Just wanted confirmation about using no sway bars

[PAPXJ]

I hook up my front swaybar when I have passengers on the highway, otherwise it is disconnected.

 

[jeepme]

I hook up my front swaybar when I have passengers on the highway, otherwise it is disconnected.

This cracks me up, have you thought of the other drivers that our on the highway with you.? If you where to lose control of your Jeep because your sway bar was not on and hit someone else and injured them or there passengers how would that make ya feel.

 

[xjj33p3r]

It'll be driveable, it'll just sway a lot. And your friend was wrong about not being able to run the rear sway bar after just a 2" lift. I ran with it up to 4.5", so you can bolt it back on if you like.

 

[xjoe]

for you guys who don't run a swaybar... do you wear your seat belts?

Yes..

 

[xjoe]

No, mearly alluding to the fact that the front swaybar is similar to your seatbelt (or a helmet on a bike) -- it's a safety device that really only comes into use during extreme situations, not regular everyday use.

I'm running an RE 5.5" lift with Bilstein 5150's, and even with that setup I MUCH prefer the handling with my front swaybar connected vs disconnected. Even if that wasn't the case, I'd still run one. My safety and that of those around me or in my Jeep isn't worth the <1 minute it takes to pull two pins and swing my disco's up. I mean, what else am I going to do while my tires are deflating?

you deflate your tires?

 

[PAPXJ]

This cracks me up, have you thought of the other drivers that our on the highway with you.? If you where to lose control of your Jeep because your sway bar was not on and hit someone else and injured them or there passengers how would that make ya feel.

I don't worry about losing control at all...I connect my swaybar when I have passengers so they don't get motion sickness that's all.

 

[bigo]

I run the front in the winter and disconnect it for the summer. No rear.
Works fine.
Big O

 

[Ex CCS Racer]

Maybe I should tell the people I sold my Land Rover to that I tossed both front and rear swaybars. They thought it drove great even with 2" of lift and MT's.

 

[jeep-man-man]

I think both of my sway bars are in a dumpster some where...It drives just fine with out them...Disconnects are annoying.

 

[Israel]

I've been sway-barless for 2 years now. On my particular ride, I do notice that it has that cadillac "sloshy" feeling when making manuvers on-road. I would prefer to run with the front bar on-road, but I've been too lazy to go buy new hardware to relplace what I lost a couple years ago. I haven't had any scary experiences, but I'll tell ya, I have had a constant worry in the back of my mind that if I ever were in an accident which was my fault, would the cop notice that my suspension wasn't up to par? I'm sure the lawyers would love that if the other person decided to sue me!

 

[LilRedRover]

yep, always a good idea after any steering, suspension, tire work. If you have a National Tire and Battery near you, they have a few good deals.

One time alignment is $69....BUT
One year unlimited is $89
Two years is $109
Three years is $129. UNLIMITED. I go after every trip, every time I do major work on it, or any time i need something else worked on I go to NTB. Not trying to advertise for them against any rules, but it's a pretty sweet deal.

Chris

wow... they gave you quite a deal... Of course you may not be as high as I am, but I had to get the "speciality" package and I went with a 5 year program for 280 dollars... no alignments for five years that I'll have to pay for though... and it's transferable once.

 

[Ghetto2315]

It'll be driveable, it'll just sway a lot. And your friend was wrong about not being able to run the rear sway bar after just a 2" lift. I ran with it up to 4.5", so you can bolt it back on if you like.

GGGGGRreat.... anybody want to sell me their stock rear sway bars now??

Granted you guys tell me its definetely not needed, I probably would feel safer with them...

 

[tealcherokee]

it wasnt the fact that he couldnt run it at 2", it was the fact that rustys didnt sell the AAL w/ new u bolts, so with the AAL in, the sway bar mount couldnt be bolted down

dan you definatly dont need the rear bar, you wont feel a difference, the person you quoted must be referring to the front one

 

[Ex CCS Racer]

GGGGGRreat.... anybody want to sell me their stock rear sway bars now??

Granted you guys tell me its definetely not needed, I probably would feel safer with them...

Don't bother adding a rear. Some models didn't even come with a rear swaybar. I can't remember which years/trim pkg though.

 

[non-stick]

If you have a National Tire and Battery near you, they have a few good deals.

One time alignment is $69....BUT
One year unlimited is $89
Two years is $109

Just watch them CLOSELY. I have had bad experiences with EVERY NTB I have dealt with in VA.

- Woodbridge screwed up install of wife's struts in '89 (strut pulled out 'cause lazy installer couldn't get strut base in far enough for bolt to pass thru)
- Springfield screwed up minivan strut/shock install in '01 (front springs were 90* out and and installed rear shock upside down causing complete failure in 6 mos)
- Frederiscksburg didn't torque lugs on my XJ last year after an alignment (drove home and wheels had loosened up) while the Jeep was still stock.

Buy tires and batteries there, go to a real shop to have work done.

Just my $.02

 

[pabloconrad]

No, mearly alluding to the fact that the front swaybar is similar to your seatbelt (or a helmet on a bike) -- it's a safety device that really only comes into use during extreme situations, not regular everyday use.

You never know when that extreme situation can come. I cover a lot of accidents and it amazes me how many people don't pay attention to their driving. Many times, serious accidents are caused by someone not paying attention and pulling out in front of someone. Several months ago some tourists from Illinois weren't paying attention to the road and the driver turned into an on coming truck. The driver of the truck tried to avoid it but couldn't. A woman died at the scene. All because the driver wasn't paying attention.Not a pretty sight.

Three years ago a man in an XJ rolled 150 feet off the road at Shale Bluffs on Hiway 82. He survived and couldn't tell the sheriff's deputies why he lost control so easily. The never found out why he lost control but supected it was his suspension.

You just never know.

I mean c mon guys what is so hard about diconnecting or reconnecting your sway bar?

What's a minute for safety? We spend more time making sure our rigs are more safe for the trail than the road. Spend a few moments and take care of it.

I hook up my front swaybar when I have passengers on the highway, otherwise it is disconnected.

Why not other times?

I run the front in the winter and disconnect it for the summer. No rear. Works fine.

Winter in Colorado is no picnic sometimes. I've noticed the first time driving on ice and snow when my sway bars were disconnected. It handled poorly.


I have the RE lift and the unloading can suck. The front gets hooked up pronto when I get on pavement. Especially driving the paved roads around here (The Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado). There's more curves than a Miss America pageant. Sometimes you get a little too much speed and the XJ handles quite poorly. Better safe than sorry.

It's not my driving that bothers me, it's the other drivers.

 

[scarface]

not 100% on this (it's some time now), but when I was putting a budget boost on my XJ way back when, my buddy told me that some models, the up country with the towing package never even came from the factory with a rear sway bar. Can anyone out there verify this?
got rid of mine (rear) then...
At that time I also was riding with like a 2" BB and no front sway bar for almost a year. no problem handeling...
I have my front installed now though with disconnects.

 

[Timber]

My passenger-side link is off right now--poorly executed welding by me. I welded a longer stud to it and it snapped. I can tell a difference, and since I have two young boys I'm not taking any chances. It's getting fixed this weekend. I only have homemade discos, and it takes a few minutes to undo and redo them, but other people's safety is worth my time to me.

 

[Timber]

not 100% on this (it's some time now), but when I was putting a budget boost on my XJ way back when, my buddy told me that some models, the up country with the towing package never even came from the factory with a rear sway bar. Can anyone out there verify this?

He's correct. UpCountry models deleted the rear anti-sway bar due to stiffer leaf packs. As Jason pointed out previously, leaf-sprung suspensions are inherently more stable laterally than the typical coil setup (even though he was referring to a YJ's front system, it applies to the rear, too).
EDIT: To my knowledge, the towing package had nothing to do with having a rear bar or not.

 

[Jeepin Jason]

He's correct. UpCountry models deleted the rear anti-sway bar due to stiffer leaf packs. As Jason pointed out previously, leaf-sprung suspensions are inherently more stable laterally than the typical coil setup (even though he was referring to a YJ's front system, it applies to the rear, too).
EDIT: To my knowledge, the towing package had nothing to do with having a rear bar or not.

Correct. The UpCountry option package (not to be confuzzed with the Country model) deleted the rear swaybar. Tow package had nothing to do with it.