How necessary is the rear sway bar?
- Thread starter Scottyjeep76
- Start date
Don't really need a sway bar with leaf springs. Older Jeeps didn't even come with one up front.
jeepsterchris
Member
No swaybars here! In fact, the Jeepster only came with a one-sided diagonal "sway bar" that went from the frame rail to the top of the pumpkin on the D27 closed knuckle drum brake front.
That being said, if you want more sway, why not run a rear Anti-rock?
Yep. None of my old Jeeps have a sway bar anywhere. :crazyeyes:
Rear Antirocks use a much thicker torsion bar than factory and they will LIMIT the amount of flex you have. I have done a side by side comparison with 2 JK's built exactly the same only one with a factory rear sway bar and one with an Antirock. The later could NOT get as much flex. Also, Antirocks squeak like a banshee and I hate them for that alone.
sipafz
Caught the Bug
I don't agree, but that's ok. I'm not a lawyer so I will just let it be. On the trailer, if you're within the vehicle towing rating, then I agree.
No worries! No one here is going to get butt hurt and report to the "Other Forums" haha. Just a spirited debate!cav♤fighter;762305 said:
LOL!! Is that what was going on? I didn't even take the time to read through the silliness :crazyeyes:
Sharkey
Word Ninja
Don't...most of it is wrong anyway.
jeepsterchris
Member
I did not know that...Thanks Shark!
NevadaZielmeister
Caught the Bug
I am working too, but just trying to help out. As this is my field, I just know a thing or two about it. Since my knowledge of off roading is still new, this is one of the few areas I can contribute. Not a dick measuring contest at all.
Which parts? mine?
bigcale
Caught the Bug
Had a 2000 XJ without the tow package and it came with a rear sway bar. I removed it when I lifted it and drove around with out it until I traded it in.
As for front sways, I drove the same XJ without a front sway for 6 months because I got disconnects that were to long and they bashed themselves in to the wheel wells so often that I just pulled them when I went to Moab. My friend was supposed to shorten them up but he never got around to it.
To be honest it was just a little tippy from then on, but I it was my DD and it went through some good snow storms all winter. As long as I didn't drive like a complete douche nozzle it was fine.
But then again it was an XJ and not a JK.
Stotch
Caught the Bug
Wow... All that legal crap aside, I would run a rear sway bar. There's no real reason not to :idontknow: As previously stated you can reroute the brake lines.
That being said, mine broke recently and I've been driving around in town without it and it has been just fine. I don't notice any difference during normal driving conditions; which is just as good of a reason to leave it on as it is to take it off. I AM planning on repairing/replacing the broken bolt in the frame rail and putting it back on though. I've just been putting off drilling it out :icon_crazy:
That being said, mine broke recently and I've been driving around in town without it and it has been just fine. I don't notice any difference during normal driving conditions; which is just as good of a reason to leave it on as it is to take it off. I AM planning on repairing/replacing the broken bolt in the frame rail and putting it back on though. I've just been putting off drilling it out :icon_crazy:
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HighwayTrout
Hooked
Just can't let it go can you?
Sharkey
Word Ninja
Yes, to some degree...and no, to some degree. As I am sure you know, Nevada is a "modified" comparative fault/negligence state. That means the concurrent negligence of a person can impact their ability to recover at all (and/or the amount of recovery) from another person who was also negligent. That is one reason why special verdict forms are used in Nevada. In other words, Nevada law recognizes that there can be more than one cause of any given compensable injury. There can also be more than one "proximate" or "but for" cause of a particular compensable injury.
Any lawyer worth his/her salt would use modifications to the opposing party's vehicle, provided those modifications can be shown to negatively impact road manners, to establish some level of comparative fault. It may not make the case go away but it could absolutely lessen the amount of damages awarded on the special verdict form.
Additionally, I can dream up a number of single vehicle rollover/accident scenarios where a passenger could use the driver's modification of the vehicle against the driver. On top of that, I can also easily imagine a situation where the driver in a single vehicle accident (say, a blown tire for example) has their insurance company (or even the manufacturer of the vehicle if the driver claimed product liability) assert modifications of the vehicle as a defense to liability because, absent the modification, the amount of damages would have been less (e.g. car just swerves to a stop rather than rakes and flips). That's a no brainer. Modification of the product is one of the "goto" standard defenses to product liability suits.
My head hurts. Isn't this supposed to be a Jeep forum?:crazyeyes::crazyeyes:
Exodus 4x4
New member
Did you just blackout?
USMC Wrangler
New member
Right? I think I'm passing out....:yawn37:
NevadaZielmeister
Caught the Bug
You bring up some interesting points, but since I have to get back to work, your head hurts, people are blacking out and this is a Jeep forum, I will forego a detailed response.
Apologies for the thread hijacking of the day. Carry on.. nothing further to see here.
The bracket broke off the axle so I'm not sure how bad the ride was he went home on the switchbacks and we continued on to the trail.