Sway Bar Delete Review

@mstudt may have something

 

I remember seeing the thread for a different design where the end-link has a heim end that slid up and down the link itself when disengaged. I didn't pay too much attention to it, but that's what I was looking for to share.

My honest opinion and review for the debate is to keep it either on or off as opposed to having something with quick disconnects. The problem with quick disconnects isn't in the hardware- it's in user error. You get used to driving your truck when it handles and behaves a certain way, but once you remove the sway bar, it handles differently. Since the truck no longer reacts the same to driver input, you can cause over steer while off road. Being in tune to varying vehicle dynamics to the point where you can change the way you drive on the fly is a skill that not a lot of people have.

While doing routine maintenance on my truck, I removed my sway bar last week. (I just replaced it this weekend.) While I can definitely see the benefits of not having one off-road, my truck spends more time as a commuter than in dirt. The loss of on-road performance and drivability far outweighed the off-road performance gain for me. While I could have adjusted my driving habits to the truck without the sway bar, I much prefer the tighter suspension for city driving. Conversely, someone that spends more time off-road or has a dedicated commuter car might benefit from not having a sway bar.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/sway-bar-links.470412/

That's the one.

 

Totally agree with everything said. I drive a service truck, so no biggie for work. Also my truck spends a lot of time in the dirt.

Didn't trucks used to not have sway bars?

 

There were a few factors involving my rollover.
But definitely curious how many rollovers on this site didn't have a sway bar on their trucks at the time of the accident. I've noticed 3 or 4 through-out the years...

At full turn & stuff how do you keep the brake lines from bunching up and catching on the sway bar??? It just doesn't seem worth-while to having it flop around down there...

Does anybody else here run the sway bar with just the end links removed? I've never seen anybody do that before or claim to do it. They either remove it for good. Leave it on. Or pull it off when they hit the trailhead.

 

I'e been in a few solo accidents and dutch experiences. Speed was involved in all of them...

But I digress. We are free to do what we want with our vehicles.

Which makes me wonder on the legality and insurability of an altered rig like mine and others???

 

I'm just adding my experience.

Ran without one for five years.

Saw how it contributed to my rollover after I recently reinstalled it.

I'm sure it could cause some kind of liability if it was noticed to be intentionally removed in the event of an accident involved in a serious injury or death...

Trucks in general have a higher rollover risk to begin with. My insurance adjuster never mentioned the missing sway bar... Insurance went way up. But I'm sure that's going to happen.

 

Ill have to take a pic when I get back home, but i haven't had it get caught on anything. Gotta think about it this way: Since the sway bar is mounted to the frame, other than possibly bouncing up and down (which good bushings should prevent) it shouldn't really move with suspension articulation with the end links removed. Additionally, anything that rotates around it one way should be able to rotate back the other way. And i know that there's at least two different sway bar styles. On mine, the end links are attached to the back half of the lca and don't come anywhere near the brake lines since the caliper is toward the front of the rotor.

And it's only 4 nuts. So easy to r&r the end links before and after the fun

 

LOL....on road, I rolled my truck with no front sway bar. So, good luck with that. I suppose if you used your rig for off road 0NLY, so be it.
On road, with no sway bar......have good insurance.

 

and hope to god the insurance company doesn't know a damn thing about it.

 

I bought my truck with the sway bar missing. I also have a 4" lift. It was just aligned and was able to get it in spec.

I have an uncomfortable wander at highway speeds. Would adding the sway bar back help wander, or just body roll?

 

It very well could assist with your wander. But I'd also look at your steering/ suspension for play/wear

 

I've rolled a Honda CRX with swaybars... so...

If you drive it around and aren't comfortable with it, put the swaybar back on.

I'm rolling with mid travel Kings and no swaybar, and hardly noticed a difference over stock. It's a truck, and a 4x4 at that, so you can't exactly expect it to handle like a sports car. I didn't take the sb off until it wasn't my daily driver anymore, and is now primarily an off-roader/play truck, but I'm not afraid to drive it on the street, either.

Just like with ANY mod we make to our trucks, as long as you have an idea of how they (bigger tires, lift, etc...) affect the drivability of your truck and appropriately compensate for it, you should be fine.

 

It'll definitely help. Aftermarket UCA will also help. And getting an alignment with over 2° +caster will help, but it maybe impossible with 4" of lift to get that caster back...
I ran without a SB for over 4 years. After too many close calls, I put it back on. Helped with wander that I'd never noticed. Truck handles xtremely well now.

 

Thank you for your reply!

I created a new thread which details my issues, including what I think may be an out of adjustment, or bad steering rack.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/steering-play-wander-lift.537733/

All opinions are welcome.

 

I had somone cut me off on the fwy and did the zig zag shuffle w/no sway. What saved me is driving experience + kings with stiffer springs, it could have rolled yet performed just like a subaru even as is got squirrely, I wouldnt remove the sway if I ran a less expensive top end shock, it would wander more, mine is a mid travel yet is ran like a LT w/no sway. I am gonna make sway links that are longer with a heim joint and the mid travel setup will have the best of both worlds.