Sway Bar Extensions (1 Viewer)

[Front Range 4x4]

I'd appreciate some opinions, of which I know there are plenty, regarding sway bar extensions. Seems to be a couple schools on this; 1. Toss the sway bars in the scrap pile 2. Leave them alone 3. If you don't have them, add them.

I have a 62 w/ OME 2.5" with sway bars front and rear. What have you guys done and why?

TIA

 

[agent orange]

They hurt nothing on the street. I cant tell the difference with my current setup, but they helped a lot stock. I took my rear off because it didnt do anything, and i may take the front off too since i dont need it either. If they dont bother you, leave them alone. If they do, either rig up disconnects or yank the bastards.

 

[lovetoski]

I think a primary reason why there are so many opinions, is because it's apples to oranges - that is, each has their own setup/use/conditions.

With a lift, heavy loads, a load on the rack, long high speed drives, swaybars will be more desirable.

Off road they are a hindrance.

I fabbed disconnects for both front and rear. Easy enough to disconnect when needed. The difference in axle flex is significant. Also a notable improvement in passenger comfort in rough terrain.

 

[CardinalFJ60]

Rig up disconnects

let's rig up some disconnects! I need to do that on mine...and don't have a clue, nor have I researched it. But let's do it! Hey! maybe We'll make Jim do it for us in his new shop!!!

FWIW...I drove from Ohio to Colorado towing a UHaul trailer and felt like it was wandering ALLL over the road, and not real stable taking it around curves. When I got to CO, I noticed both sway bar links had rusted through....

I like them on the road....off when off road

 

[PAFJ]

Here's a tech link to some homemade disconnects. Does anybody have any experience with these?

http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/disco1.php

 

[euclid]

My truck has completely different manners on the road when my sway bar is connected. I like it so much that I moved the sway bar to my Full Floater when I swapped it in.

Off road I can tell some difference, but only in the most flexed-out situation.

FYI I have OME origional heavy 2.5 with long ass shackles. I also have a wilderness systems roof rack with an expanded steel floor (read heavy).

Extending the sway bars is pretty easy. If you don't weld you can send them to me and I'll extend them for you.

I need to do another set soon, I'll document the process and post if up if it would be informative.

Since we are on the subject, I have the swaybar disconnect setup in the above thread on my rear axle. I still end up under the truck un-bolting the swaybar so it doesn't drag when I'm off road. Anyone come up with a good clean solution for that one? The worst thing is having the swaybar in my campsite to trip over, or having it in the back of the truck for a whole trip.

 

[agent orange]

Since we are on the subject, I have the swaybar disconnect setup in the above thread on my rear axle. I still end up under the truck un-bolting the swaybar so it doesn't drag when I'm off road. Anyone come up with a good clean solution for that one? The worst thing is having the swaybar in my campsite to trip over, or having it in the back of the truck for a whole trip.

Before i took mine off i would zip tie the bar up by the ebrake tab on the diff cover. That pulls the ends up pretty high.

-Matt

 

[2mbb]

Rear sway bar disconnects are really easy. replace the bolt that goes though the bushing with a clevis pin that's held in by a cotter pin. The clevis pin is the same diameter as the bolt, so you have about the same strength.

I'm concerned with the front quick disconnect linked in the post above. In a load situation, the cotter pin is sheared, but it's not a large diameter and therefore not very strong. It's my understanding that the sway bar prevents roll over in high-speed swerve situations. I wouldn't want to risk roll over because my quick disonnect isn't strong.

There are some threads out there about a stainless quick disconnect manufactured by Persson (http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/reviews/persson/) that is a much stronger design, however, I don't think they make these anymore.

I've found somthing simlar to the Persson at front range off road (http://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/nfo...id=52&osCsid=cdc14e5d97bb911aba00717bd09802d0) . These are not for Land Cruisers, but I think they will work and they claim they will make custom lengths. I tried to order a set for my FJ60 a couple of years ago, but after a few call backs, with promises of "they'll ship next week", I gave up. Maybe we need to try again...

 

[euclid]

I don't see much difference in those front disconnects and the ones in the link above:

 

[2mbb]

I don't see much difference in those front disconnects and the ones in the link above:

Yeah, I guess I don't know. The home built one looks like the hair pin is maybe 1/8" diameter, at best. That's not very thick. The FROR uses a clevis pin that looks to be larger in diameter (see circle below). I imagine that it is 1/4" diameter, but it might be smaller. I'm not a mechanical engineer, but double the diameter is four times the area, which is four times the strength?

I've fooled around with designing & pricing these at emachineshop.com, but the cost for small quantities is prohibitive.

 

[Front Range 4x4]

My 62 is a DD and I want front & rear sway bars on the road and like the idea of a disconnect. What about MAF's offering for the front only? They just extend to match the spring lift.


LINK to MAF

 

[agent orange]

I have the MAF ones, they are a long piece of all-thread with a spacer. They seem to have updated the bushings, but they seem just like mine.

I could see them breaking if you wheeled it with them hooked up, but they work fine.

 

[2mbb]

My 62 is a DD and I want front & rear sway bars on the road and like the idea of a disconnect. What about MAF's offering for the front only? They just extend to match the spring lift.


LINK to MAF

from MAF: "must purchase in pairs" but priced per each??? What's that about?

You could probably fab some with 3/8 thread rod and some 1/2" steel tubing. But these aren't "quick disconnect". However, depending upon how often you wheel, it's not that difficult to take a wrench when you crawl under the truck at the trail head and just take them off.

 

[lovetoski]

I did my rear disconnect like the pic above. Easy. Maybe $2. Buy some extra hitch pins, cause you'll loose 'em...

I did my fronts like this...

http://www.off-road.com/toyota/cheaptricks/swaybar2/

I made one change though...I crank down the top nut to compress the top two bushings against the hitch pin. This keeps the hitch pin in place, and the bushings are designed to function with some compression on them. To "disconnect" the front it's really easy - back off the top nut, then pull the hitch pin.

Easiest way for me is this:
On the left tire
Turn wheels sharply to the right
Now it's easy to get to the sway bar extension from the back.

BTW - I used the same hitch pin on the front and rear. Made it easier in terms of carrying spares.

 

[euclid]

You can get longer front sway bar links at any parts store for about half what Man-aint-free gets for those, but you do have to buy them in pairs.

I've only disconnected my fronts once or twice off road, mainly cause I don't have a quick disconnect. I didn't think it made a huge difference.

Good tech. FAQ'd

 

[2badfjs]

Q: We'll make Jim do it for us in his new shop!!!

we'll make jim do it
hey, thanx for offering up my services

anything's possable

 

[euclid]

Before i took mine off i would zip tie the bar up by the ebrake tab on the diff cover. That pulls the ends up pretty high.

-Matt

Do they hit the underside when flexing up?

 

[agent orange]

Do they hit the underside when flexing up?

Not that i know of, with the spare tire out there is a lot of room there. It doesnt lift the ends that high, just high enough to be above the axletube if i remember correctly.

 

[CardinalFJ60]

Q: We'll make Jim do it for us in his new shop!!!

we'll make jim do it
hey, thanx for offering up my services

anything's possable

I thought you'd appreciate that!!

 

[Front Range 4x4]

I thought you'd appreciate that!!

Since these don't require welding I think Shawn should be the point man. How about it Shawn!

Gotta give Jim time to tend to business

My business preferably