To disconnect the sway bars, is it as easy as removing the bolts (2 front, 2 rear) or is there more to it. Is it hard to get the bolts back in once they are out?

Most of us have removed our entire rear anti-sway bars and never put it back on. I personally didn't notice any difference when I took it off, and I ride with the spare on the roof.

The bolts for the front anit-sway bar can be difficult to get back in. It helps if you thread one side but don't tighten it, then thread the other side, then tighten them both down. You might have to have someone lean on the side of your truck to pull the suspension down.

When I added Q-discos (http://www.xterrain.com/xmods8.html) to the front one of my bolts was rusted closed and I had to cut it to get it off (huge pain in the A$$).

I also removed the rear (when I upgraded to Bilsteins) and do not notice a difference (unless you do a really sharp hard turn then it does sway more)

You had better be on a LEVEL surface when you try to re-connect - otherwise have a jack handy.

So Rhombus, you just take out the whole bolt, bushings, knob assembly and leave the rest of the sway bar in place? How bad is street driving with it disconnected, by the way?

That's what I did on the rear, just removed the connecting arms (whatever they're called). The rest of the sway bar is still connected to the axle, it'll come off one of these days.

With the front sway bar disconnected you can fell a huge differance. The X leans big time in turns. I removed my rear sway bar several months ago, and have recently acquired a set of quick discos from a former Frontier owner. I think they came from a MAXC member somewhere along the line. Here's a pic of them:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1621111&a=13735247&p=53936350&Sequence=0&res=high

Originally posted by rednec
With the front sway bar disconnected you can fell a huge differance. The X leans big time in turns. I removed my rear sway bar several months ago, and have recently acquired a set of quick discos from a former Frontier owner. I think they came from a MAXC member somewhere along the line. Here's a pic of them:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1621111&a=13735247&p=53936350&Sequence=0&res=high

Is that a 3/8" hitch pin? If so, how does it hold up? I just purchased a couple of those to use for quick disco's. I was not sure how the pin would hold up though, so I have not installed them yet. I test fitted them, but took them back off.

Also, the hitch pins I bought, were a little long, did you have to redrill them?

Thanks
Cliff

Didn't have to redrill anything. They fit nicely through everything. I think they are grade 8 steel, which is better than what was there if memory serves me correctly.

Originally posted by Toy Man
You had better be on a LEVEL surface when you try to re-connect - otherwise have a jack handy.

why not simply run up onto a curb or something? we usualyl reconnect at a gas station and either run up on a curb or have someone sit or press down on the hood on the side we are trying to reconnect. much simpler than pulling out the jack, IMO.

why not simply run up onto a curb or something? we usualyl reconnect at a gas station and either run up on a curb or have someone sit or press down on the hood on the side we are trying to reconnect. much simpler than pulling out the jack, IMO.

Good idea about the curb.

Thanks

Originally posted by Synchro


why not simply run up onto a curb or something? we usualyl reconnect at a gas station and either run up on a curb or have someone sit or press down on the hood on the side we are trying to reconnect. much simpler than pulling out the jack, IMO.

A large C-Clamp can also be used. This is what I used while doing my testing last night...

I've also use a pry bar or something of that sort to get them back on. It helps to have an extra hand doing it that way. I will definately have to remember the curb thing, sounds much easier....

FYI - I used to use hitch pins with my QD's ... until I had to replace them every week. They were getting bent up and beat up to the point that I could hardly remove them ... then I started using the plastic knobs for the top of my QD's ... until one of them worked itself loose and grenaded the whole QD while I was driving ... lost the bolt, the sleeve, the washers, the bushings, everything. Now I'm using the metal knobs and haven't had any problems in a couple months. I recommend them over all other methods of tightening down the QD's.

Was it the small clip that kept bending, or the hitch pin itself?

I thought this might happen. That's one of the reasons I did not leave mine on.

Cliff

Originally posted by Synchro


why not simply run up onto a curb or something? we usualyl reconnect at a gas station and either run up on a curb or have someone sit or press down on the hood on the side we are trying to reconnect. much simpler than pulling out the jack, IMO.

Maybe he means when he needs to unweight because everything is too compressed to feed the bolt, spacer and bushings through. I have one side that always needs to be compressed and one side that is already to close to get all the pieces through. Luckily, most of the time I can force the arm up get it all in line without assistance.

Originally posted by wilburburns
Was it the small clip that kept bending, or the hitch pin itself?

I thought this might happen. That's one of the reasons I did not leave mine on.

Cliff

The hitch pin itself would bend to the point where I had to replace them everytime I took them out.

That's not what I thought would bend, but oh well. Live and learn. :(

I thought the clip would bend/break first. Were you using the small 3/8 pin? It still looks like a great idea, but not if they don't last. It would get old real quick spending $2.95 for a new pin each time I removed them...:mad:

Back to the drawing board I go...

Cliff
--------------
Master of Cheap, yet sometimes useless gadgets...

do you really get that much more flex up front considering its ifs? or are the real advantages in removing the rear?
thanks

Originally posted by evergreen
do you really get that much more flex up front considering its ifs? or are the real advantages in removing the rear?
thanks

You get a couple inches up front, and a few inches in the rear. I removed my rear sway bar 2 years ago and haven't missed it at all, it's sitting in my shed.

I think I would get the shocks before I removed the swaybar fulltime!!! Reattach the swabar while back on the road till you have the shocks. :)

Evergreen...when you go out with us in two weeks you'll see what a big difference removing your rear swaybar can do for articulation!!! Nachos(Naches) is one of our more difficult runs! :D