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Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question

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Offline Phase change

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Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« on: November 15, 2017, 01:21:53 PM »
How many of you run no sway bar on your IFS rigs?  Obviously the more off road guys are going to run without but for DD general purpose I’ve had good result on other vehicles running without

2003 Suzuki tracker 4d 5sp 2.0 “piglet”
Deleted air 4wd system, Manual hubs, 2” lift, 235/75,

Old ride: 1997 X90 “jellybean” best lil car I’ve ever had

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2017, 04:56:00 PM »
If the vehicle is a daily driver, I'm going to recommend against removal, and if it sees any highway use at all, then I'm going to strongly recommend against removal.

Many years ago I was doing some work on the "family wagon" and the captive nuts in the frame rails that secured the sway bar U clamps broke loose, I removed the bar entirely and took a short test drive and the vehicle seemed quite stable without it, before I had a chance to weld new nuts in I had to make a short trip out of town (no more than 25 miles) and I set out with my family in the car.

Whilst overtaking a truck I hit a patch of standing water with one front tire, which under normal circumstances, would not have been an issue (for that vehicle), but without the bar, the car started to sway, and I came within a hairsbreadth of losing control and putting my family under the truck.

Since then I have driven multiple vehicles very short distances without the swaybar fitted, primarily for testing purposes - my GV because of the additional body roll, will unload the rear axle in a turn and become even more tail happy than it normally is - and this is with OME springs that are approximately 25% stiffer than stock, which actually reduces body roll.

'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2017, 10:55:38 AM »
Well I tried to replace it but gosh it sure doesn’t want to fit now that I’ve lifted.  I tried and eventually got it on but it looked ridiculously misaligned in the arms.  So I took off again. I need drop brackets or somehow to bend it if it’s going to work. 
2003 Suzuki tracker 4d 5sp 2.0 “piglet”
Deleted air 4wd system, Manual hubs, 2” lift, 235/75,

Old ride: 1997 X90 “jellybean” best lil car I’ve ever had

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2017, 11:53:27 AM »
Do you have access to "service ramps"?

Put the car on the ramps so that the weight of the vehicle is on the wheels and you have enough space to get underneath - fit the end links to the bar, then fit them to the control arms and then rotate the bar up against the chassis rails and bolt it into place.

You can make spacers to drop the bar, but they will have to be "off set" because the bar sits on a diagonal section of the frame rail and a spacer that just spaces it away from the frame will be moving both forwards and down.
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2017, 02:32:59 PM »
Ya I have ramps although with the lift I can actually get in there without any.  I see the spacers people have put on the bar mounts, and I may try that I also see a lot of people swearing the bar off completely so I may try it and see.  I know my Tacoma was quite nice without the bar, but it had wider tires and wider stance. 
I love the new welded front diff actuator!  It engages so much more smoothly now, can’t even feel it while driving.  Because all the hardware is spinning already.  It’s a semi difficult mod but free and so it was worth it to me. 
If anyone needs theirs welded up I’d be happy to do it (if you bring me the opened diff;)
2003 Suzuki tracker 4d 5sp 2.0 “piglet”
Deleted air 4wd system, Manual hubs, 2” lift, 235/75,

Old ride: 1997 X90 “jellybean” best lil car I’ve ever had

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Offline MexicoMatt

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2018, 10:45:38 AM »
Ya I have ramps although with the lift I can actually get in there without any.  I see the spacers people have put on the bar mounts, and I may try that I also see a lot of people swearing the bar off completely so I may try it and see.  I know my Tacoma was quite nice without the bar, but it had wider tires and wider stance. 
I love the new welded front diff actuator!  It engages so much more smoothly now, can’t even feel it while driving.  Because all the hardware is spinning already.  It’s a semi difficult mod but free and so it was worth it to me. 
If anyone needs theirs welded up I’d be happy to do it (if you bring me the opened diff;)


Have any pictures of the welded diff? I did mine and still have no 4x4...

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2018, 03:07:03 PM »
Yep looks good.  Can I ask if you did any undue hammering of the side shafts when re installing?  My circlips were very stubborn and I ended up breaking my welds free and disengaging the front diff.  Had to tear it down and weld it more.  And you might want a little more weld than that also, because it’s hardened metal and not really “weldable”
Just an idea. 
2003 Suzuki tracker 4d 5sp 2.0 “piglet”
Deleted air 4wd system, Manual hubs, 2” lift, 235/75,

Old ride: 1997 X90 “jellybean” best lil car I’ve ever had

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Offline MexicoMatt

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2018, 05:10:45 AM »
Yep looks good.  Can I ask if you did any undue hammering of the side shafts when re installing?  My circlips were very stubborn and I ended up breaking my welds free and disengaging the front diff.  Had to tear it down and weld it more.  And you might want a little more weld than that also, because it’s hardened metal and not really “weldable”
Just an idea.



On the initial teardown I too broke a clip. My axle slid in with not too much hammering.  Also we weren't really thinking and welded it with a MIG welder and as you can imagine got ZERO penetration.... Lol sooooo out it came again and we forced the actuator over and stuffed some chunks of 1/4" threaded rod into it and welded those into place! Just be careful that you don't weld the spring!  :-\ On a positive note, the passenger axle came out very easily this time and we had the whole job done in less than 3hrs!

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Offline MexicoMatt

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Re: Sway bar or no sway bar. That is the question
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2018, 05:13:42 AM »
Yep looks good.  Can I ask if you did any undue hammering of the side shafts when re installing?  My circlips were very stubborn and I ended up breaking my welds free and disengaging the front diff.  Had to tear it down and weld it more.  And you might want a little more weld than that also, because it’s hardened metal and not really “weldable”
Just an idea.

Couple of pictures. I know the welds look like hell, I'm definitely not a welder.