Upgraded heavy duty rear sway bar on stock 2012 2 Dr Sahara. Overkill or useful?
04-13-2014, 06:59 PM
#22
JK Jedi
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Nevada City California
Posts: 5,234
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
A stiffer sway bar will make off cambers of any kind, much worse. Look at springs and shocks first. Think of it this way. To reduce body rolling off road, and have your axle more compliant with the terrain, it is ideal to disconnect it. Anti sway does just that, reduce sway, as in body roll in a turn. On roads that you are driving without significant lateral force, the sway bar isn't doing much.
04-13-2014, 07:11 PM
#24
Explain away! I've noticed a much better ride with the sway bar disconnected. You believe a stiffer sway bar reduces rough roads?
I rarely wiki for this place, but I refuse to type this much........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-roll_bar
I rarely wiki for this place, but I refuse to type this much........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-roll_bar
Last edited by Jeepstin12; 04-13-2014 at 07:15 PM.
04-13-2014, 07:15 PM
#25
JK Jedi
i said nothing about rough roads. I quoted your off camber claim. In off camber a rear sway bar can be pretty important, especially if using one that wont limit flex much like an anti-rock. Ive been in rigs where its about to roll and the sway bar can pull you back, it makes it much more predictable and can make your front suspension work more keeping wheels planted better in offcamber. Ive ran jks with no sway bars, rear only, and front only. When i get to that point in my current build I will have a rear at a minimum.
04-13-2014, 07:24 PM
#26
The OP identified rough streets. I simply pointed out that increasing the sway bar does nothing with that, other than making it worse. Sway bar is a sway bar. Assists in keeping the body level to the respective lateral grade. When one wheel travels due to a "bump", a sway bar transfers that energy to the other wheel. A stiffer one will be worse. Often, when off road, rarely are all 4 wheels on the same grade. If the front axle is dropping in a lesser contact area, and the rear is not, having the front disconnected reduces the body roll by allowing the axle to travel.
Now, we can banter about the various thousand or so scenarios and what happens in each one, or, come back to the fact the op was looking at a stiffer bar to resolve two separate issues. Rough roads aren't resolved by stiffer sway bars.
Now, we can banter about the various thousand or so scenarios and what happens in each one, or, come back to the fact the op was looking at a stiffer bar to resolve two separate issues. Rough roads aren't resolved by stiffer sway bars.
04-13-2014, 07:26 PM
#27
JK Jedi
The OP identified rough streets. I simply pointed out that increasing the sway bar does nothing with that, other than making it worse. Sway bar is a sway bar. Assists in keeping the body level to the respective lateral grade. When one wheel travels due to a "bump", a sway bar transfers that energy to the other wheel. A stiffer one will be worse. Often, when off road, rarely are all 4 wheels on the same grade. If the front axle is dropping in a lesser contact area, and the rear is not, having the front disconnected reduces the body roll by allowing the axle to travel.
Now, we can banter about the various thousand or so scenarios and what happens in each one, or, come back to the fact the op was looking at a stiffer bar to resolve two separate issues. Rough roads aren't resolved by stiffer sway bars.
Now, we can banter about the various thousand or so scenarios and what happens in each one, or, come back to the fact the op was looking at a stiffer bar to resolve two separate issues. Rough roads aren't resolved by stiffer sway bars.
Then why did you bring up off camber. To me driving on a bumpy road is not "off camber". Also a thicker rear, would allow the rear wheels to be planted more and gain more traction, like in say a trophy race desert truck, but I agree a stiffer one would not help on bumpy roads...
04-13-2014, 07:33 PM
#28
Then why did you bring up off camber. To me driving on a bumpy road is not "off camber". Also a thicker rear, would allow the rear wheels to be planted more and gain more traction, like in say a trophy race desert truck, but I agree a stiffer one would not help on bumpy roads...
04-13-2014, 09:01 PM
#29
JK Enthusiast
A sway bar attempts to keep the axel and body on the same plane, this is a benefit in minumizing body roll from side to side. Disconnecting the sway bar while offroad allows the axle to drop further down and hopefully keep all four tires available for traction. Sway bars do very little for bumpy roads unless you are swerving around pot holes. Most of your riding comfort will be tire pressure and springs and shocks. Shocks are to dampen the spring action.
04-13-2014, 11:40 PM
#30
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey guys, thanks so much for the advice, it is valuable. I know I have changed my thoughts on what I'm going to end up doing, but it appears the overwhelming majority of y'all are swaying (no pun intended) away from installing an upgraded sway bar on a stock height jk. @K0206 since yours is lifted I can see how it's helping you. Full traction has also told me that it's specifically designed for lifted JK's or jk's hauling weight. I don't plan on lifting mine much at all and even if I did I would probably go for a spring upgrade if the ones I have aren't the highest rate although I do have a hard top with tow package I don't really off-road and if I did it would be mild to moderate trails on the off chance occasion. I'm really just looking for an enhanced feel and handling on road be it rough streets and or highway. I fully understand the jeep is a jeep and it's suspension is designed to be tough but for what I do on a daily basis I'd like to see if I can't make it more a tuned in ride. At any rate, I guess I'm switching trains of thought and going back in the corner y'all are pointing to with that being new shocks. I hear everyone on the 9000's and I'm sure they are nice, but I'm looking for a monotube shock that will get the job done for me. I don't really want to be reaching up under my jeep all the time to turn the nob, I'd rather the shock just do that for me. I'm leaning towards either a set of brand new rubicon shocks that I can get on the cheap from fortec 4x4 or bilstein HD's. I've heard great things on the forums about the rubi's and then I've heard average reports. Unless you think I can have much much better for my money, will the rubi's not be a disappointed at all and be durable as well along the way. Mind you I have a 2012 Sahara. I've heard reports that Sahara and rubicon have same shocks after a certain year make only difference is one is red. If that is the case, then clearly rubicons are a stupid choice. So much damn contradicting information out there is hard to make a wise decision. Sorry I'm such a newb guys I just don't have the time to be playing trail and error. Thanks for you advice.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk