Sway Bars annyone run with them disconnected?

hydenphoto · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:23 pm

OK, when I had a TJ I disconnected the rear sway bar and had quick disconnects on the front.

I know it is unsafe on the road BLAH BLAH BLAH.

Has anyone disconeccted a KK front or rear, or both???

I only want actual 4wheelers to answer, not the well your gas mileage will be higher crap or the manufacturer doesn't recommend this crap. The question I asked is to better my offroad experiance not to make my ride to the store more comfortable.

I hope some of you see my humor in the last comment.

Pics of the flex are more than welcome!!!!!

Thanks

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:00 pm

The KK's rear swaybar actually does something unlike the KJ's,the front is a vital part of the suspension.

Off road your not going to gain much from disco'ing the front but will with the rear.I ditched the rear in my KJ with zero effect but your KK it will have a effect on the road.I never dico'ed the front and never had a issue offroad.Now that I'm SFA'd I still never disc the front(still no rear bar) but I also run a Currie AntiRock.

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:43 pm

I was told that disconnecting the front on ifs isn't really recommended. Not much gain either. As for the rear, I know on KJs, like Troy said, do nothing. I'm curious about the rear on our KK as well, not to drive on the street, but offroad. I was always told the rears on the Wranglers(JKs and TJs mostly) are weak and don't limit much, not sure if it's different for us.

Troy, isn't the AntiRock a replacement for your swaybar?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:49 pm

Bmxer524 wrote:

Troy, isn't the AntiRock a replacement for your swaybar?

Yes and no.

There are 5 settings to soften or increase the bars effect.I run on the middle setting which is comparable to the rear swaybar on your KK but designed to increase traction when flexed.I'm also a foot wider then a KK.

Mikzor · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 7:28 pm **Posts:** 64

There are a few pics and reports from when we were trying to work out the impact of discoing the front awhile back. I'll just link to the thread rather then re-post it... hope mods don't mind.
http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/sho ... p?t=120200

I won't disconnect my front anymore as I'm really worried about blowing my steering rack. I've got two mates who have both done racks in their KKs (One has blown it multiple times and had to get it custom re-enforced) and they are confident their lifts, coupled with disconnecting, is just putting too much pressure and they end up cracking the weak rack mounts. The minor benefit from discoing just wasn't that worth it in the end...

I am interested in learning more about discoing the rear though whilst off-road and milking some more flex out of that area if possible so keen to learn and see some pics of people who have done it.

KKnut · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:02 am

Like Mik said, no more disconnecting for me either but the steering rack is weak in any case. Very poorly designed mount.
viewtopic.php?t=39022#p826302

Btw, Mik had his KK featured in a local magazine and is well worth a look. Don't be shy mate.

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:18 am

He mentioned it on JF, they got some great pics!

We need to get a KK on a forklift or something and do some measuring for the rear. Seems that general consensus says to keep the front connected. What about extending the front swaybar links(for those with lifts atleast)?

Mikzor · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 7:28 pm **Posts:** 64

KKnut wrote:

Like Mik said, no more disconnecting for me either but the steering rack is weak in any case. Very poorly designed mount.
viewtopic.php?t=39022#p826302
Btw, Mik had his KK featured in a local magazine and is well worth a look. Don't be shy mate.

Ohhhhh so that's the re-enforcement plate! Looks good.... guess what just shot to the top of my upgrade list

DREDnot · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 8:26 am

I removed my front sway bar completely. I still have the rear connected. I like the way it handles on road and off.
1 good offroad run and the front links spit out the rubber bushings and started clunking.
I don't miss the violent side to side tossing when crossing the driveway gutters and other road driving irregularities. The suspension just articulates nice and smooth. Offroad is equally improved. Smoother ride and slightly better articulation.

I recommend it , but ALL the naysayers say their nays. (watch)

I will have to keep an eye out for any adverse stress on my rack, though.
But then again, I don't thrash my equipment.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:01 am

OK DRED you asked for it, I'd keep the front connected but the rear you can disconnect off road etc. That comes from 40 years of experience and also many classes in suspension systems and how they work
All it will take is one car pulling out in front of you and a hard swerve to make you change your mind. :wink:

Plus you are not gaining that much at all offroad, we've tested many over the last ten years and doesn't make that much difference...hardly noticable

I'll add that while you may understand the way yours drives down the road , what we also have to think about is the 17-18 year old kid who Daddy just bought a used KK . Now he starts reading about what to do to his new ride, and starts tearing the sway bars off. With him not having much knowledge as far as driving except his Moms Camry its not long till he gets in trouble and swerves too quick and rolls. So again while you may know and have gotten by, think who else is reading these posts :wink:

KKnut · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:16 am

Apparently I thrash my KK? [FACE WITH STUCK-OUT TONGUE AND WINKING EYE]

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 11:04 am

DREDnot wrote:

I removed my front sway bar completely. I still have the rear connected. I like the way it handles on road and off.
1 good offroad run and the front links spit out the rubber bushings and started clunking.
I don't miss the violent side to side tossing when crossing the driveway gutters and other road driving irregularities. The suspension just articulates nice and smooth. Offroad is equally improved. Smoother ride and slightly better articulation.

I recommend it , but ALL the naysayers say their nays. (watch)

I will have to keep an eye out for any adverse stress on my rack, though.
But then again, I don't thrash my equipment.

Yeah that's a rollover waiting to happen.If you get killed or kill someone else and the insurance investigates and finds that swaybar removed they will and can deny coverage.

You have no idea how that bar works or why it's there(hurry go out and google it and copy/paste it for use).

hydenphoto · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:46 pm

Ok so from what I have read, do NOT disconnect the front we can disconnect the rear if offroading. Anyone ever hear of quick disconnects for the rear?

Can we put on longer sway bar connects up front? Like from a JK. I have seen posts where someone bought some to put on their KK.

carlosburitica · **Joined:** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:07 pm **Posts:** 309

what kind of offroading????

i get better results with it connected on mud, and loose surfaces, but found that climbing rocks and obstacles you get better articulation with it removed.
now i feel like the kk sway bar is really soft compared with the xj, and zj.

i tried and din't really see an advantage, now... if i have 12-14" of travel then i could have and advantage.

so my suggestion, leave the sway bar connected and be safe.

maybe get extended swaybar links if you are lifted.

DREDnot · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:50 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

You have no idea how that bar works or why it's there(hurry go out and google it and copy/paste it for use).

yes, as a matter of fact I do. I was a GM service tech way back in the 80s and have been offroading for 30 years now. Also a Toyota certified offroad test driver at Toyota's desert proving grounds.
The OP was asking for any real world experience with this. In a KK. I am the only one to have done this it seems. Lots of opinions from KJ owners which was specifically not asked for by the OP.

The kids with KKs are going to either lower them or widen their "stance" with offset wheels or spacers (safe?).

I like the way my KK drives, Lifted, narrowed, small skinny tires, and front discoed. I drive it every day and feel perfectly safe. I've felt the difference between connected and discoed on a lifted KK. I know. Not speculating. If its speculating you want I'd say a tall or SFA'd KJ would be a rollover waiting to happen and killer of zit-face innocents led down the garden path by irresponsible posters on this board....but as a former owner of a stock KJ, I'd just be guessing.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:15 pm

DREDnot wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

You have no idea how that bar works or why it's there(hurry go out and google it and copy/paste it for use).

yes, as a matter of fact I do. I was a GM service tech way back in the 80s and have been offroading for 30 years now. Also a Toyota certified offroad test driver at Toyota's desert proving grounds.
The OP was asking for any real world experience with this. In a KK. I am the only one to have done this it seems. Lots of opinions from KJ owners which was specifically not asked for by the OP.

The kids with KKs are going to either lower them or widen their "stance" with offset wheels or spacers (safe?).

I like the way my KK drives, Lifted, narrowed, small skinny tires, and front discoed. I drive it every day and feel perfectly safe. I've felt the difference between connected and discoed on a lifted KK. I know. Not speculating. If its speculating you want I'd say a tall or SFA'd KJ would be a rollover waiting to happen and killer of zit-face innocents led down the garden path by irresponsible posters on this board....but as a former owner of a stock KJ, I'd just be guessing.

Old school and way outdated.

As far as spacers I agree but widening stance is always safer,narrow and lifted raises COG and remove the front swaybar and your going over sooner then later.That is simple physics and why I still run a front bar and widened my track width over 12" to keep the COG same as stock.Disco'd may increase flex but there is "useful flex" and max flex and sorry you don't want max flex for best traction.

As far as your last statement your putting lives in danger by your statements of it drives better with the front bar off so you are talking about yourself.

DREDnot · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:55 pm

Lives in danger...

I agree with you more often than not, but your KJ with a hacked off front suspension....come on. If I wanted to argue...

I seem to be the only one with real world experience on this one.

My stock CJ5 is a rig that commands respect from the driver.

If we were talking about a torsion sprung IFS like my trooper and Montero, there would be no arguing the fact that even with a sway bar, the suspension design is twitchy.

But the KK is the most stable discoed 4x4 that I have personally driven. My guess is that the wide leverage points of the strut mounts to the LCA have a lot to do with it.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:07 pm

actually there are a lot of folks with real world experience

disconnect at a trail head - and when done and they'l drive to the next with sway's still disconnected - and it's dangerous

if you have to make an emergency turn - you'll roll it.

don't forget - a totally stock 02Kj rolled in an magazine test - yes they were autocross'ing it.

and nothing TJ does is 'hacked off'

Custom - yes - hacked - no way.

DREDnot · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:46 pm

Using the argument of dead kids and insurance...they will say hacked. I'm sure its fine.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:53 pm

DREDnot wrote:

Using the argument of dead kids and insurance...they will say hacked. I'm sure its fine.

Insurance inspected and approved safe.

Sway Bars annyone run with them disconnected?

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