Is there really no sway bar disconnects for 1st GEN Tacos?

roving1

Well-known member
Hello all.

Doesn't seem to be available for 1st gen trucks. I tend to drive fast even in overland spec so I don't really want to get rid of the sway bar. In fact I have a stiffer one on my 2wd and I would get one for the 4wd if I could figure out a disconnect for it. Any one have a lead on something for sale or stupid easy to fab?

Internet quote
" I totally took mine off and its fine and its better and I get laid twice as often...."

Cool story bro don't care...so skip the I yanked mine out comments :)
 

bkg

Explorer
I used to remove sway bars from all of my Toyota's. I'm getting older, though...

My 04 doublecab doesn't have sway bars - was gone when I bought it. I wanted to put one on as it spends 98% of its time on the street. I ended up installing limiting straps up front to prevent the outter TRE's from binding at droop (Total Chaos uppers w/ Donahoe Racing CO's). I adjusted them so the front end could not droop to point of binding... and it's good. I wouldn't mind putting a sway bar back on, but i'm not going to do so unless a magic fairy drops one on my doorstep.

I say pull one side, see if you can tolerate the on-road manners, then decide if you need to find a disconnect. You may decide it's a non issue.
 

roving1

Well-known member
Thanks for the link! Pun intended lol.

This truck is ways 100% loaded with an RTT. I could not stand it just with worn shocks when I got it so I know I don't want to disconnect now. Maybe after a lift and higher spring rates but doubt it. I've always preferred them on all the Jeeps I've owned. It's safer sure but it's nice to be able to actually have fun driving to the trail on a curvy road also.

My old XJ with a small lift was actually really stable in corners and was actually fun to drive fast shockingly.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I know you're asking seriously and I don't want to belabor the point, but I took the sway bar off my old truck, which admittedly being torsion rod IFS and leaf sprung live axle rear wasn't a wheel articulating beast even if it had soft springs. So that didn't really need a sway bar and with OME suspension it was more than sufficiently stable.

But I chucked it on my Tacoma, too, after lifting. I'll only say that even with coil springs I don't feel I need sway bars and that's because I'm running well tuned FOX shocks. I would never have thought about taking the sway bar off with the stock suspension, though. It does have body roll, but it's not excessive and you can feel the rising damping rate of the shocks, so it doesn't handle poorly at all.

I think with better suspension most of people feel they aren't necessary but it's an individual thing for sure. It will *never* be mistaken for a sports car, still, it holds it's own for my use. Sway bars off road are pointless and my experience with disconnecting links is mixed, usually a PITA to pull the link and next to impossible to get them back in at the end of the trail.
 

downhill

Adventurer
My truck handles better and safer with coilovers and no swaybar, than it ever did with stock suspension and swaybar. That to me is the comparison that matters, When I did the conversion I lived on a mountain road with 53 corners, gaining 1200 feet in the 4 miles up to my house. The difference (improvement) in handling was amazing. On rougher roads, the advantages of truly independent suspension also made a huge difference.

If a driver can't drive safely without a swaybar, then he probably can't do it with one either. Same for ABS brakes, and all the other devices designed to save us from ourselves.
Sooner or later the device won't do enough, the driver is lost, and into the ditch they will go. Hopefully they won't take out anyone else in the process. Driving a high clearance vehicle well, requires some understanding of how to manage weight transfer in a variety of situations. That is the key to safety, not a swaybar. If anything the lack of body roll will most likely give the driver a false sense of security.

This is one of those things where there will always be people on both sides yelling and waving rakes around. You just have to try it and make up your own mind.
 
Last edited:

phsycle

Adventurer
Get those wabfab quick disconnects. Very well made. I’ve ridden without sway bars and I’d rather not do that on the street.
 

bkg

Explorer
Unless I’ve missed something, wabfab doesn’t really make a quick disconnect. One still has to remove the entire thing... seems excessive to spend $125 on something that doesn’t adddress the “quick” in “quick disconnect.”
 

phsycle

Adventurer
Unless I’ve missed something, wabfab doesn’t really make a quick disconnect. One still has to remove the entire thing... seems excessive to spend $125 on something that doesn’t adddress the “quick” in “quick disconnect.”

It clearly says in the link that there are two choices—end links and quick disconnects. They have a simple pin you pull to disconnect. Works really well in my experience.
 

Kpack

Adventurer
It clearly says in the link that there are two choices—end links and quick disconnects. They have a simple pin you pull to disconnect. Works really well in my experience.

Not sure what the difference is between a 1st gen Taco and 1st gen Tundra when it comes to sway bar linkage, but my Wabfab quick-disconnects for my Tundra need to be completely removed. Yes they have the pull pin, but if you just pull the lower connection off, the lower control arm will ********** the lower part of the quick-disco every time you hit a bump. At the right angle the disco interferes with the outer CV boot, and if you tip the sway bar all the way up to avoid the first two issues, the top link of the disco will rub the inner part of the tire at full lock.

Again, not sure if it's the same for a 1st gen Taco, but for the Tundra it's not exactly a "quick" disconnect. The whole thing comes off if you don't want any interference. I drive with them disconnected nearly all the time now, only putting them on for when it snows.
 

phsycle

Adventurer
Not sure what the difference is between a 1st gen Taco and 1st gen Tundra when it comes to sway bar linkage, but my Wabfab quick-disconnects for my Tundra need to be completely removed. Yes they have the pull pin, but if you just pull the lower connection off, the lower control arm will ********** the lower part of the quick-disco every time you hit a bump. At the right angle the disco interferes with the outer CV boot, and if you tip the sway bar all the way up to avoid the first two issues, the top link of the disco will rub the inner part of the tire at full lock.

Again, not sure if it's the same for a 1st gen Taco, but for the Tundra it's not exactly a "quick" disconnect. The whole thing comes off if you don't want any interference. I drive with them disconnected nearly all the time now, only putting them on for when it snows.

I just had to rotate mine out of the way.
 

thezentree

pretend redneck
Is there a difference between 3rd gen 4Runner and 1st gen Taco sway bars? If not there's a guy on t4r.org who goes by Mstudt who makes disconnects for 3rd gen 4Runners, might work for the front at least. Mstudt
 

bkg

Explorer
It clearly says in the link that there are two choices—end links and quick disconnects. They have a simple pin you pull to disconnect. Works really well in my experience.

I saw that statement as well, which is what confused me since the pictures on the site didn’t show anything that note bolt in.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,530
Messages
2,875,570
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top