Should I remove my sway bar?
Removing the sway bar will increase your offroad performance. It will allow your truck to have greater articulation and allow the two front wheels to act independently. If you actually wheel your truck this is a huge benefit. On-road handling characteristics will change slightly..
Is it bad to disconnect sway bar?
More simply, you want your left and right front tires to be able to move up and down more independently from one another. With your sway bar connected, this movement is limited. If you disconnect that sway bar, you can roam the dusty hills more freely.
What does removing sway bar do?
Removing the front sway bar from your SUV or truck may produce a minor increase in articulation. Sway bars are designed to control vehicle body roll. Sway bars bring understeer (vehicle turns less than input) and oversteer (vehicle turns more than input) to neutral steering as close as possible.
Does removing a sway bar affect alignment?
Basically, if the steering rack, tie rods, subframe, or control arm bolts have been altered or the car has been lowered, you need an alignment. Removing the sway bar, and replacing it would not require an alignment, unless something that I mentioned above had to be moved to access the sway bar.
How does a rear sway bar affect handling?
Basically sway bars reduce roll and dramatically improve handling. They connect one side of the suspension to the other with attachment points generally on the lower A-arms and frame (chassis), and twist to limit the roll during cornering. As the truck enters a corner, centrifugal forces create a body roll force.
Do lifted trucks need sway bars?
An upgraded sway bar is important on lifted trucks since the lift increases the height of the Center of Gravity, decreasing stability and increasing body roll. The upgraded sway bar increases the anti-roll stiffness to improve both safety and comfort, whether it is daily driving or in tow/haul conditions.
How important is a sway bar?
The sway bar, also known as an anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar, is a vital part of your vehicle’s suspension system and keeps it level during cornering. Because the sway bar itself is a torsional swing, the sway bar link smooths the motion transfer between the sway bar and the control arm.
Should you replace sway bar links in pairs?
Some sway bar links have ball joints and studs, while others are basically a long bolt with a sleeve and bushings. Most professionals recommend replacing sway bar links in pairs (i.e., both front links or both rear links).
What to do if your sway bar is not working?
To diagnose this, disconnecting the two sway bar end links and taking the vehicle for a test drive can narrow the problem down.
How do you replace a stabilizer link on a sway bar?
To replace the end links, two nuts are removed, one from the strut, and the other from the sway bar. The new link is an Original Grade part from Mevotech.
How do you remove a sway bar bracket?
This is because the sway bar bolts on top of the sub-frame, but is underneath the body, not leaving enough room to back off the bolt. The front bracket bolt can be removed using a ratchet through the wheel well. The bracket has an arrow on it, possibly indicating the front of the vehicle although the bracket looks symmetrical.
Why are my sway bar bushings wearing out?
Front end clunks over bumps are a common occurrence on many vehicles with worn suspension parts. The stabilizer bar end links have two ball sockets on either end which can wear out.