The first-ever 80 series torsion-style front swaybar

[jcardona1]

I know there's a few guys out there that have installed their own torsion style swaybar, but if you follow Rampt Customs online you'll see he's been working on a prototype kit for the 80 series. If he's able to source the splined pucks, this will be the first ever front swaybar solution offered as a kit. I'm excited to see this come to market as it's a big piece of the puzzle in building a street-worthy linked truck. This will be as easy as you can get, would require minimal welding on the frame (for the mounting plates) and on the axle (for link brackets). He would offer different size links depending on travel. His prototype was on a 3-linked 80 and has no clearance issues whatsoever.

I've talked to him quite a bit about getting these in the US and it should be quite easy to reverse the arms for LHD trucks. He would most likely ship it without the DOM housing tube to keep shipping costs down as those can be sourced here in the states for much cheaper. No ETA yet but hopefully we'll see something in the next few months.

 

[Kernal]

Interesting, is this designed mostly for a highly lifted or race truck, or can it be adapted to a stock suspension??

 

[-Spike-]

Interesting, is this designed mostly for a highly lifted or race truck, or can it be adapted to a stock suspension??

The minute you install this, it would cease to be a stock suspension. Also, what would be the point? A stock suspension wouldn't begin to take advantage of the additional range of motion and control in high-flex situations that an aftermarket swaybar should offer.

 

[jcardona1]

Interesting, is this designed mostly for a highly lifted or race truck, or can it be adapted to a stock suspension??

Bone stock I probably wouldn't bother. But I think this will be a decent upgrade for any lifted 80. Many guys disconnect their swaybar or remove it all together. It's also not unheard of to see the stock mounts get ripped off while wheeling. With a torsion-style swaybar you get the benefits of limiting body sway while still allowing the axle to move and no need to disconnect - that's why many Jeep guys upgrade to the Currie AntiRock swaybar. Up until this point there hasn't been an easy upgrade for the 80.

 

[on the rocks]

Exhaust routing for a V-8 as well...
@jcardona1 any idea how the road manner flex/ stiffness would be compared to the 30MM front SB?

 

[Squeegee]

The minute you install this, it would cease to be a stock suspension. Also, what would be the point? A stock suspension wouldn't begin to take advantage of the additional range of motion and control in high-flex situations that an aftermarket swaybar should offer.

It allows the front end to flex while having some anti roll characteristics. Everybody can benefit from it to some degree. It just matters less with radius arms because the have a lot of anti roll characteristics built in

 

[jcardona1]

Exhaust routing for a V-8 as well...
@jcardona1 any idea how the road manner flex/ stiffness would be compared to the 30MM front SB?

I think you'll definitely see more roll compared to a traditional swaybar due to the inherent characteristics of a 3-piece splined swaybar. Currie makes this disclaimer on the kits they offer:

Antirock sway bar equipped vehicles will exhibit more body roll than vehicles equipped with the stock sway bar. Antirock sway bars may be used on the street, however, they do not provide the same handling characteristics as the stock sway bar.

 

[thatcabledude]

Exhaust routing for a V-8 as well...
@jcardona1 any idea how the road manner flex/ stiffness would be compared to the 30MM front SB?

The sway bar doesn’t hinder v8 exhaust routing at all.

 

[sunrk]

Difficult to get that street legal here in Oz but as Rampt is local to me I'm sure Benji and crew will have a way to sort that out if someone with a very lifted 80 that was going to require an engineering cert anyway for NSW roads wanted to go down that route with mods.

 

[Bambusiero]

Antirock sway bar equipped vehicles will exhibit more body roll than vehicles equipped with the stock sway bar. Antirock sway bars may be used on the street, however, they do not provide the same handling characteristics as the stock sway bar.

Although Currie says that about their Jeep product. I cannot see any characteristic inherent to the 3-piece splined type swaybar that has less roll stiffness than the one-piece bent type.

Total roll stiffness in both types has to come from the sum total of the same factors (NOT easy to calculate to a number):
1) torsion bar diameter (very sensitive to small variation to this).
2) torsion bar effective length (direct inverse relationship to this).
3) torsion bar modulus of stiffness inherent to the alloy used and heat-treat temper (a secondary factor).
4) axle link position relative to the tire/wheel track-width (leverage issues).
5) lever arm length.
6) lever arm bend stiffness.
7) bushing squish - for small movements only.

I think Currie just went to market with that product with a bar diameter that was easy/cost effective to source.
They could have matched the stock Jeep bar roll stiffness (or increased it) by increasing bar diameter, but would have needed more product development cost.

Isn't that the main advantage of converting to the 3-piece splined type? That you can easily tune the roll stiffness?
Of course - that would cost even more.

 

[Squeegee]

Although Currie says that about their Jeep product. I cannot see any characteristic inherent to the 3-piece splined type swaybar that has less roll stiffness than the one-piece bent type.

Total roll stiffness in both types has to come from the sum total of the same factors (NOT easy to calculate to a number):
1) torsion bar diameter (very sensitive to small variation to this).
2) torsion bar effective length (direct inverse relationship to this).
3) torsion bar modulus of stiffness inherent to the alloy used and heat-treat temper (a secondary factor).
4) axle link position relative to the tire/wheel track-width (leverage issues).
5) lever arm length.
6) lever arm bend stiffness.
7) bushing squish - for small movements only.

I think Currie just went to market with that product with a bar diameter that was easy/cost effective to source.
They could have matched the stock Jeep bar roll stiffness (or increased it) by increasing bar diameter, but would have needed more product development cost.

Isn't that the main advantage of converting to the 3-piece splined type? That you can easily tune the roll stiffness?
Of course - that would cost even more.

I agree with all of this