faraiwe
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- NE Florida
OHAI.
Been a minute since I last posted here.
I imagine I am not the first idi... USER... to wonder about this. Stabilizer/Sway bar QD. Was there ever a *perfect* solution?
The mount fins, on stock axle, for the factory linkage are deeply uninspiring. If you don't want to simply whack them off and weld some decent mounts on, you're left with few options. Most of the available aftermarket QD kits have really inconvenient solutions to holding the whole thing in place. Most seem to rely on threaded links, which are often stripped (am going by first hand of hearing people whine about them). If you get "solid" links, you have to deal with nuts and washers, which must be wrenched away, every time you want to hit the trail. Some other kits depend on flimsy, dubious cotter pins.
After lift, I chucked the sway bar away, after all, COME ON... =) But, then, my XJ started to display the dreaded wobble, at speeds over 60mph, on uneven asphalt. Sorta annoying. Bushings were new, shocks, coils, etc. Suppose you can't get away from physics/harmonics of a bouncy front suspension based on a solid, live axle trying to catch up with other side going up and down. Meh.
Some time later, slapped the sway bar back in, with factory mounts plus decent MOOG bushings, and installed the QD links that came with the lift kit (3.5" Rubicon Express; no, not the RE1130 links, mine are the older design, "solid"). However, the whole wrench the nylon retaining nut every time you want to bounce a bit is quite annoying.
The bolts are a 1/2" thick, 19mm hex, rated (8.9), with a nylon hex nut to match. Not really handy to un-do, on the fly. What to do, what to do...
Dawned on me that any 1/2"(ish) diameter bolt, rated to sufficient tensile strength would do. I know, I am a GENIUS! :laugh: Pondering that the stresses on the sway bar, on street or road aren't really that stupid high, and mostly taken by the bushings, I wondered if something with a quick lock system would not do, and if I could improvise, or find. As it turns out, I was fixing the trailer hitch wiring attachment point...
...and voîlà.
For those wondering, Reese #70067, at about $5, each. The tow hitch pin takes a lot more stress than the sway bar link bolts usually undergo, on a more consistent basis, too. Wary, I decided to test it, got me a couple of the same hitch pins I use, slipped them in; thick, rated washers for good measure. Road tested it on a relatively empty road nearby. Not a problem, whatsoever, on several runs. The bushings keep tension on the flip lock, and the flip lock moves along with the washer, as the bushing flexes, but under tension, so it didn't even move (90-degree force product equals zero). Yes, the pin turns, but remained on and without issues, every time I take it for a spin, and inspect afterwards. I'm still calling it under "homologation", though. :yap:
Impressions, critique, suggestions, and other rants? How have others solved the same issue, if you even had it, or consider it such?
Been a minute since I last posted here.
I imagine I am not the first idi... USER... to wonder about this. Stabilizer/Sway bar QD. Was there ever a *perfect* solution?
The mount fins, on stock axle, for the factory linkage are deeply uninspiring. If you don't want to simply whack them off and weld some decent mounts on, you're left with few options. Most of the available aftermarket QD kits have really inconvenient solutions to holding the whole thing in place. Most seem to rely on threaded links, which are often stripped (am going by first hand of hearing people whine about them). If you get "solid" links, you have to deal with nuts and washers, which must be wrenched away, every time you want to hit the trail. Some other kits depend on flimsy, dubious cotter pins.
After lift, I chucked the sway bar away, after all, COME ON... =) But, then, my XJ started to display the dreaded wobble, at speeds over 60mph, on uneven asphalt. Sorta annoying. Bushings were new, shocks, coils, etc. Suppose you can't get away from physics/harmonics of a bouncy front suspension based on a solid, live axle trying to catch up with other side going up and down. Meh.
Some time later, slapped the sway bar back in, with factory mounts plus decent MOOG bushings, and installed the QD links that came with the lift kit (3.5" Rubicon Express; no, not the RE1130 links, mine are the older design, "solid"). However, the whole wrench the nylon retaining nut every time you want to bounce a bit is quite annoying.
The bolts are a 1/2" thick, 19mm hex, rated (8.9), with a nylon hex nut to match. Not really handy to un-do, on the fly. What to do, what to do...
Dawned on me that any 1/2"(ish) diameter bolt, rated to sufficient tensile strength would do. I know, I am a GENIUS! :laugh: Pondering that the stresses on the sway bar, on street or road aren't really that stupid high, and mostly taken by the bushings, I wondered if something with a quick lock system would not do, and if I could improvise, or find. As it turns out, I was fixing the trailer hitch wiring attachment point...
...and voîlà.
For those wondering, Reese #70067, at about $5, each. The tow hitch pin takes a lot more stress than the sway bar link bolts usually undergo, on a more consistent basis, too. Wary, I decided to test it, got me a couple of the same hitch pins I use, slipped them in; thick, rated washers for good measure. Road tested it on a relatively empty road nearby. Not a problem, whatsoever, on several runs. The bushings keep tension on the flip lock, and the flip lock moves along with the washer, as the bushing flexes, but under tension, so it didn't even move (90-degree force product equals zero). Yes, the pin turns, but remained on and without issues, every time I take it for a spin, and inspect afterwards. I'm still calling it under "homologation", though. :yap:
Impressions, critique, suggestions, and other rants? How have others solved the same issue, if you even had it, or consider it such?
