Rear sway bar disconnects?

[98XJ&88MJ]

Try an experiment:
Hook a softly sprung stock Cherokee with the rear sway bar to a near 3000 lb. trailer that is tongue heavy and without a load equalizing hitch. Drive the combination along a graveled mountain road that has sharp, non-constant radius, curves.
Then try the same trick with the rear sway bar removed. There is a definite advantage to having the rear sway bar. Going down steep crooked grades without the swaybar is especially touchy. Here is at least one situation where disconnect-reconnects would be useful.
This was a real situation; not an experiment. The second trip was a year later and the tires were more worn. Otherwise, the circumstances were similar. I did it for a flat-lander friend who felt that his front wheel drive mini-van was inadequate for the trailer on the mountain road described.
I had removed the sway bar because a rust problem (the used Cherokee had spent its' earlier years near the ocean in North Carolina) caused me to break the bolts that connected it to the unibody, so I just took it off. The third year I had a new, stock 98 Cherokee with Up-Country suspension (no rear sway bar) and it was definitely better than the second year and seemed marginally better that the first. Probably not the final word, but one more opinion.

 

[small pederson]

if you are like ^ that guy and have such a hard on about rear sway bars, get under there with your eyes, your brain, and a tape measurer and fabricate some. its pretty easy

 

[DrMoab]

Try an experiment:
Hook a softly sprung stock Cherokee with the rear sway bar to a near 3000 lb. trailer that is tongue heavy and without a load equalizing hitch. Drive the combination along a graveled mountain road that has sharp, non-constant radius, curves.
Then try the same trick with the rear sway bar removed. There is a definite advantage to having the rear sway bar. Going down steep crooked grades without the swaybar is especially touchy. Here is at least one situation where disconnect-reconnects would be useful.
This was a real situation; not an experiment. The second trip was a year later and the tires were more worn. Otherwise, the circumstances were similar. I did it for a flat-lander friend who felt that his front wheel drive mini-van was inadequate for the trailer on the mountain road described.
I had removed the sway bar because a rust problem (the used Cherokee had spent its' earlier years near the ocean in North Carolina) caused me to break the bolts that connected it to the unibody, so I just took it off. The third year I had a new, stock 98 Cherokee with Up-Country suspension (no rear sway bar) and it was definitely better than the second year and seemed marginally better that the first. Probably not the final word, but one more opinion.

Two words....Air bags.

 

[BIG-G]

if you are like ^ that guy and have such a hard on about rear sway bars, get under there with your eyes, your brain, and a tape measurer and fabricate some. its pretty easy

Thats more then likely what i will do. Fab up my own rear sway disco's.

 

[logdog]

I fabbed my own and will post pics if I can find them.

I DID notice a difference in handling when I removed it all together, and I run custom Alcan Springs. I guess i just enjoyed the extra, even minor control when bombing down a windey canyon at 65. Just because one rig runs fine without, does not mean eveyones will.

Although I did discard mine, along with the front, when my heep became a dedicated trail rig.

 

[Martinida]

TK Sliders

 

[JBM]

Would removing the rear swaybar effect towing any? I would like to remove mine but I tow a boat pretty often. Do "you" (guys) think this could create any problems?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[sjx40250]

This is always an interesting discussion! I have found that there are no benefits to removal if you rarely go off road. The reason for removal is articulation. If you don't need it, don't spend the time removing it. The on road benefits out weighs the removal effort.

My 90 is mostly a road ride. I removed it and am now considering putting it back in. There are some subtle negitive changes in ride over bumps with out it.

Since we are on the topic of sway bars, does anyone know which models came with the 1" up front?

My 92 has one and I love the difference in ride.

 

[dmillion]

I would remove the rear swaybar and put a 28mm bar up front. You'll get better than stock handling (unless, of course, your stock front bar is 28mm already) and still be able to easily disco the front for off-roading.