Adding Sway Bar Disconnects on SK 4x4

[beernutmark]

I posted this on the SMB4um but haven't heard back yet there. Perhaps there are more homebuilt guys here with SK vans.

I got myself a Salem-Kroger converted E350 which I am starting work on. One first step is to add sway bar disconnects. The front looks like this currently:

To which I am planning on adding something like these:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/SwayBar.shtml

the maker of those doesn't think they will work with the E350 but I am hoping to have something similar made.

The rears look like this:

To which I am planning on adding something like:

http://www.4x4xplor.com/homediscos.html

Basically a new stud instead of a bolt with a quick connector to hold it in place.

Anyone else added disconnects to their SK conversion? Any tips or suggestions? Regardless of which way I go I will have spares made so that any breakage can be handled easily.

Thanks,
Mark Alston

 

[dsw4x4]

I think your on the right track for the front disconnects I have built many different styles and those work just about as good as any. Your idea for the rear may be a bit of a struggle to connect and disconnect but I do not have any better ideas for you. You will just have to try it and see if it works. Either way post up some pictures sooner or later I may want to add a rear sb to mine and if I do I will be putting disconnects on it.
Derek

 

[beernutmark]

I think your on the right track for the front disconnects I have built many different styles and those work just about as good as any.

Good to hear. The manufacturer of those suggests that they might not handle the E350 but I contacted Warrior Products about their disconnects and they seemed to think that they will work great. I am going to order some next week.
http://www.warriorproducts.com/catalog/TBL_SwayBarDisconnects.html

Your idea for the rear may be a bit of a struggle to connect and disconnect but I do not have any better ideas for you.

I have yet to see any other options for the rear either. I will say though that with the rear and front sway bars connected, driving down the highway is great! Passing huge semi's causes no sway or wobble at all. I do want to loosen up everthing for off road though. Perhaps I am premature in all this though since so far I have only had the van for a few weeks and have yet to hit the trails.

Mark

 

[J-man]

it looks like you have air bags on the rear - if you disconnect the rear wont your bags get overextended and rip off?

 

[ujoint]

it looks like you have air bags on the rear - if you disconnect the rear wont your bags get overextended and rip off?

True. They may not rip off, but they can be damaged. Once you figure out the extended length of the bag, a limiting strap can keep it from doing that.

 

[brianjwilson]

Have you run quick disconnects like Warrior Products sells?
I have, on my 05 sport trac 4x4 with 33's (front and rear). The swaybar mounting design was basically the same front and rear. Here is what I can say about them.

1) They are noisy when connected. There is very little slop in them, but the little bit of play makes them click over any rough surfaces, speed bumps in parking lots, pot holes, etc. On the highway they are generally quiet.

2) They do disconnect very quickly and easily. However you need to make sure there is adequate clearance for the sway bar when disconnected.

3) They are a ********** to reconnect. The first 3 pins are super easy of course. But to get that 4th pin in, you have to get everything lined up perfect. Usually this means trying to bounce the truck up and down with one hand, and trying to slip the pin in with the other. It is extremely aggrivating.

I ended up taking the disconnects off. I found that I could easily just disconnect one endlink on each bar and not have any clearance issues (it took all of 2-3 minutes to disconnect or re-connect). The front was much easier to reconnect since tightening the bolt brings the endlink together. The rear, well, I just left is disconnect 99% of the time, but it was slightly easier to re-connect than the warrior disconnect was.

 

[beernutmark]

Got the warrior disconnects. Haven't hooked them up yet though. Still haven't gotten the replacement studs for the rears.

For reconnecting the warriors I was planning on using a ratcheting strap to pull the connection together. I would probably only unhook one side of the sway bar anyway to help hold the bar in position. Don't think that I'll ever need super articulation in the van anyway.

I'll have to see if the vibration/noise gets annoying. I'll keep the original disconnects just in case.

Good tip on the limit strap ujoint. I'll have to look into that. Not really sure about the air bags though. I really thought that they helped on my first freeway drive with the van only to find out that only one side was inflated. Have no idea what proper inflation is on the things yet. Need to do more research. Since I am almost never going to haul anything very heavy I might just remove them.

Mark

 

[beernutmark]

Update

Well, it looks like I was really looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Turns out that the Warrior disconnects won't fit on my sway bar due to the thickness. Can't even get one thread started on the nut. However, in taking off the old sway bar links I found that it really isn't very hard to do.

Turn the wheel to the right and take off the nuts on the right side.
Turn the wheel to the left and take off only the top nut on that side.
Lift up on the sway bar and remove the right side link.
Reconnect the left side link to hold the bar in place and go!

Reconnecting is really easy also. Just reverse the above.

The rear is a little different. Sort of easier but harder to align.

I simply removed the nut from the bolt going through the sway bar end.
It is then easy to tell which way the sway bar is torqued and holding onto the bolt.
If the sway bar is torqued down then put the bottle jack under the end of it and just give it a little lift until the bolt pops out easily. If it is the other way then use a high lift or the bottle jack on support blocks to lift the frame up until the bolt pulls out easily.

I am going to make a strap to hold the link up to the frame so that I don't have to disconnect the top side also.

Simply reverse the procedure to reattach.

Took so little time that I think I am giving up on the idea of disconnects.

Thanks for everyone's input though. I still need to figure out the rear limit straps.

Mark Alston

 

[Icebox]

Limit straps are always a good idea not only for the rear bags, but the front shocks as well. Especially considering the mass of a loaded SMB. 99.9999% of the time you won't need them but when a shock tops out suddenly, it may rip the end off. Vans with missing shocks are not fun to drive down the road!!.....not that I know anything about that.......

 

[dsw4x4]

I agree with icebox the silly stud mount shocks are not real strong I popped on off in moab and had to drive my loaded van home through the mountains. Bouncey bounce all the way home.:smiley_drive:

 

[Icebox]

Incidentally, Rubicon Express has alot of high quality "builder parts" for those looking......well........to build stuff. Here's a link:

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Jeep/ZJ/Products.aspx?folder=ZJSbd

Pay close attention to the u-shaped stud mount conversions. This pivoting action will help with realignment while reconnecting.

Anyone building control arms, track bars, or even links or traction bars will appreciate these:

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?folder=BPHA&part=RE3795

or

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/

I can't give you the skill but I can get you the parts :victory: