Sway bars on an 80?

[Schattenjager]

Is there an advantage to losing the sway bars on an OME 2.5" lifted 80? I played around a little today and was unimpressed with the articulation.
Thoughts?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

You will pick up some overall flex but the road manner may be enought to make you rethink removing them all together. What OME coils are you running? Are you running sway bar drop brackets or extensions?

 

[spressomon]

Alvaro runs his 80 sans sway bars. It always a little unnerving to watch him, from behind, slalom through a paved corner at 75mph in full lean :Wow1:

 

[Schattenjager]

I didn't mod the swaybars at all. I have heavy springs up front and mediums in back.

 

[a.mus.ed]

I extended my mounts and still managed to rip one of them off on a trail ride, so I got rid of my front. If it hadn't been decided for me, I probably wouldn't have removed it.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Drop the mounts for the sway bars and you will get full in the rear and will not loose any in the front I did run disconnects in the front that seemed to make the front move easier. Thats was my experience running sway bars and 864+ rear 850J+ front.

 

[AndrewP]

Alvaro runs his 80 sans sway bars. It always a little unnerving to watch him, from behind, slalom through a paved corner at 75mph in full lean :Wow1:

Having ridden with him when he had no sway bars, I can tell you that truck was DANGEROUS. It now has a front sway, and will soon be getting a rear sway. For street use, on a soft coil spring vehicle, I see the sway bars as critical to safe handling. In normal driving you'll get away with it, but add an emergency swerve and it's all over.

In personal experiments off the road, removing the rear sway on the 80 does nothing, as it doesn't seem the sway is limiting flex. Removing the front sway however, is a benifit and worth doing a disconnect. Thank you to AliA for that advice.

 

[ShottsCruisers]

Having ridden with him when he had no sway bars, I can tell you that truck was DANGEROUS.

AGREED. I spent about 2 months without sways on my first 80. Tried various trail-types so I could really eval the difference. They ended up back on and for good.

To and from the trailheads the thing was simply unstable, especially with 4" lift and 35's.

In off camber situations it was just tooooo tippy.

In all other off-road places I liked the ride as the axles seemed to "move easier". So most of the time I liked it without.

As far at maximum articulation...your original comment/question...no increase is achieved as the sways don't limit travel on an 80. The shocks do. The BEST way to add articulation to your 80 (and a 100 on the rear) is to:

Increase lift height to 3-inches (or more) so you can run the N74L long-travel shock (or equivalent).

 

[L4X4S]

I tried to find the article Christo wrote on Sleeoffroad.com. He tested many combinations and the conclusion is that with a 4" lift kit, including sway-bar drop-downs, you don't lose any appreciable articulation. That's what I have on my mine and the only problem I have encountered is early wear on the bushings and grommets.

Jerald Josephs
97 Lexus LX450 - "L4X4S"

 

[AndrewP]

Increase lift height to 3-inches (or more) so you can run the N74L long-travel shock (or equivalent).

[:BROKENRECORD SMILIE] LOL. Maybe you should explain this? :coffeedrink: I kid, I kid.


Anyway...The real problem with running the front sways while off road on an 80 series is that the flex will tear off the mounts to the axle. When this happens, the end of the sway bar takes out the brake line. I have seen this several times including a memorable time at the base of Cadillac Hill on the Rubicon. It is worth rewelding the mounts (easiest) or making new mounts (better) with a quick release pin. The original mount was just stuck there with a spot weld, and not up to Toyota's usual overbuilt standard.

 

[ShottsCruisers]

[:brokenrecord smilie] lol. Maybe you should explain this? :coffeedrink: I kid, i kid.


Anyway...the real problem with running the front sways while off road on an 80 series is that the flex will tear off the mounts to the axle. When this happens, the end of the sway bar takes out the brake line. I have seen this several times including a memorable time at the base of cadillac hill on the rubicon. It is worth rewelding the mounts (easiest) or making new mounts (better) with a quick release pin. The original mount was just stuck there with a spot weld, and not up to toyota's usual overbuilt standard.

wow!

 

[Schattenjager]

Anyone make a quick disconnect setup for 80's?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Anyone make a quick disconnect setup for 80's?

I did for the front but never used it much. Used a hitch pin and the bracket in the picture. The bracket bolts to existing holes on the underside of the frame and the swaybar pins up to it when not in use with the hitch pins.

 

[Klierslc]

An easier way to gain flex in the front end is to pull one of the control arm bolts. I replaced it with a standard hitch pin for on road, then pull it for off road. The biggest limiting factor for the front end of an 80 is the control arm mounts. Search for hitch pin mod on mud......

 

[d0ubledown]

Anyway...The real problem with running the front sways while off road on an 80 series is that the flex will tear off the mounts to the axle. When this happens, the end of the sway bar takes out the brake line. I have seen this several times including a memorable time at the base of Cadillac Hill on the Rubicon. It is worth rewelding the mounts (easiest) or making new mounts (better) with a quick release pin. The original mount was just stuck there with a spot weld, and not up to Toyota's usual overbuilt standard.

interesting...havent really had a close look at the axle mount. ive got some old d/c's fron my runner with removable pin. i'll try that and see how it works. anyone try the hitch pin mod with dc'd/sans swaybars?