What do you do with the sway bar when endlinks are disconnected?

[MStudt]

That's a cool setup. About to install an icon extended flex setup in my brothers 4th gen. According to guys in that forum disconnecting front don't do much.

I did a little rutted section with my front connected. I have to say. Traction up front was night and day different. Connected it literally felt like an extra 1000lb on each tire as they drooped into the ruts. I might keep them connected on trail from here on out. IFS seems to work better connected.

The front being disconnected has it's advantages and disadvantages. With the 4th's you need to remove the entire sway bar or build something like the above picture to disconnect. The sway bar design is way different than ours, and you will damage a CV disconnecting. I know this from experience, and that's why I won't sell front disco's to 4th and 5th Gen owners. I always tell people that if you have the right links you'll be amazed at what our 4runner's can do.

 

[JeepKiller]

I let the bar dangle but it would rattle against the frame going over bumps so I just took the whole thing off.

 

[JayRolla]

The front being disconnected has it's advantages and disadvantages. With the 4th's you need to remove the entire sway bar or build something like the above picture to disconnect. The sway bar design is way different than ours, and you will damage a CV disconnecting. I know this from experience, and that's why I won't sell front disco's to 4th and 5th Gen owners. I always tell people that if you have the right links you'll be amazed at what our 4runner's can do.

Thanks for the heads up!! I'll make sure he knows to stay connected.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

When I remove my links for trails that require a lot of flex I disconnect the full front link on each side and pack them up in the truck.

The sway bar stays fully attached to the Truck.

Then at the end of my trip I reattach the front sway bar extended links for city driving.

Some people think they don't need a front sway bar. You do need one. You need it for the things that can go wrong such as someone running a red light or a tire blowing at high speed. Without the front sway bar there is a higher chance you will lose control and FLIP. Also your shocks will wear out a lot faster.

You left out the critical piece of info What do you do with the bar , still attached, when the links are disconnected? Do you use something to tie the bar ends up to the frame or let it droop?

 

[JayRolla]

You left out the critical piece of info What do you do with the bar , still attached, when the links are disconnected? Do you use something to tie the bar ends up to the frame or let it droop?

I just let mine droop. I have fully cycled suspension and wheeled many times. Never had an issue for years like that.

 

[absalom]

Not to be overly cavalier, but let's say worst case scenario you end up bending your rear bar while wheeling. I honestly can't imagine a junkyard sway bar costing more than $8. To me, it's just the cost of doing business on the trail.

 

[absalom]

You're right. I have no idea how my links work on 4runners.

No need to be sassy lol. We're all just talking...

 

[floatingkiwi]

Simply:

Rear - no you cannot disconnect one link. It's either completely in or you remove the whole shebang.

Front - Yes you can remove one link. Unless your front suspension geometry is modified (not counting straightforward lifts) it will not contact anything. Good old little Japanese engineers!

 

[absalom]

Simply:

Rear - no you cannot disconnect one link. It's either completely in or you remove the whole shebang.

Front - Yes you can remove one link. Unless your front suspension geometry is modified (not counting straightforward lifts) it will not contact anything. Good old little Japanese engineers!

Did we read the same thread? I'd say the consensus is removing one rear link is worth the perceived risk, but removing one front link puts your CV's at an unnecessary risk.

 

[AZBub]

 

[BrandonF]

Everyone is way over-thinking this whole thing. If you don't run sway bars, expect better suspension travel off road and lots of body roll on road. Beyond that, theres no difference. I fail to see how having one sway bar link attached is going to cause CV damage…

 

[floatingkiwi]

Did we read the same thread? I'd say the consensus is removing one rear link is worth the perceived risk, but removing one front link puts your CV's at an unnecessary risk.

I do it all the time on my 2" lifted 3rd gen. Whip it off for offroad then screw it back in for road. Front only. Go and test it yourself, find a steep bank and hang/bury both front wheels one at a time.

If you remove a rear link the end of the unrestrained rear sway bar will repeatedly, loudly, and finally catastrophically try to bury itself into your chassis rails. Hence in or out.

 

[JayRolla]

I do it all the time on my 2" lifted 3rd gen. Whip it off for offroad then screw it back in for road. Front only. Go and test it yourself, find a steep bank and hang/bury both front wheels one at a time.

If you remove a rear link the end of the unrestrained rear sway bar will repeatedly, loudly, and finally catastrophically try to bury itself into your chassis rails. Hence in or out.

So one of my rear links decided to break on the trail. Left out like that. Got home and went to repair. Read sway bar got pretty bent. Took some time getting her bank in place.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

So one of my rear links decided to break on the trail. Left out like that. Got home and went to repair. Read sway bar got pretty bent. Took some time getting her bank in place.

Yeah, I have found that, if you do some serious wheeling and you only have 1 rear endlink connected, you can do some further damage. How did you bend the sway bar back into shape? Those bars are pretty beefy. Lots of heat and lots of force?

 

[JayRolla]

Yeah, I have found that, if you do some serious wheeling and you only have 1 rear endlink connected, you can do some further damage. How did you bend the sway bar back into shape? Those bars are pretty beefy. Lots of heat and lots of force?

I left one side bolted and just jacked up the sway bar past the mounting location. Lowered it slightly and pressed bracket into place. Good thing the rear sway bar brackets have those hooks to help keep it in place for me to get a bolt in. The other bolt is sheered off. I need to drill it out tonight and hopefully can get a bolt to thread in.

 

[toyopnoy]

Just speaking from my experience. I have OME 882/890 lift with OME shocks. I have quick disconnects in the front and extended rear links. I've wheeled my truck pretty frequently (Big Bear, Calico, other California trails). I disconnect one side on the front and completely remove that link from the sway bar when I hit the trail. The sway bar moves freely and in unison with the side that is still connected. Even at full stuff on one side and full droop on the other the sway bar does not make any contact with the frame or any other suspension part. Losing a CV would also depend on what lift setup you have in the front. If you have extended shocks or coilovers I see how you could lose a CV due to more down travel but with my lift setup the shock limits droop and at full droop I have no binding in my CV's. I have never disconnected the rears when wheeling.

 

[Chuch]

Someone mentioned that having the "right" sway bar links will do miracles. Can anyone share the best fronts for 3rd gen??

 

[JayRolla]

Someone mentioned that having the "right" sway bar links will do miracles. Can anyone share the best fronts for 3rd gen??

The guy that mentioned that sells his own links. Im sure he could help you out.

 

[Chuch]

ahhhh...that makes sense. LOL I am sure he can. Mine definitely are ready to be replaced.

 

[BrandonF]

Just speaking from my experience. I have OME 882/890 lift with OME shocks. I have quick disconnects in the front and extended rear links. I've wheeled my truck pretty frequently (Big Bear, Calico, other California trails). I disconnect one side on the front and completely remove that link from the sway bar when I hit the trail. The sway bar moves freely and in unison with the side that is still connected. Even at full stuff on one side and full droop on the other the sway bar does not make any contact with the frame or any other suspension part. Losing a CV would also depend on what lift setup you have in the front. If you have extended shocks or coilovers I see how you could lose a CV due to more down travel but with my lift setup the shock limits droop and at full droop I have no binding in my CV's. I have never disconnected the rears when wheeling.

I did this for a while but got tired of bolting and unbolting the front link all of the time so I just got rid of the front sway bar altogether. And I agree with your points about CV's. In my opinion, excessive front lift is what destroys CV's above anything else.

Someone mentioned that having the "right" sway bar links will do miracles. Can anyone share the best fronts for 3rd gen??

Best Front: No swaybar
Best rear: stock rear 2nd gen 4runner links
:thumb3:

But seriously, it depends on what you're doing. If you want to squeeze the most performance and travel (a whole 7.75" to be exact!) out of your IFS off road, removing the front sway bar is a must.