BlackWorksInc
New member
So this has been something I have been planning for a long time now, those of you that wheeled with me before have heard me spout out some ideas for modifications and such and now I've decided to actually bring them to reality. I figured some of you would like to see the process of an idea turning into an real item so I'll be updating this with pictures and information as I go along.
So a little history on this idea; I drive my vehicles and by that I mean I drive them like I stole them. I have never understood why a person would spend obscene amounts money on a car to never drive it. So I really needed the use of my sway bar on my 4Runner, yet I wanted the benefits of a removed sway bar for off-roading. Unfortunately the design of our sway bars makes that very difficult, we can't just use disconnecting links like the majority of off-roaders. The limiting factor is that the sway bar hugs so tightly to the frame and suspension that removing the links presents the possibility that the swaybar can bind in the CV axle and/or spring in extreme cases.
There was a member on the FJ Cruiser forums who came up with a solution to this, and his idea is rather brilliant. Swaybar Disconnect, Check it out!!!! - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum (I want to give credit to him, because it was his design that inspired me to create my own version.)
I felt that while his sway bar disconnect worked as intended, there were things that could be done to make the modification more functional and usable. I ended up with a design very similar in function to his, but with enhancements I felt made it more robust and easier to work with.
~
Now lets get to the technical stuff, If you look at the original sway bar from our friend on the FJ Cruiser forums you'll see that he decided to use two threaded bolts (I believe they are lug studs.) While this holds the sway bar parts together, I felt it was too cumbersome a design. I didn't want to have to dig out a ratchet and socket and then sit there and unbolt the damn thing, so I spent a lot of times trying to design a more efficient way to attach and detach the removable portion of the sway bar. Eventually I settled on using dual pins with holes for a modified lynch pin to slide in.
The next issue I felt needed to be addressed was that while the location of his disconnect was very accessible, it presented an issue for my rig in particular (and I assume a lot of others as well.) I run stock rims with 285/70R17's and they scrub at that exact spot on my sway bar on full turn. The bolts, nuts, and flanges would just tear up my tire if I did it that way. I spent weeks trying to design a functional, yet easy to remove shield to protect that portion and eventually just gave up, I found it much easier from a design standpoint to simply move the entire cut portion further in and avoid the scrub zone entirely. This still retained an easy to reach section where it could be disconnected from and would not affect turning radius of the wheel or damage the tires on my vehicle.
So with all these things in mind (I want to thank BLK4Runner for donating his sway bar for me to go over like a mad scientist!) I began with drawing up a 3D model of the design on SketchUp (one of Google's partners Free 3D design software) and after 3 or 4 iterations I came up with this:
I don't have access to the equipment I am going to need to produce this item at the moment so I have become a member of TechShop (TechShop is America's 1st Nationwide Open-Access Public Workshop -- What Do You Want To Make at TechShop?) and am taking their SBU (Safety & Basic Use) courses to use the required machining and fabrication equipment. This is going take most of the month, but I will try and update as I go along with the process!
I also have some machining tool bits, cutters, and other such things on order! (Techshop provides the equipment and training, but drillbits, toolbits, and ect are not provided. i.e. for the milling machine you supply your own endmills, ect.)
So a little history on this idea; I drive my vehicles and by that I mean I drive them like I stole them. I have never understood why a person would spend obscene amounts money on a car to never drive it. So I really needed the use of my sway bar on my 4Runner, yet I wanted the benefits of a removed sway bar for off-roading. Unfortunately the design of our sway bars makes that very difficult, we can't just use disconnecting links like the majority of off-roaders. The limiting factor is that the sway bar hugs so tightly to the frame and suspension that removing the links presents the possibility that the swaybar can bind in the CV axle and/or spring in extreme cases.
There was a member on the FJ Cruiser forums who came up with a solution to this, and his idea is rather brilliant. Swaybar Disconnect, Check it out!!!! - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum (I want to give credit to him, because it was his design that inspired me to create my own version.)
I felt that while his sway bar disconnect worked as intended, there were things that could be done to make the modification more functional and usable. I ended up with a design very similar in function to his, but with enhancements I felt made it more robust and easier to work with.
~
Now lets get to the technical stuff, If you look at the original sway bar from our friend on the FJ Cruiser forums you'll see that he decided to use two threaded bolts (I believe they are lug studs.) While this holds the sway bar parts together, I felt it was too cumbersome a design. I didn't want to have to dig out a ratchet and socket and then sit there and unbolt the damn thing, so I spent a lot of times trying to design a more efficient way to attach and detach the removable portion of the sway bar. Eventually I settled on using dual pins with holes for a modified lynch pin to slide in.
The next issue I felt needed to be addressed was that while the location of his disconnect was very accessible, it presented an issue for my rig in particular (and I assume a lot of others as well.) I run stock rims with 285/70R17's and they scrub at that exact spot on my sway bar on full turn. The bolts, nuts, and flanges would just tear up my tire if I did it that way. I spent weeks trying to design a functional, yet easy to remove shield to protect that portion and eventually just gave up, I found it much easier from a design standpoint to simply move the entire cut portion further in and avoid the scrub zone entirely. This still retained an easy to reach section where it could be disconnected from and would not affect turning radius of the wheel or damage the tires on my vehicle.
So with all these things in mind (I want to thank BLK4Runner for donating his sway bar for me to go over like a mad scientist!) I began with drawing up a 3D model of the design on SketchUp (one of Google's partners Free 3D design software) and after 3 or 4 iterations I came up with this:
I don't have access to the equipment I am going to need to produce this item at the moment so I have become a member of TechShop (TechShop is America's 1st Nationwide Open-Access Public Workshop -- What Do You Want To Make at TechShop?) and am taking their SBU (Safety & Basic Use) courses to use the required machining and fabrication equipment. This is going take most of the month, but I will try and update as I go along with the process!
I also have some machining tool bits, cutters, and other such things on order! (Techshop provides the equipment and training, but drillbits, toolbits, and ect are not provided. i.e. for the milling machine you supply your own endmills, ect.)
Have everything ready to go, but nothing to work with!
hwell: )
