Sway-bar Disconnect

Inspired by this thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bjmoose-fabricates-2nd-gen-sway-bar-disconnect.285391/

And with big thanks to @bjmoose for the idea, and @crazy joker for the spare sway-bar.

I now have a sway-bar disconnect:

 

Some how-to pictures:
Where we start, 1" leg, 1/4" thick angle iron.


Angle iron bent, and flats ground on the sway-bar. I didn't take much off, but it increases the mating surface area alot.


Drilling in progress. I screwed this up, would have been much easier to do the 'outside' steel first.


I bent the iron with a torch, eyeballing a match to the curve of the sway-bar. Then clamped and drilled. Doing everything I could to keep it all oriented the same during the process, hence the bolts in the drilling picture.

I used 5/16th-18 tpi grade eight bolts, and brazed the nuts into the back. Length is 2" nominal, cut to exact length. Also, don't use your final assembly bolts when brazing the nuts on, it ruins the temper, and the threads will fail.

Clearance of the wheels (285s, 1.25" spacers, Sport wheels), and chasis is all fine. No new noises.

AE

 

Well how does it work!?

I just took my sway bar off and I'm not looking back!

EDIT- you added another post lol

 

It works like a sway bar

Getting it on and off is a small pain, but you can do it without taking the wheel off, which was the main point.

I want the sway-bar on the highway, but I've had my Icons and no sway-bar for two weeks, it was great in town and on crappy roads.

I'll update how much time this spends connectes and how much time it spends in my tool box in a few months.

AE

 

Looks great. Looking forward to hearing how you like it over the long term.

 

definitely different and simple x2 on the results for long term

 

Thanks. If it doesn't work I have a shiny new sway-bar in my basement

 

Update, no issues with sway bar connected. Handling is better on the highway, worse on shitty roads (exactly like you'd expect).

Removal (disconnecting the swaybar) is easy, I did it in the rain today and didn't get wet. Installation requires some sitting under the truck and wrestling it into position, not bad on a dry day, but would suck in the rain or mud.

AE

 

Update: sway bar has been off since November. I don't miss it, although the truck handles very differently .

If I lived somewhere with better roads, I'd still use the disconnect.

HOWEVER: it needs to be cut on both ends to fully flex the suspension in the disconnected position.

Good Luck,
AE

 

Mine's been off for 1 1/2 years now, I don't miss it at all.