatever, and require 4wd before it's disconnected. I thought that would be a nice option but is total garbage.

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[Roky]

I'd keep the front but add manual disconnects for when you want it hooked up.

I don't like the Rubicon setup at all; worthless IMO with the nannies that re-engage it at 15mph or whatever, and require 4wd before it's disconnected. I thought that would be a nice option but is total garbage.

You need a Tazer…you can disconnect in 2wd and go a 100 mph if you want to, (though I don’t recommend) lol… the only time it will reconnect is if you turn off the engine, or push the button…….If the paved road is bad, I’ll disconnect, and tighten front shocks a click or two and presto, red neck antirocks, lol..

 

[NWJeepr]

You need a Tazer…you can disconnect in 2wd and go a 100 mph if you want to, lol… the only time it will reconnect is if you turn off the engine, or push the button…….If the paved road is bad, I’ll disconnect, and tighten front shocks a click or two and presto, red neck antirocks, lol..

Yeah.... My understanding is with a Taser is it always needs to be plugged in, right? Not a bad option, but it's more rare that I need the sway bar disco'd so I'm living with it for now.

 

[Roky]

Yeah.... My understanding is with a Taser is it always needs to be plugged in, right? Not a bad option, but it's more rare that I need the sway bar disco'd so I'm living with it for now.

Yeah it stays plugged into the gateway, if not for updating once in awhile I often forget its in there, lol…… yeah, I understand it’s not for everyone…… I just use it for so many things, it’s a very important mod to my rig…..

 

[Zandcwhite]

Yeah.... My understanding is with a Taser is it always needs to be plugged in, right? Not a bad option, but it's more rare that I need the sway bar disco'd so I'm living with it for now.

It's weird to me when people complain about e-nannies but don't run the tazer. Even if I didn't want to change tire sizes I wouldn't own a Rubicon without one. Yes it needs to start plugged in, but it plugs in up under the dash. You can't even tell it's there. Do you want to use just the front locker? Done. Disco the swaybar at any speed? Done. Rear locker in 2wd? Done. Run your tires at 30psi with no warning light? Done. I don't need Jeeps permission to use the features I paid for. As someone who frequents desert washboard roads, I agree a swaybar that reconnects at 15mph is useless. That's so easily remedied though, so why go to a manual disconnect? If the motor fails and I can't find a cheap used replacement, I might go to the manual option, but otherwise you're deleting convenience for no gain.

 

[skeptacular]

Personally I'd run a sway bar front and rear with quick disconnects in the front. That's what I did on my old XJ when I was living in UT and wheeling rocks regularly.

 

[NWJeepr]

It's weird to me when people complain about e-nannies but don't run the tazer. Even if I didn't want to change tire sizes I wouldn't own a Rubicon without one. Yes it needs to start plugged in, but it plugs in up under the dash. You can't even tell it's there. Do you want to use just the front locker? Done. Disco the swaybar at any speed? Done. Rear locker in 2wd? Done. Run your tires at 30psi with no warning light? Done. I don't need Jeeps permission to use the features I paid for. As someone who frequents desert washboard roads, I agree a swaybar that reconnects at 15mph is useless. That's so easily remedied though, so why go to a manual disconnect? If the motor fails and I can't find a cheap used replacement, I might go to the manual option, but otherwise you're deleting convenience for no gain.

I get the principle, but not the execution. Taser is clunky. Rubi auto-sway bar is finicky. It's really not hard to get out and pull pins on a manual disco.

I'm not tech impaired, but the last thing I want to be doing is fidgeting with settings. Yeah, I know.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I get the principle, but not the execution. Taser is clunky. Rubi auto-sway bar is finicky. It's really not hard to get out and pull pins on a manual disco.

I'm not tech impaired, but the last thing I want to be doing is fidgeting with settings. Yeah, I know.

Swaykill set to cruise control resume button. Push resume with the cruise off, sway bar disconnects. Push it again it reconnects. Push the cruise +, front locker. Push cruise - rear locker. Not clunky. Worst I've had is pushing the button again by accident and it reconnecting. If I didn't have a Rubicon, I'd have no problem with manual discos. I'm going to order a set for my JT mojave. But if you have the option of Push button convenience why not use it?

 

[Vinman]

4" lift with no sway bar is inviting injury to yourself and others on the road, and if you get in an accident the insurance will likely cover nothing for such a boneheaded modification. If you do it, make it an off-road vehicle only and never drive it on road.

Can you provide an example of an insurance company refusing coverage for a modification made to a vehicle?

 

[SoK66]

Did you measure the before / after articulation when removing the rear sway bar? See the video that @OminousSkitter posted of the testing that was done with a JKU where he lost 17" after removing the rear sway.

I'm not seeing how that could possibly be the case unless there were additional factors at play with his setup that we're not considering. In my case, yes, it was pretty easy to see. Before their removal the combination of the stock rear bar's torsional strength and the lengths of the sway bar links were acting like limit straps. The shocks didn't reach full fravel on the down stroke and the bar was preventing their full compression. Both issues were overcome by the removal, and the stability factor on either the trail or street was easily managed by having the Dual Rate front bar on the appropriate setting. You just need to try it for yourself and see how it feels & performs.

The main thing I found with the suspension I have, running disconnected in front only improved ride quality. On the rocks it was unstable and annoyingly tippy. Currie wrote up some good articles on this many years ago when they released the Antirock. Worth reading.

 

[Ratbert]

Swaykill set to cruise control resume button. Push resume with the cruise off, sway bar disconnects. Push it again it reconnects. Push the cruise +, front locker. Push cruise - rear locker. Not clunky. Worst I've had is pushing the button again by accident and it reconnecting. If I didn't have a Rubicon, I'd have no problem with manual discos. I'm going to order a set for my JT mojave. But if you have the option of Push button convenience why not use it?

I've got the cruise resume button mapped to turn assist. I don't usually need it very often, but when I do it makes a massive difference in turning radius.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I'm not seeing how that could possibly be the case unless there were additional factors at play with his setup that we're not considering. In my case, yes, it was pretty easy to see. Before their removal the combination of the stock rear bar's torsional strength and the lengths of the sway bar links were acting like limit straps. The shocks didn't reach full fravel on the down stroke and the bar was preventing their full compression. Both issues were overcome by the removal, and the stability factor on either the trail or street was easily managed by having the Dual Rate front bar on the appropriate setting. You just need to try it for yourself and see how it feels & performs.

The main thing I found with the suspension I have, running disconnected in front only improved ride quality. On the rocks it was unstable and annoyingly tippy. Currie wrote up some good articles on this many years ago when they released the Antirock. Worth reading.

Proper length end links are obviously necessary. I think the force of the rear sway bar helps to shift some of the weight getting more flex out of the front. Others on here have run their own tests and saw no difference with the rear connected vs disconnected so properly set up I'd say it either helps a little in front end articulation or at the very least doesn't hurt it. The instability when disconnected up front is likely a direct result of not having the rear sway bar. I was able to get full travel out of metalcloak rocksport shocks up front running the rear bar with longer end links and the front bar with longer end links and factory Rubicon disco. It never felt unstable or tippy to me.

 

[SoK66]

Proper length end links are obviously necessary. I think the force of the rear sway bar helps to shift some of the weight getting more flex out of the front. Others on here have run their own tests and saw no difference with the rear connected vs disconnected so properly set up I'd say it either helps a little in front end articulation or at the very least doesn't hurt it. The instability when disconnected up front is likely a direct result of not having the rear sway bar. I was able to get full travel out of metalcloak rocksport shocks up front running the rear bar with longer end links and the front bar with longer end links and factory Rubicon disco. It never felt unstable or tippy to me.

I never ran disconnected up front without the rear sway bar installed. The instability and excessive roll was the direct result of running disconnected up front. Running with no rear bar and disconnected in front wouldn't be advisable, you have to have some amount of anti-roll for stability or you're at the mercy of the spring and shock rates. Very complex matter with a lot of variables.

In my avatar we're crossing the Golden Crack on the Golden Spike trail in Moab. JK has the Dual Rate set to trail, and the sway bar was removed. Plenty of flex and the hood stayed level.

 

[Roky]

I've got the cruise resume button mapped to turn assist. I don't usually need it very often, but when I do it makes a massive difference in turning radius.

I’ve got sway bar on res because I use it all the time on and off the road….. the wife says I’m trying to wear it out so she’ll sign off on antirocks…….?

 

[Ratbert]

I’ve got sway bar on res because I use it all the time on and off the road….. the wife says I’m trying to wear it out so she’ll sign off on antirocks…….?

I disconnect the sway bar as soon as possible too, but I've got it on '-' where you've got your rear lockers. I've already got a button for that one and it works well for me.

I've also never run into a scenario where front lockers w/o rears was the obvious solution. Locking the fronts has always been my last resort. Maybe there are some specific trails where just locking the fronts works best?

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