Front Anti Sway Bar Removal (1 Viewer)

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Mar 13, 2003
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North Front Range, CO
My front anti sway bar has not been working from many months (the right side bracket broke and only the left side is attached) and I didn't notice anything when driving.
I was told that as one bracket was broke the sway bar was not working and if I didn't notice it when driving I may as well remove it.
I searched anti sway bar and didn't find anything. I posted about my stabilizer (thats what the FSM calls it) but I guess its called the anti sway bar???
Anyone remove just the front one?
Any problems?
Is it alright to remove the front one and keep the rear or would I want to remove the rear too?
 
You can just take it off. Be aware that your handling on the road will be effected and in emergency manouvers you will be more likely to roll.
 
Mine did the same thing well over a year ago. It's been sittin under my work bench ever since.
You won't notice it much in normal driving but like Doc says, in emergency manuevers, you'll get more body roll for sure.
 
On the ramp the front swaybar may not make a diff. but on the trail where there the truck isn't forced into flex with a big ol ramp there is a definite improvement with the swaybar off in my experience. there is also a definite loss of control with the front bar gone.

it is a major pita to take the thing off to wheel so somebody needs to put together a quick disconnect
 
how exactly do quick disconnects work???? I though they just unhooked to two end bolts?? But i'm guessing i'm wrong and never having saw one is hindering my creative vision:grinpimp:
 
it is a major pita to take the thing off to wheel so somebody needs to put together a quick disconnect

Come on man, you put together your own turbo kit and you can't replace the two sway bar end bolts with lynch pins? :D
 
Sway bar removed

Just took mine off today. Easy to do, but i agree that it is dangerous. I removed it because i keep going through sway bar bushings since i put the lift on. I even dropped the sway bar to compensate for the lift.
 
I am leaving mine on, body roll, even off the road, can be dangerous once you get some altitude on your truck.
 
my .02 worth

Anti-sway bars do not help your articulation, they do just the opposite, they make your rig stabilize.

On the road this is good, for two reasons, maintains your rig from flipping at high speeds, they will also help in front tire wear, you know that awefull round-over you get from turning corners. the reason why you have to rotate your tires so offten..

off road this is not good, sway bars restrict articulation, keeping your rig from flexing to its maximum potential.

So, I would guess it's a personal choice, or how you use your rig on a daily bases. If it's for recreational/weekend use or is it driving day to day to work.
 
How the swaybar interacts with your suspension depends on your suspension components. We have a tendency to talk about swaybars as an independent variable that has a one-size-fits-all flavor. Both lift geometry and stiffer springs and shocks can interact with the swaybar to create some less than positive characteristics. On my old Jeep XJ with a 7" lift, where disconnects were easy and cheap, I finally just took it off because it just plain made everything worse. On a 2" OME lift, the rig was undriveable without it.

I am not advocating simply removing it, although I have removed mine. As unsprung weight increases (large tires), I find that front swaybars create a lot of negative side to side interaction (snap) over uneven bumps, while your typically taller lift has a stiff enough suspension to not engage the swaybar for normal handling.

As for emergency handling, I'd probably rather have it on for a sudden lane change and then back. If I am in say winter conditions and need to bail off the highway at a bit of speed, I want it off so the suspension can move a bit more freely.

The only answer you have here is this: you can take it off and try it. If you do that, I would leave the rear installed, including for offroad use. That helps improve the front to rear suspension performance balance.
 
The bolts came off easy, I put Anti-Seize in all the bolts except for the bolt where the bracket it on the right side, 4 yrs ago. That bolt was the one that the bracket broke off. I think the shock is in the way from getting the bolt off.
That bolt with the shock in the way would make it hard to make the quick disconnect hard to do unless a shorter pin would fit in.

The bracket got bent up from it being ripped from its weld spot. Toyota didn't use much weld on that bracket. If I had a vice I should be able to repair it. But welding it back on would be a pain without removing some parts first.
I tride to bolt it on but the bracket got mor twisted as I tighten it down.
I guess I will just leave it off.
I have stock spring and shocks with ARB bumper and Slee sliders.
Should I put heavier shocks on it or not worry as I will leave the rear bar on.


The wires for the front diff lock were mounted to the sway bar.
What should I mount the wires to???
I just put a tye strap on it loose to the brake hose for a temp fix.
 
Man, I wouldn't tie the sway bar to ANYTHING, especially the brake line. You'll rip that brake line out very easily doing that. Or maybe you meant you tied the wires to the brake line?

Shouldn't you also upgrade your springs to heavier units with that weight?
 
I put the locker wire on the brake line.
I should up grade springs but need someone to sell me their used kit ;)
as my OLD 80 doesn't know what to do with NEW parts :D
 
I'd pay a welder to put that bracket back on properly. I would not advise driving any SUV on public roads with a swaybar removed.

DougM
 
The bracket is bent and part of it was ripped of where it was welded and rusty.
I don't think it would last long if I rewelded it.
Does Toyota offer a new one?
 
FWIW, Safty inspection here wouldnt pass a rig with out a swaybar if it should have one, Good luck on your bracket, I put mine back on after a weekend trip on the trails and I noticed a huge difference, There has been some talk on WC(phaedrus,Hayes) about having quick disconnect's for the front swaybar and having another bracket welded to the frame above the axle to connect the swaybar to when disconnected durring offroad use, I just need to weld up the new bracket.

Now I know this is a bit off topic but I just though I would add
 
when i look under at that swaybar and immagine pulling pins from the axle mounts I cant help but think the swaybar will hit stuff even if you tie the axle mounts up to the frame. has anyone tried to wheel in this disconnected state with the bar still bolted at the rearmost mounts while unhhoking the axle mounts? remove just one axle mount looks like it will hit all over
 
Errrrr
Hmmmmm
??????
Ive only had them on, or off, but.... tied up at the front, behind the bumpstop, what will it hit?
 
I helped a friend repair his-we made a new bracket in about 10 minutes with a short piece of 1 x 1/8 steel strap. It's been as good or better than new. I agree that Toyota's weld here was an afterthought, and I have seen several broken off, all on the driver's side.
 

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