Pleasantly surprised after I took off my front sway bar

[Berty_K]

Stripped one of the mounting threads for my front sway bar bushings yesterday evening. Given it was getting late, I said f**k it and ripped out the front sway bar and my the brand new sliding swaybar disconnects :yell:

Drove it this morning on the highway and was expecting the car to feel like a BOAT... but it didn't. There certainly was more sway without it, but I'm certain I only noticed it because I knew the swaybar was out.

I'm tempted to leave the swaybar out. I think the sway is minimal because my front end is already so stiff (6112s, 650lbs springs, and a preload spacer).

Out of curiosity, how many of ya'll are running without front swaybars?

 

[rdruss]

I have an '03 V8 and have run without front sway at one time and it felt like the suspension was more responsive, but I put it back on after I fixed my stripped bolt.
I am running now without the rear sway and like the feel but it's not significantly different that when it's on there.
I have 4600 Bils/FJ springs/front and rear/1" spacer in front

 

[Berty_K]

I have an '03 V8 and have run without front sway at one time and it felt like the suspension was more responsive, but I put it back on after I fixed my stripped bolt.
I am running now without the rear sway and like the feel but it's not significantly different that when it's on there.
I have 4600 Bils/FJ springs/front and rear/1" spacer in front

How'd you fix your stripped bolt?

I have some M8 rivnuts on hand. Considering downsizing to those to tales fix the mount point.

I'm 50/50 on leaving the sway bar off. Primarily reason for considering putting it back on is safety.

 

[rdruss]

Yeah, same reason I reinstalled front sway. I fixed by taking a tap that would fit snuggly in the hole in frame and put what threads I could in it, then got a bolt of same diameter/thread cut the head off so it was a stud. Then put JB weld on threads I had cut in frame and a big gob on the "stud" and screwed it in about 3-4 turns and let it set up over night then used same thread nut to secure sway bar bracket and so far it's held for 2 years. I don't off road so maybe that keeps stress down on it.

 

[cwilliams563]

Stripped one of the mounting threads for my front sway bar bushings yesterday evening. Given it was getting late, I said f**k it and ripped out the front sway bar and my the brand new sliding swaybar disconnects :yell:

Drove it this morning on the highway and was expecting the car to feel like a BOAT... but it didn't. There certainly was more sway without it, but I'm certain I only noticed it because I knew the swaybar was out.

I'm tempted to leave the swaybar out. I think the sway is minimal because my front end is already so stiff (6112s, 650lbs springs, and a preload spacer).

Out of curiosity, how many of ya'll are running without front swaybars?

Not sure if the same thing happened to yours as mine? My weld nut inside my frame broke the welds and acted like it was stripped. I couldn’t get the bolt out more than halfway.

Had to drill my frame out, get the open end of the wrench on it, and just replaced the nut. Planned on welding it back to the frame and plugging the hole but haven’t bothered.

 

[CajunMikeR]

While not a 4th gen, this thread made me decide to try running around with my front disconnected. Honestly, with my Dobinsons suspension, the vehicle still leans less than it did completely stock off the showroom floor. Even some "panic stops" while swerving were more controlled than stock.

So, I went ahead and pulled it out completely. I'm going to run it like this for a while and see how it is when I pull the trailer next weekend.

 

[Berty_K]

Not sure if the same thing happened to yours as mine? My weld nut inside my frame broke the welds and acted like it was stripped. I couldn’t get the bolt out more than halfway.

Had to drill my frame out, get the open end of the wrench on it, and just replaced the nut. Planned on welding it back to the frame and plugging the hole but haven’t bothered.

Similar actually, except I stripped the threads. I was on borrowed time. A few years ago, I knew I stripped the thread and have been getting away with carefully rethreading the weld nut.

I ended up breaking off the weld nut using a tapered pry bar. This video was helpful:https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=210&v=AG3N_0xEwok&feature=youtu.be

The stock bolt is a m10, but I only had m8 rivnuts on hand so put one of those in. Put in stronger grade 10 hardware and called it a wash-- I'm pretty certain Toyota uses grade 8 hardware.

While not a 4th gen, this thread made me decide to try running around with my front disconnected. Honestly, with my Dobinsons suspension, the vehicle still leans less than it did completely stock off the showroom floor. Even some "panic stops" while swerving were more controlled than stock.

So, I went ahead and pulled it out completely. I'm going to run it like this for a while and see how it is when I pull the trailer next weekend.

Front end actually felt better on my upgraded suspension. But... the thought of removing a safety feature on my daily driver just didn't sit well with me. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I got into an accident.

 

[xtremewlr]

Haven't ran a front sway bar since I first redid the suspension after buying the truck. Now, with the most recent move to heavier duty springs front and rear, I'm not running sway bars front or rear. Not going back on either, unless I install an Antirock sway bar in the rear.

 

[Mgpppppp]

Not sure if the same thing happened to yours as mine? My weld nut inside my frame broke the welds and acted like it was stripped. I couldn’t get the bolt out more than halfway.

Had to drill my frame out, get the open end of the wrench on it, and just replaced the nut. Planned on welding it back to the frame and plugging the hole but haven’t bothered.

Hello, I know this is a couple years old, but I just had the weld nut break on that exact bolt trying to change my bushings yesterday. The other ones are still intact as I’m trying to figure out the best way to back out the rest of them. Did you ever weld that piece back on of all the solutions I’ve seen this one seems the most logical to be able to have that nut tight against the frame to keep the full rigidity that the stabilizer bar intended to have. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[aemravan]

since this thread go resurrected I'll drop this comment here..

running the sway bar (front and/or rear) or not on the street is heavily dependent on what shocks and coils you run.

I ran no bars front or rear with Icon 2.5 front and Dobinsons long travel rear with their variable rate coils and can tell you first hand that the amount of lean I had was absolutely unbearable.. I still drove it around like that, but my left to right lean was probably damn near 10 inches combined in turns, even slower turning. It was bad enough for me to go and install a TK1 racing rear sway bar to counter it, which helped a ton.

One large misconception people (including myself) have is that no sway bars = more articulation offroad, which isn't the case, at least for the most part. Tinkerers Adventure channel on Youtube has a great video demonstrating that total amount of travel increase doesn't meant total amount of articulation, due to the weight transfer.

I experienced this first hand as well after going to the LT rear set up and doing a flex test on a loading dock ramp. What I found was that even though I was fully stuffing the rear wheel, I could never get the front to come anywhere close to full bump.. I had anywhere between 1-2" of more travel to go before I hit the bump stop (that's 2-4 inches of wheel travel) because all the weight was in the rear..

Since then I went back to running a factory rear sway bar with extended links and the factory front bar with the relocation kit. No sway at all was a great change.

Currently, I'm back to running no front bar because of I found that it was impacting my LC200 steering rack tie rods and tearing the boot on the inner rod. I can't find a good position the clears the bar and doesnt impact the coilovers.. so there's a good chance this is staying off. My current suspension changed to the Ironman 4x4 foam cell pro front and rear and the stiffer spring rate with no front or rear sway bar had very minimal roll compared to what I had before .. so it's definitely possible to run no bars depending on what other components you have in your system.

 

[xtremewlr]

since this thread go resurrected I'll drop this comment here..

running the sway bar (front and/or rear) or not on the street is heavily dependent on what shocks and coils you run.

I ran no bars front or rear with Icon 2.5 front and Dobinsons long travel rear with their variable rate coils and can tell you first hand that the amount of lean I had was absolutely unbearable.. I still drove it around like that, but my left to right lean was probably damn near 10 inches combined in turns, even slower turning. It was bad enough for me to go and install a TK1 racing rear sway bar to counter it, which helped a ton.

One large misconception people (including myself) have is that no sway bars = more articulation offroad, which isn't the case, at least for the most part. Tinkerers Adventure channel on Youtube has a great video demonstrating that total amount of travel increase doesn't meant total amount of articulation, due to the weight transfer.

I experienced this first hand as well after going to the LT rear set up and doing a flex test on a loading dock ramp. What I found was that even though I was fully stuffing the rear wheel, I could never get the front to come anywhere close to full bump.. I had anywhere between 1-2" of more travel to go before I hit the bump stop (that's 2-4 inches of wheel travel) because all the weight was in the rear..

Since then I went back to running a factory rear sway bar with extended links and the factory front bar with the relocation kit. No sway at all was a great change.

Currently, I'm back to running no front bar because of I found that it was impacting my LC200 steering rack tie rods and tearing the boot on the inner rod. I can't find a good position the clears the bar and doesnt impact the coilovers.. so there's a good chance this is staying off. My current suspension changed to the Ironman 4x4 foam cell pro front and rear and the stiffer spring rate with no front or rear sway bar had very minimal roll compared to what I had before .. so it's definitely possible to run no bars depending on what other components you have in your system.

Agreed. I'm running no bars front or rear still but I also have full ADS suspension with HD coils in front and MetalTech long travel HD coils in the rear. I get body roll that most would consider extreme but I'm used to it and it hasn't been an issue for me. I have thought about adding an Anti-Rock rear bar at some point but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[aemravan]

Agreed. I'm running no bars front or rear still but I also have full ADS suspension with HD coils in front and MetalTech long travel HD coils in the rear. I get body roll that most would consider extreme but I'm used to it and it hasn't been an issue for me. I have thought about adding an Anti-Rock rear bar at some point but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Yea.. I feel like no front bar and the TK1 Racing rear bar was the sweet spot.. it reduced the on-road sway just into the comfortable (to me) zone while still allowing for added articulation in the rear with no binding the factory rear sway bar gives. I'm 100% convinced I will be snapping one of the extended links at some point

 

[Mgpppppp]

since this thread go resurrected I'll drop this comment here..

running the sway bar (front and/or rear) or not on the street is heavily dependent on what shocks and coils you run.

I ran no bars front or rear with Icon 2.5 front and Dobinsons long travel rear with their variable rate coils and can tell you first hand that the amount of lean I had was absolutely unbearable.. I still drove it around like that, but my left to right lean was probably damn near 10 inches combined in turns, even slower turning. It was bad enough for me to go and install a TK1 racing rear sway bar to counter it, which helped a ton.

One large misconception people (including myself) have is that no sway bars = more articulation offroad, which isn't the case, at least for the most part. Tinkerers Adventure channel on Youtube has a great video demonstrating that total amount of travel increase doesn't meant total amount of articulation, due to the weight transfer.

I experienced this first hand as well after going to the LT rear set up and doing a flex test on a loading dock ramp. What I found was that even though I was fully stuffing the rear wheel, I could never get the front to come anywhere close to full bump.. I had anywhere between 1-2" of more travel to go before I hit the bump stop (that's 2-4 inches of wheel travel) because all the weight was in the rear..

Since then I went back to running a factory rear sway bar with extended links and the factory front bar with the relocation kit. No sway at all was a great change.

Currently, I'm back to running no front bar because of I found that it was impacting my LC200 steering rack tie rods and tearing the boot on the inner rod. I can't find a good position the clears the bar and doesnt impact the coilovers.. so there's a good chance this is staying off. My current suspension changed to the Ironman 4x4 foam cell pro front and rear and the stiffer spring rate with no front or rear sway bar had very minimal roll compared to what I had before .. so it's definitely possible to run no bars depending on what other components you have in your system.

Thank you for this. I was toying with the idea of not running swaybar on the front, but based off what you described with aftermarket suspension, there’s just no way I could possibly do it and feel safe. Or even have my wife sometimes drive it. I’m just in quite of a pickle here, trying to figure out the best way to keep a bolt and nut through this hole and it seems like drilling a hole like someone previously did up in this thread is the easiest way to access it.

 

[aemravan]

Thank you for this. I was toying with the idea of not running swaybar on the front, but based off what you described with aftermarket suspension, there’s just no way I could possibly do it and feel safe. Or even have my wife sometimes drive it. I’m just in quite of a pickle here, trying to figure out the best way to keep a bolt and nut through this hole and it seems like drilling a hole like someone previously did up in this thread is the easiest way to access it.

yea.. that's always a big thought for me as well is having someone else with me. I feel comfortable for all the un-engineering I have done for myself, but certainly wouldn't be this way if my wife had to drive the rig. Just having the wife and dogs in there on long trips makes me extra cautious.

If all you're dealing with is some stripped threads to bolt it up, that's a problem that's fairly easily resolved I feel like :shrug: I have cut so much of my rig up that cutting an access hole sounds like a no brainer.. hell, if you cut it just big enough you could even tack weld the nut inside and then weld the hole shut again if you don't want to swiss-cheese your frame more than it is factory.. just hit it with some primer and paint so it doesn't rust.

 

[FoundedSine14]

Hello, I know this is a couple years old, but I just had the weld nut break on that exact bolt trying to change my bushings yesterday. The other ones are still intact as I’m trying to figure out the best way to back out the rest of them. Did you ever weld that piece back on of all the solutions I’ve seen this one seems the most logical to be able to have that nut tight against the frame to keep the full rigidity that the stabilizer bar intended to have. Any help is greatly appreciated!

I had this happen. I drilled it out and put in a rivnut.

I still run my front sway bar because it reduces oversteer. Oversteer plus a high center of gravity is a recipe for rollovers, so I run the Overland Custom Designs disconnects for when I get to the trails. I hate the disconnects, but I like them a lot more than rolling.

 

[xtremewlr]

yea.. that's always a big thought for me as well is having someone else with me. I feel comfortable for all the un-engineering I have done for myself, but certainly wouldn't be this way if my wife had to drive the rig. Just having the wife and dogs in there on long trips makes me extra cautious.

If all you're dealing with is some stripped threads to bolt it up, that's a problem that's fairly easily resolved I feel like :shrug: I have cut so much of my rig up that cutting an access hole sounds like a no brainer.. hell, if you cut it just big enough you could even tack weld the nut inside and then weld the hole shut again if you don't want to swiss-cheese your frame more than it is factory.. just hit it with some primer and paint so it doesn't rust.

My daughter recently had my 4runner for about a month while I was doing repairs on her car. I had no issues with her driving it without sway bars but I did sternly warn her that it's NOT a sports car or even her car and she can't take corners fast or as fast as she might in her car. But again, I have better aftermarket suspension that the standard stuff, so I felt confident she wouldn't have an issue. And everything was fine. Still going to add a rear bar at some point.