Sway bar on or off for off road trip?

[Randy88FJ62]

I have had my 88 FJ62 for 2 months and this weekend will be my first trip out. It has stock crappy 31" tires and old tired leaf springs.

Question: Should the sway bar be on or off for a close to stock vehicle like mine during off roading? If there is little gain by taking it off then I will leave it on. Does taking it off help articulation enough to justify removing it for my 3 day weekend trip to Lake Isabella in So Cal? (btw anyone is invited who can make it, 9 rigs total at this time. It's 3 hours north of L.A.)

Thanks for the help, I want to make sure I have the right setup for this weekend.
-Randy

 

[gaylon]

I have had my 88 FJ62 for 2 months and this weekend will be my first trip out. It has stock crappy 31" tires and old tired leaf springs.

Question: Should the sway bar be on or off for a close to stock vehicle like mine during off roading? If there is little gain by taking it off then I will leave it on. Does taking it off help articulation enough to justify removing it for my 3 day weekend trip to Lake Isabella in So Cal? (btw anyone is invited who can make it, 9 rigs total at this time. It's 3 hours north of L.A.)

Thanks for the help, I want to make sure I have the right setup for this weekend.
-Randy

It helps articulation to take it off, no question. With tired springs and smaller tires if you go over rough stuff you are going to beat the crap out of the truck either way. If you are mostly doing trails - expedition stuff - leave it on. If you are doing rock crawling, take it off. It is easy enough to pull it off. I have done it trailside in a few minutes (on a 60). You could even take it off when you get to the trailheard. PB Blaster the bolts now to make it easier.

 

[Mace]

just leave it on.

 

[tonkota]

I'd leave it on. Especially if you and the vehicle haven't had time together on the trail. Even with it on you'll max out your shocks first.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Thanks Tonkota. That sounds good. I'll keep em on for this weekend. I assume when i get around to new suspension (2" lift springs) then it becomes advantagous to remove the sway bars? Assuming the new shocks allow full articulation?

 

[Hank]

Removing the sway bars is such a jeep thing to do. If everything is in good shape leave it alone.

 

[brownbear]

well your 62 has front and rear sways. My 60 only has a front. When I installed my BDS lift it came with longer bolts and bushings to attach the sway bar. Honestly I think this renders the swar bar useless anyhow, as now it just pulls on those long bolts. So I don't feel the need to disconnect. So I doubt when you put on your lift it will be needed.

So once again just leave it on.

 

[mkaustin]

Brian,

Here is a pic' of our '89 from last summer. Riding 31" tires, open diffs and the sway bars connected. The only thing in the suspension not stock is the OME shackles up front.
Yeah, I scrapped in some places, but most I got through more places that I thought I could, including this one.

 

[SLOwag]

Leave it alone, it's probably rusted on anyways.

You'll find other things with your rig that will hang you up first...like the big ol' rear end on these rigs. Use this outing as a discovery for what is capable on a stock rig and don't smash your rockers!

Have fun.

 

[tonkota]

Brian,

Here is a pic' of our '89 from last summer. Riding 31" tires, open diffs and the sway bars connected. The only thing in the suspension not stock is the OME shackles up front.
Yeah, I scrapped in some places, but most I got through more places that I thought I could, including this one.

I think these wagons wheel pretty well in stock(ish) form also. My mini truck wheeled as well, but it was modified and took more abuse to get where I wanted, not as smooth.

couple poser pics:
http://www.steelnthings.com/lcsnowsm.jpg
http://www.steelnthings.com/lcsnowrsm.jpg

 

[benw4x4]

I took mine off. It does'nt make much difference either way. At least with it off there is less that can get hung up or bent.

Ben

 

[Red04VXE]

Mine is off permantly and it's fine for highway work and great off road.

 

[gaylon]

My buddy and I ran the rubithon last year in his 60 and we removed the sway bars in the second day and it made a significant difference. He had a OME dakar lift and 33" tires. As I said before, on a stock set up, I think the benefit would be minimal.

 

[Front Range 4x4]

I was always of the opinion to leave them on until giving my 62 a final look before heading to Moab and found my front sway bar clamp was broken. I pulled them both off and could hardly notice any change on the highway. They'll never go back on but, like somebody else said, a good set of springs may not really benefit from them like old soft ones would.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate all the comments. It looks like I will keep the sway bars on this weekend.
-Randy

 

[lehiguy]

Mine hit the trash bin 11 years ago.

 

[Downey]

My personal preference would be to shed the weight and readjust to the new feel of your rig without sway bars (slightly more lean in a corner). Now for your IFS buddies, they need to throw their sway bars into the recycle bin ASAP---how do you have IFS with a sway bar that wants the right wheel to do what the left wheel does?????

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Wheeled with the sway bar on and everything went ok. My s***ty stock tires even did well. See my new thread posted today to see pics of the wheeling at "red lake" near fresno.

 

[tonkota]

Wheeled with the sway bar on and everything went ok. My s***ty stock tires even did well. See my new thread posted today to see pics of the wheeling at "red lake" near fresno.

Yes, those are some nice pics!! Glad you enjoyed your rig!

Weight of an anti-sway bar Downey? Really? 1/10th of a percent of the weight? Yea, that will help.

Do a flexing test some place if you'd like. Drive through a ditch at an angle, measure the distance that the tire is from the fender lip and then take the anti-sway bars out and try it again. I'll keep mine. Our RR gets loaded pretty heavy and with out them it would be very bad. I noticed a difference by just installing the poly (so they call them) bushing kit from SOR. I think they are more of a tough ass plastic. I like them though, they fit very nice.