Sway bar info: Good or Bad? Lifesaving or off-road limiting

Took mine off and left it off when I completed my lift. Rides great with the 885's. You can tell from the start but after driving for a few weeks you don't really notice it anymore. I notice my damn MPG though now that I have 285 70's on!!

 

I've been thinking about removing mine. So after reading everything, there's two different opinions, but is it really that bad without it?

It sounds like if you take it off and you do a quick maneuver at speed you will roll into a fiery death. I raced a spec Honda hatchback without sway bars and it drove just fine on the track.

So with aftermarket springs and shocks (I have OME with 885's) you won't notice much of a difference?

I'm confused...

 

You will feel more body roll. It doesnt feel dangerous. I drove slow right after I took it off. I am starting to go faster. As long as its not a sharp turn at a high speed you should be fine. If your not wheeling alot then its probably not worth taking it off.

 

Apples and Dinosaurs.

Your hatchback had a low center of gravity with less travel in the suspension, your Tacoma has more. Now, even with a swaybar, cutting the wheel hard will roll a Tacoma under the right conditions. With a suspension upgrade, especially with stiffer coils, the added spring rate will resist the body roll almost as good as a swaybar. The advantage to not having a swaybar is that each wheel can fully cycle independently. This is a major advantage off-road.

If you never or hardly ever see dirt or rocks, there isn't much of an advantage to remove the swaybar. If you do go on the trails, there is a definite advantage to removing the swaybar.

 

It's no more body roll than a jeep/truck/car with worn out suspension parts, less in fact. I've got other than stock coilovers and only at first when testing with a back and forth (racing wheel scrub style) noticed barely/slightly more body roll; daily driving, I feel it rides a little better on rough roads. You will not die a fiery death, if you don't like it, put it back on, or never take it off. You won't really know until you try it, and I would guess one may never put it back on but to sell/trade the truck for another Tacoma.

 

I totally understand they are different beasts, but even on the track where 90% of the driving is hard turns I didn't notice body roll.

But, back to the truck I've been debating taking the sway bar off because while I don't wheel hardcore, I go on roads and places that a truck is needed. I work in vineyards and drive the truck where mostly tractors go, and I have driven enough wash board roads that my doors feel like are not closed all the way on normal roads.

I just want to minimizes the side to side jerking I get now, but I don't want to potentially make a dangerous situation on highways. I just can't gauge what really happens because the opinions are so different. I guess there's only one way to find out.

 

If your offroading consists of cruising around a vineyard leave it on, it's not worth taking off.

 

I wouldn't quite say it's a cruise, but I'll take you're word for it.

Nice truck by the way!

 

While you're baja'n around the vineyard... better?

and thanks!

 

Took mine off. I love it. After a day you become used to the difference.

 

Get adjustable shocks. My Icons with the CDCV handled the no sway bar perfectly.

 

what are the pros and cons of removing the sway bar. currently have ome lift with 885 coils and all pro leafs

 

Took mine off and I haven't ever thought about putting it back on. Just don't drive like a dummy and your good to go!

 

I pulled mine off today. I'm on the stock sport suspension for now, and I love the way it feels. I'm going to "Big Dogs" in a week and 1/2. I have no lockers, so I need all the traction possible. After 1 1/2 weeks normal driving, a 6 hr each way road trip, and some off-roading at Big Dogs I'll make a final decision on whether or not I will put it back on.

I'm sure it will stay off.

 

I took mine off over a week ago to see how it handled for an upcoming off road trip.

I am unarmored with 885s in front, and an AAL in back. I do close to 90/10 street-highway/offroad

Pros:
Great for cruising the street in the city of Houston. Especially when we have a pothole of the week. I no longer get jerked around when one tire hits the hole. Granted the speeds are around 30mph, it feels much better. And it even handles better than my girlfriend's TJ even with her swaybar on.

Offroading it was great. It handled the obstacles I took fairly well. Al tires were able to make contact, and there wasn't a lot of spin.


Cons:
Sharp turns at high speeds never was your friend to begin with. Especially in a truck with a high center of gravity. And it especially isn't when you take the sway bar off.

Summary:
I liked it, you may not. If you like to swang and bang, this is not the route to go. But I know I'll be one of those owners that has their sway bar rusting in the corner of a garage.

 

My 2014 Dcsb is pretty bad at high speed/hard brakes/swerve when there's a deer. It's completely stock. The front corner hit the bump stop. I decided the sway bar doesn't do all that much anyway haha.

 

been 2 + weeks with mine off.

Again, Stock TRD OR coils with 5100's set at 1.75, wheelers 2in AAL on a 3+1 stock leaf pack and OME N182 shocks in the rear.


The sway bar is never going to go back on so long as i own the truck. It drives so much nicer, you dont feel all the bitty bumps in the road, going over speed bumps at an angle yeilds them almost not felt at all, same goes for entering driveways etc where the whole truck would of normally gotten thrown back n forth, now its like yeah ok, so there was a bump.

Yes there is more body roll.... but even being VERY AGRESSIVE (parking lot / industrial area quick lane changes at 50+ mph tests yanking the wheel like an idiot) it wasnt like OH GOD its going to roll...

 

I am running 3" lift 285s and full blown stage 3 URD SC set up with no sway bar. I just drive fast in straight lines and have a blast in the mountains on trails.

 

I was thinking of removing mine when I swap my spacer lift for 5100's, w/ stock springs, In a couple weeks. (already ordered, stupid backorder...). I only do around 95 / 5 on road vs off road. But I had a lifted XJ with no bars and drove that for 3 years, never even thought about it.