OME Heavy and Sway Bar?

[Kpack]

The lack of swaybar is not the cause of the issues you later cited, but the fact that you prefer low damping as well. And it isn't just high damping but a digressive curve that adds stability. My truck handles better than it did previously with stock shocks and the swaybar, and if it's also a rough road, the improvement is amazing.

As a matter of clarification, I do run digressive valving front and rear. When I drive I keep the dampening low. But I had it in the middle setting when the accident occurred.

I agree that digressive valving and higher dampening can really help keep things stable. But to someone who has no experience driving a vehicle without sway bars (especially a vehicle that is much taller and larger than what they are used to), things can go south in a hurry.

I'll also add that alignment can play a part in this as well. On my truck in particular, increasing the caster to much higher than factory specs helps with stability significantly.

 

[rruff]

I agree that digressive valving and higher dampening can really help keep things stable. But to someone who has no experience driving a vehicle without sway bars (especially a vehicle that is much taller and larger than what they are used to), things can go south in a hurry.

The situation that damping wouldn't be able to solve (unless it's computer controlled) would be a turn at too high of a speed. Stability in sudden maneuvers can be addressed very well with damping.

I think most drivers have no clue about emergency maneuvering with any vehicle. I don't know about your wife, but mine was in that category. They never test the limits for "fun", and when something unexpected happens they are more likely to cause crashes and damage than avoid them... overreact then overcorrect, then turn the wheel the wrong way in a skid, etc. Yes, it definitely gets worse with a higher CG. We now have all sorts of nannies to reduce the incidence of people crashing due to lack of skill.

 

[Kpack]

I think most drivers have no clue about emergency maneuvering with any vehicle. I don't know about your wife, but mine was in that category. They never test the limits for "fun", and when something unexpected happens they are more likely to cause crashes and damage than avoid them... overreact then overcorrect, then turn the wheel the wrong way in a skid, etc. Yes, it definitely gets worse with a higher CG. We now have all sorts of nannies to reduce the incidence of people crashing due to lack of skill.

You hit the nail on the head. I'm much more comfortable in all driving situations (snow, emergency, etc) compared to my wife. Much of that is because of wheeling and learning what the vehicle can and can't do. I know how to handle situations in all the vehicles I drive....I've spent enough time in each of them to know how they will respond to different conditions and inputs.

Regarding nanny features...I absolutely cannot stand them. The few cars I've driven with those features I hated every minute of it. I know how to stay in my lane, I don't need the car to do that for me. The worst are the ones that move the steering wheel for you. I know where I want the car to go and I'm making it go there on purpose...don't move the steering wheel for me. Ugh.

In any case, for removing/disconnecting sway bars just understand the potential issues and decide whether or not you are okay with it.

 

[joshjan]

I have the ome heavy on my 2011 tundra with arb bumper and winch. No front sway bar and I think it drives pretty well for what I need it for.

 

[tacollie]

I don't know how anybody likes digressive shocks. I kept my icons less than 2 months. If you have proper spring rates and properly dampen shocks the vehicle can handle pretty good without sway bars. Toyota's are under sprung from the factory do well firmer Springs. I ran a basic OME setup on two tacomas and a 4Runner with no front sway bars. Between those three vehicles I put probab over 100k miles and never had an issue even at speed. I would take a Tacoma with no sway bars and OME setup any day over any TJ. Our stock TJ with sway bars was sketchy. 33s and a 2-in lift made the TJ a learning experience ?

That being said when you pull the sway bar on IFS Toyotas they are much more prone to overseer. If you've driven old junk for any amount of time you're probably used to being aware of your input and the vehicles input while driving. Modern vehicles really separates the driver from the road. I do believe it has made driving safer overall because things are less likely to go sideways. It's bad in that it's made people less familiar in what to do when things go sideways.

Oddly on my f250 I'm running softer Springs in the front. Couple more clicks on my DSC Fox shocks make the truck feel safer than it did when it had a sway bar and the factory springs. The factory springs were so stiff and the shocks so mediocre that a bridge expansion gap would throw the truck across the lane.

 

[Downytide]

I'm in the camp of keeping sway bars, I have RAS and TRD sway, the truck will still do some minor crawling like this:

 

[Fergie]

After 2 years of running the OME heavy kit on my 14, with an ARB front bumper and winch, I pulled the front sway bar off about 2 months ago. The ride, especially w suspension droop is far better without the bar, and on road handling is minimally different.

 

[dstefan]

After 2 years of running the OME heavy kit on my 14, with an ARB front bumper and winch, I pulled the front sway bar off about 2 months ago. The ride, especially w suspension droop is far better without the bar, and on road handling is minimally different.

Hey @Fergie -- whats the verdict on no sway bars now you have the Ovrlnd on and a little experience with it and no sway bars?

I’d really like to ditch mine. I liked not having them in my Tacoma, though it did lean a bit more. Just been unsure with the camper.

 

[Fergie]

Verdict is that the vehicle has not spontaneously crashed nor flipped over on the interstate.

I'm still enjoying the ride, and while if I take a turn too hard, the front end does dive a bit more on one side, I just dont take corners too hard and know the limits on the vehicle. With the +2' of snow up here right now, and living in the county where the roads are plowed quickly, the small improvement in ride quality has been appreciated going over berms.

 

[rruff]

I don't know how anybody likes digressive shocks. I kept my icons less than 2 months. If you have proper spring rates and properly dampen shocks the vehicle can handle pretty good without sway bars. Toyota's are under sprung from the factory do well firmer Springs.

What were the Icons doing that you didn't like?

The Ironman FC Pros I have are 590 lb/in springs. I think stock are higher than that. OME are 730 I believe. No personal experience with Icon, though I know they are digressive as well in stock configuration. Bilsteins are digressive too, Fox are more linear, and King progressive... with stock valving.

Besides vastly improved handling and planted feel, and the ability to take rough roads/turns at speed, the main difference vs stock is a firmer ride on small bumps. It doesn't feel harsh though, and I prefer it to stock even there. I run 38psi front and 32psi rear on 35x13 tires unloaded, and 38 on all with a load.

 

[tacollie]

What were the Icons doing that you didn't like?

They're okay on the road. Offroad they road awful. It was on par with our F-250 when it was a stock and unloaded. I'll concede they could have just had a poor tune from the factory. I've had several sets of Bilstein 5100s on a few different trucks. While they were better than stock I was never impressed with them.

I've been really happy with Radflo and Fox. I should note we had the Fox tuned for us before I even installed them.

 

[dstefan]

I saw this a couple of days ago and just re-found it to post here. It’s a very methodical look at the difference between articulation front and rear with and without front and rear sway bars attached in different combinations . Doesn’t really address on road handling. it’s a little surprising, in that it seems to conclude, at least for a short wheelbase vehicle, the rear sway bar doesn’t really affect articulation negatively. Makes me wonder if in a truck with a camper a rear sway bar is much more important than a front sway bar? I only have a front and it’s making me wonder if no front plus a rear might be the ideal set up.

I’m not entirely sure what to make of it, because it’s using FJ’s. I’m curious what everybody thinks about how this would apply to trucks given the frame flex.