Man-A-Fre Extended Sway Bar Links Question

[Delirium]

Can anyone verify that the sway bar links MAF sells for the 60 series with 2-3" lifts fit on the 70 series with a OME ~2.5" lift? I know that 3/8" diameter will fit through the sway bar and frame bracket holes just fine, but I'm concerned with the length of the link and the length of the sleeve being correct. My stock links are 7.5" and the stock sleeves are between 3.25 and 3.75 (can't remember exactly).

Here is the site: http://www.man-a-fre.com/pa5/60SeriesHeavyDutyHighAngleSwayBarLinks.htm
Part # FJ62SBDROPKIT on that page.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Hulsty]

Just make your own, cost me about $10 with some parts from the local hardware shop.

 

[Delirium]

Yeah, I might just have to. But I would rather save the time and order a direct fit if I can find one.

 

[fireball]

Or you can remove the front sway bar altogether.

 

[Delirium]

Yeah, it's off now, I want to put it back.

 

[fireball]

Why? I didn't notice that big a difference with it off. Maybe my seats of the pants meter isn't calibrated properly though!

 

[Delirium]

Because, ok! Just because!

 

[Hulsty]

I much prefer having the sway bar on, handles like a dog without it. Offroad so much better handling and overall flex.

 

[fireball]

Off-road better handling and flex with the swaybar on??

 

[Delirium]

I know that no sway bar is supposed to improve articulation but I also know the purpose a sway bar serves and I benefit more from that purpose being served than I do from the results of deleting the sway bar.
I use this as my daily driver and even when I do off-road, it doesn't require any more articulation than can be provided by the stock setup and is usually on loose or muddy ground, in which case, I think the sway bar would do more good than harm.

Also (and this part is just my personal opinion with no scientific data to back it up or anything), I don't like the idea of my axle being only held in place by the leaf spring and relatively small stud at the top of the shock. I prefer to have it "stabalized" by at least something else, such as the the sway bar connected to the frame.

 

[JTarnow]

Yes the MAF swaybar links work just fine, I have them on my BJ73. If anything they may be slightly on the long side but they've worked well for me. you can always redrill the brackets and move them up or down.

I will say with the truck unloaded I couldn't notice the difference, but with 4 people and gear you sure can. I installed mine before a big 4000km trip with 4 people, and all their gear in the truck. They sway bar makes a difference in emergency maneuvers and I didn't want to risk any lives unnecessarily.

 

[Delirium]

Thank you !
Do you have the OME lift?

 

[JTarnow]

Yessir. I think I've got heavies up front but I've also got a lot of crap hanging off my front bumper so i don't know exactly where that leaves my ride height.

 

[Delirium]

Hey, did you do anything about the bolt hole on the frame bracket being so much larger than the link bolt? Seems like it would knock around without rubber bushings or a sleeve or something filling in the space...

 

[JTarnow]

I don't remember mine being that different a size. You could always just use big washers and it should clamp down fine I'd think.

 

[Delirium]

Yeah I got it taken care of using the washers from my old shocks and old links that have the sleeve protrusion to take out the extra space in the bracket hole, thanks.

What did you torque the top and bottom nuts down to? I tried the FSM recommended 13 ft/lbs but it was way too much for the bottom nut because the bushings started to compress out of place way before I got there so I torqued the top nut to 13 and hand tightened the bottom one until the bushings started to compress.

 

[AndrewHadji]

I dont know why people are so against sway bars. Agree with Jtarnow....



this was on my way to moab and my front swaybar had a loose bracket and hit a bump and got all squirly after it seperated from the axle.... No thanks.... was loaded up with full fridge and rtt plus gear for 2 weeks. Sway bars on for me while on the road always!

 

[Delirium]

lol, dang, now that's some sway!

 

[AndrewHadji]

Yea... scared the sh*t out of me (and the big rig behind me that i was talking on the CB to) Got the brackets welded back the next day and continued on my trip. I dont know if the video conveys the oh sh*t factor..... it happened on a bridge!

 

[JTarnow]

Dude that looks rough. I'm glad it wasn't me. What condition were your shocks in?