To sway or not, that is the question

[BobsCreek]

Sway bar removal?

So, I understand how the removal would be usefull for hard off roading, but what about for just rough dirt/sand? No massive articulation needed, but think of doing 100 miles on harsh washboard, wouldn't it be helpful to have it removed?

Also, how does it's removal impact normal pavement driving?

2015 Colorado Eibach pro (spings/shocks/ set at about 2"), add a leaf, 2 RTTs and assorted other weight.

Thanks!

 

[Lykos]

Sway bar removal?

So, I understand how the removal would be usefull for hard off reading...

Thanks!

Depends on what sort of reading you're doing.
Thoreau should be ok and maybe Whitman with the sway bar.
If you get into Kerouac you'll most likely need to remove your sway. He gets pretty deep in the weeds!

?

 

[Buliwyf]

Richard Bachman is good to go.

Has no ill effects on my F250.

 

[Lykos]

Richard Bachman is good to go.

Has no ill effects on my F250.

I dunno. Something about that guy seems awfully familiar. I just can't put my finger on It.

 

[BobsCreek]

Lol, smart asses :-D

 

[Oilbrnr]

Wait, did I read that correctly, two RTT's? Dunno, man, are they on a rack? Seems like a kinda high CG without a sway for on pavement maneuvers at speed. Secondly, on washboard, you're hitting them square, so the bar has no effect anyway. Can you undo the ends and tie the bar up and try it?

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

I vote sway bars for pavement and washboards. Reason on washboards is that they don't always run perpendicular road surface, this leads to teeter toddling. The tires to not hit the washboards in even patterns. No need to remove them just disconnect them if you are in low speed rough sections that require that much articulation.

 

[ExplorerTom]

I'd disconnect and try it before removing completely.

While Buliwyf says "good to go" because on his rig he removed them....... unless you're driving the exact same vehicle with the exact same mods, it's impossible to say. And who knows, maybe he's comfortable with more lean than you are. I've run my Expedition on the street with the sway bar disconnected and it wasn't too bad. My Explorer with no front sway bar is on the verge of being scary.

 

[Lykos]

I'm with team swaybar. But I expect a set of quick disconnects for that rare instance you need a little extra flex.

 

[BobsCreek]

2 RTTs, one mounted on a bed rack, one on the cab.

The search is on for an easy disconnect.

Thanks for your replies

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

It all depends on how much your axles get twisted up. For parallel to the axle washboard it doesn't make much difference. The most difference is achieved with the lowering of tire pressure all around, and I don't mean a few pounds, but to make the sidewalls take the brunt of small flex and not go off the rim if no beadlocks. I recall a trip to Saline Valley in Death Valley N.P. with mile after vibrating mile of deep and spine rattling washboard. We dropped the normal tire pressure (65 or 80 pounds), depending, to 40 pounds. Result: not enough. So, after a few vibrating miles dropped down to 28 pounds. This was the ticket. Remember, the two rigs were full size diesel pickups with a Lance and popup camper on the back; some 10,400 pounds worth with 6K pounds on the rear axle. With undulating, axle twisting terra, I always disconnect one side on my rear anti sway bar and tie it up. This has the added benefit of not twisting your frame as much, a real plus for an old wooden frame camper. This was a must on trails like the Mojave Road which we've done both ways in the TC's.


or going up the Diablo Dropoff in Anza, especially over the moguls left by rigs with no lockers: open my dropbox link for a short vid:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bfj5y93wsd7vfkw/jefe does sand hill at dry wash of the devil Anza.m4v?dl=0
jefe

 

[BobsCreek]

Oh yeah, I remember spacing out about my tire pressure one time and spending a day wondering "****** how can anyone drive like this?", Next morning I aired down and boogied

 

[tacollie]

Pull it and see how it feels. I've pulled it on some vehicles and left it on others. Sometimes it's fine without internet and sometimes it doesn't work.

 

[rickc]

I'm not sure how easy it is to simply disconnect a Colorado sway bar; where/how do you fix the ends so they don't interfere with the suspension? As for disconnected/removed on highway with an RTT up top, my guess would be that the truck would lean very uncomfortably on corners. Maybe even dangerously so.

 

[1stDeuce]

On the highway, you probably want to retain the sway bar. Without it, you'll get snap oversteer in any sort of emergency maneuver. Not cool, especially with a higher CG.

On the flip side, with the bar disconnected, you'll notice a significantly improved ride over rough terrain. Not so much in washboard, where the suspension isn't moving enough for the bar to do much, but rather in single wheel bumps. I pulled the bar on my 2500 GMC and it's way smoother offroad, or even on-road going into driveways. Empty, it is fine on the highway, but the CG is low. Loaded, it's a bit tipsy at higher speeds... I just keep the speed lower for the little bit of loaded driving I do. I don't take that truck on the highway...

If all you're running offroad is washboard or sandy areas, leave the sway bar alone. You won't get any noticable improvement by disconnecting it. Just air down a LOT and things get 10x better.