XJ Flex

[fatkid44]

I just out on a 3" lift on my XJ and wondered if taking off the rear sway bars would be harmful to the drive line or rear shocks? Could the front sway bars also be taken off without affecting anything? I played around with some ramps to check out the flex and one the rear wheels was off the ground. I'd like to pull off the sway bars but i don't wanna damage anything.

 

[Fuller]

I just out on a 3" lift on my XJ and wondered if taking off the rear sway bars would be harmful to the drive line or rear shocks? Could the front sway bars also be taken off without affecting anything? I played around with some ramps to check out the flex and one the rear wheels was off the ground. I'd like to pull off the sway bars but i don't wanna damage anything.

You won’t damage anything by removing the sway bars. I haven’t run a rear sway bar since I have bought my jeep 3 years ago. I would leave the front sway bar attached, and spend the money and get some disconnects. I don’t like to drive my jeep with the front sway bar disconnected because there is to much body roll, and I would hate to get sued because I wrecked into someone because I couldn’t control my jeep around corner or had to swerve and end up rolling my jeep.

 

[iceaxe]

Ditto limegreen for all the reasons he stated except even if I didn't get sued I'd hate to roll my Jeep . your brake lines are the only thing in harms way with good flex so extend those if you havn't already.

 

[fatkid44]

Thanks. So I wouldn't have to worry about shocks breaking or crazy things like that? And removing the rear sway bars won't affect the driveability of it? My cousin have a 5.5" RE with no front sway bars, so after driving it I doubt I can take off my front ones, especially since is a DD.

 

[K85k03]

I would do like limegrnxj said and buy disconnects for the front and remove the rear sway bar. I have an xj with 4" of lift and have neither the front sway bar or the rear swaybar. I've had nor problems with drivlines, shocks or brakes. but I have extended brake lines and a drop transfer kit. Mines also isn't a DD. so I would go with what limegrnxj said.

 

[iceaxe]

Thanks. So I wouldn't have to worry about shocks breaking or crazy things like that? And removing the rear sway bars won't affect the driveability of it? My cousin have a 5.5" RE with no front sway bars, so after driving it I doubt I can take off my front ones, especially since is a DD.

no, removing the rear sway bar shouldn't of itself do anything crazy like that, just be careful your brakelines are long enough at full axle droop. breaking shocks or shock mounts usually is an issue with improper shock length and is an issue that should be fixed by installing proper shocks, or finding correct bumpstop length, or extending shock mounts as needed.
I removed the rear antiswaybar in Oct of last year and my XJ was my DD untill last week(have another DD). To further quench your fears I've heard over and over that the upcountry package XJ's came without the rear antiswaybar from the factory. Every bit as drivable in any condition and twice as nice offroad. Once again remove the rear! Get quick disconnects for the front, they let you keep the front bar for dodging traffic and let you unhook it when you get to the trail, best of both worlds IMHO

 

[jedijeeper]

First, your question about drivability, will it affect your XJ's drivability?...... Of course it will. The sway bar was installed on your vehicle to help it's road manners and help Chrysler stay out of lawsuits when their SUVs end up riding on their lids (does anyone remember 60 Minutes and the CJs scare?). The vehicle, any vehicle, has better cornering and body roll characteristics with the employ of some sort of suspension eqalization product.

Reality is this, yes your Jeep will drive fine, no parts will break as a direct result of the sway bar being disconnected, and your offroad prowess will greatly, and I mean greatly, improve. Just remember what the bar was there for, and don't drive the Jeep in such a way as to exploit the now weaker street-ability. If you have to swerve for a cat on the freeway... well... you better hit the cat.

If this is your driver, do not disconnect the front bar. Spend the money on a decent disconnect system. Mepco carries an awesome one. That way, like the others have mentioned above, you can connect it to drive to the canyon, then disconnect it while wheelin', then connect and shimmy on home.

An interesting note is that you are seeing more an more of the long travel sway bars appear off road, on buggies and other rigs... these are usually quite supple and don't hinder the suspension too much, but they really control the back on and forth rocking that you are going to soon be familiar with Mepco sells the Tera one that can also be disconnected if desired, and Currie Enterprises has the Anti-Rock... As for me, I really, really want to go grab the Tera version.

-JJ

 

[IBC]

If you have to swerve for a cat on the freeway... well... you better hit the cat.

I agree with Jedi. I had a 2002 XJ with a 4" lift. I disconnected the rear sway bar during a trip and never re-connected it. The thing I noticed the most on the pavement was the change in the "feel" of the ride. It felt like driving a really flexy TJ - it sure doesn't handle like a sports car!

 

[metalry101]

So the rear swaybar really has that much of an effect? I wouldn't mind more flex, but I don't drive like a granny on the street. It may be a Jeep, but damnit I drive it as hard on the road as I do off, if not harder. Well, not always, but I do love corners. Anyone can go fast in a straight line, I like to rally corners at speed. I'd never even consider pulling the front swaybar, and I totally agree on getting the disconnects. That's exactly what I plan to do, but does the rear bar make much of a difference in the handling? I noticed that it is considerably smaller than the front (well, the front does take much more of a cornering load, so that makes sense), so I'm thinking that maybe the rear doesn't really need it? I can't imagine that swaybar causing that many problems flexwise w/o the aftermarket jumping in w/ a solution like they have for the front... LMK what you guys think, thanx

 

[mbryson]

So the rear swaybar really has that much of an effect? I wouldn't mind more flex, but I don't drive like a granny on the street. It may be a Jeep, but damnit I drive it as hard on the road as I do off, if not harder. Well, not always, but I do love corners. Anyone can go fast in a straight line, I like to rally corners at speed. I'd never even consider pulling the front swaybar, and I totally agree on getting the disconnects. That's exactly what I plan to do, but does the rear bar make much of a difference in the handling? I noticed that it is considerably smaller than the front (well, the front does take much more of a cornering load, so that makes sense), so I'm thinking that maybe the rear doesn't really need it? I can't imagine that swaybar causing that many problems flexwise w/o the aftermarket jumping in w/ a solution like they have for the front... LMK what you guys think, thanx

My XJ was an 'Off-Road' edition or whatever. Came with no rear swaybar. I've never missed it to my knowledge.

I bought a cheap RE 4.5 lift kit (with AAL) and thought that was an excellent on-off road compromise. Ran 32" MT/R's with 4.10 gears. Drove it to work everyday, picked up my kid in Manti every other weekend, and did Pritchett Canyon.

 

[crimsonride]

HOLLY Shiz Mark! Look at your post count!

I yanked my sway bar and didn't notice much a difference at all. Usually if you've lifted it you've installed a heavier shock and they seem to make up for it. Anyway, that swaybar's so dinky it's not doing much for you anyway. Rip that mother off!
To get some extra flex, cut the spring ties off. If you haven't already done shackles, get them, then cut the bolt off that's in the shackle hangar. With the removal of the sway bar and that done you'll have worlds more flex.
It's also nice to have the correct length of shock in the rear. Lift companies give you a generic length shock that will fit there when the lengths to the shock mounts are different from left to right in the rear of those.
If your brake line isn't long enough and you don't want to get a new one then pull the clip on the hangar and bend the line down a scosh bit more, you'll get penty of length out of that.