Rear Sway Bar Feedback

slikjr · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 7:10 pm

I am interested in removing my rear sway bar. I've created this post so ppl who have removed them, or have had them removed, can chime in.

Please leave your feedback as to the pro's and con's of it. I know how it all works and what not, just want some specific KJ feedback. Let everyone know! Thanks a lot

AndySRT · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 7:21 pm

the only thing i noticed was a little more body roll in turns and the back end likes to kick sideways a bit over large bumps at speed. but it still drives mostly like stock.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:09 pm

Barely noticed any difference at all on either of my KJ's after removing them both. How much better is it wheeling? Not sure on that either as I never compared one to the other. I guess that would have been a good thing to do but wth, at least my KJ lost some weight.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:58 pm

I think removing the rear bar would be safer than removing the front, at least. I drove around for about a month without my front sway bar and it did have a bit more rocking and rolling but, it didn't really feel "unsafe," to me, at least. I may try this soon, myself, just to see if I can take some of the stiffness out of my rear end, but I worry that my already sagging rear springs will sink even lower. Maybe after I get another set of upper isolators on it...

carroll952 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:02 pm

Don't notice a thing.

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:46 pm

i had mine off and liked it a lot. just on the highway if you turn the wheel side to side slightly you can feel it wobble kinda bad. and it wobbles a little longer after you have the wheel straigtened back out. im not sure what it is. it feels like the axle moving side to side but i dont think thats possible just by taking the sway bar off. i put it back on, but might take it back off again lol

slikjr · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:50 pm

hmmm... doesn't like much of a difference either way. I think I'll leave it on for now. I don't want the front off. I'm happy with it on. I was just wondering as for the flex in the rear end but doesn't sound like it makes much, if any, of a difference

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:07 pm

it still flexes just fine with the rear bar on, maybe its smoother with it off? idk. it seemed to still flex the same amount with it on or off

Gris · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:46 am

I didn't notice much difference taking off the rear. Front removed (or a pin missing from my JKS QDs) feels like I'm driving a boat in the ocean, but rear removed doesn't offer any noticeable difference.

As far as whether it flexes more or not, I have no clue. I never did any flex testing with it on and I'm not putting it back on to test. With both bars removed, I get a crap-ton of articulation considering it's an IFS and all that.

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

I've tried every combination and even removed both for a month or so. You could get used to it, just have to drive slower on turns (like an 18wheeler) cause it feels like an old Caddy. As for as offroad, with the front off, you get more flex and a much smoother ride. If you havn't tried it you have to. Even if it's just offroad.

With the front on and back off, you can feel that it's off. You can feel that the vehicule is off balance as the front keeps it planted and the rear has more movement. Personally, I like both off. As for the rear, the bar is fairly small, so I could not find anydifference in ariticulation. However, the ride is much smoother, and the tracition control barely turns on as opposed to havin it on. The rear axel is able to move over obstacles a lot quicker so it maintains contact more of the time then with the bar on.

FastTRX · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:48 pm

From my personal experiences...I think if you lift your KJ and add a rear spring isolator on both sides, it seems to get a little more articulation with the bar off. I also have the OME 132L long travel rear shocks...so it may flex just a bit more than other rear ends. You can definitley tell it's off when you have a lift. The only real difference I noticed was that when you stuff your rear on the drivers side it makes a crazy metal grinding noise from the driveshaft U-joint rubbing the edge of the muffler. ditch the stocker and add a flowmaster with a bit of custom tube bending and the problem is solved.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:58 pm

You can feel it moving side to side b/c it is moving side to side. Its not just a sway bar, it also add strength to the lower control arms and keeps it all centered.

I wouldnt risk taking it off.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:05 pm

wheres jcphoto at

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:57 pm

Taking a rear sway bar off makes the front "push' more at higher speeds. Having the rear bar on at higher speeds will make the rear end a bit more "tail happy". It depends on how it feels to you now as to what you should do.

IE. For road racing stock body cars most people removed the rear sway bar to make it more stable in fast corners. A little push is good...just not too much.

IE. For Auto-X people usually put on a larger diameter rear sway bar to make the rear end "come around" easier. It helps with slow tight corners...makes transition faster.

Sport · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:51 am

how much does it weigh?

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:13 am

wouldnt weigh that much as to do anything with gas mileage if that is what you were thinking, not that heavy.
I run mine for the simple reason I pull at least one of my trailers every week or so and it makes a big difference then, as least I think it does plus not worth the hassle of pulling it off / reinstalling it etc.! :wink:

Tom

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:42 pm

Have had my rear bar off for awhile now,towed 4000lbs over 1500 miles both with and without the rear bar,also I drive like I stole my KJ with and without the rear bar and can't tell the diference.Since the rear bar only conects the rear LCA's together and is not mounted to the unibody it just reduces rear end flex and not actual body roll like the front so no difference would be felt on road but felt offroad due to the added flex.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:36 pm

What? It's not connected to the unibody!?! I thought it was. Never actually disco'd both sides but, I took the passenger side off when I put Rusty's coils in. Does it come completely loose when both sides are disco'd?

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

By being connected to both lower control arms, it allows them to stay more level. It would be the same as adding a higher rate spring in the back.

durangotang · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:24 am

Did you guys notice much (if any) sag in the back end when you removed the swaybar?

Rear Sway Bar Feedback

Who is online