[Built4thrashing]

been toying with the idea of making a swaybar disconnect for the GV and maybe Vitara.

My thought is to cut the original sway bar and sleeve it with a thick walled pipe. one end would be welded to the sway bar and the other end will get pinned in place when required and pins removed when not.

would some 8mm HT pins be strong enough to put up with the forces applied to them?

[dhula]

you don't want to be cutting the swaybar as it is spring steel which can be a PITA to cut.
Cutting the swaybar will render it useless IMO and probably render it unroadworthy I'd reckon

Best bet I think would be to copy what is already out there for the link rods as these are the easiest/cheapest to replace when they shit themselves

Maybe have a look under the new Jeep Rubicon for ideas as they have an electric disconnect I think. GQ pootrols around the 90ish era also have a disconnect on the rear swaybar that is manually operated from the drivers seat, maybe that can give you ideas as well


I've had an idea for a kindof swaybar disconnect system al-la kinetic suspensions for a few years now, just never gone any further than an idea

[Gwagensteve]

X2. There's ENORMOUS force acting on a sway bar. It will shear 8mm pins like toothpicks, or wear the whole lot out in no time.

Make a removable coupling as per jeep owners.

Steve.

[Built4thrashing]

Disconectable links wont work on a GV as the sway bay will still be in the way. Ive seen the jeep one and that would be nice but very hard and expensive to adapt.

Anyone know if the 3door GV sway bay is different to the 5 door? is it softer...?

how can it be done...........there has to be an easy way.

what about getting a spline cut onto the straight section and a splined outer sleeve like a sierra tailshaft?

[bigdogdazza]

I for sure am closely following this thread as this is the next idea I have been mulling over for the swb vitara and , please guys I know some of you out there on auszookers are absolute genius when it comes to design and fabrication!

[Gwagensteve]

Sure, broaching a spline on the shaft might be an option, but once this type of setup is resolved it's quite complex/expensive.

Here's the jeep version: (for reference) - $1400+

http://www.acmejeepparts.com/products/52446_112_07.htm

Whilst I'm happy to admit you might not require electric actuation, don't underestimate the forces or engineering involved in getting the bar to engage and disengage.

What's the motivation? Is the car really that much worse to drive with the bar off, or is it a legality thing? If you are concerned enough about the legality, bear in mind that any cutting/welding/change in configuration or function of the factory bar is likely to be as illegal as removing it altogether, especially if it allows you to disconnect the bar at road speeds, and/or has no audible or visible warning that the bar has been unhooked.

Steve.

[got_bar_work]

There not that big on a vit
I cut down some stock links and welded a pipe over half and ran 4mm r clips and they didnt break
It was a pain getting them backin covered in mud so i just left the sway off

[christover1]

I can see a sway bar being a good thing if towing a heavy trailer or van.
Especially a lifted Vit.

[Gwagensteve]

got_bar_work wrote:

There not that big on a vit
I cut down some stock links and welded a pipe over half and ran 4mm r clips and they didnt break
It was a pain getting them backin covered in mud so i just left the sway off

That's not where the load is. The links only see a tiny fraction of the load the centre of the bar sees due the length of the lever, of you get what I mean.

That's why all sorts of things work to "break" the link, but cutting and sleeving the bar is much harder to do.

Hope you get what I mean.

Steve.

[atari4x4]

I'm in the process of designing & fabbing up a quick disconnect for the vitara sway bar. was going to get a few made up but i'd need to register for the business directory to sell them.

[Built4thrashing]

Id like to keep the sway bar connected and working as it drives 1000 times better on the road and on fast gravel/dirt with it. with out it the struts tend to top out very easily and this will lead to early failure of the struts. Haviong a disconnect gives you the best of both worlds.


Due to where the sway bar connects to the lower control arm its not possible to have pinnable links as the sway bar itself has nowhere to go where its not in the way. I believe the Vitara one can be twisted up out of the way behind the front bumper. GV mounts to the rear of the arms and hits the tyres, control arms and chasis if turned up out of the way...... PITA spot to work with....

[gregdixon]

Why are you worried about flex with the locker ? I use to leave my sway bar off before I had the locker but now the locker makes up for any inefficiencies in flex there may be from the sway bar.

[bigdogdazza]

Hmmm leaving a sway bar off whilst on the black top? I don't think either the vitara or jimny would handle all that well at any kind of speed with 3" lift kits fitted. I could crank the adjustable shocks to max to try and band aid fix the handling I guess but it would then be a compromise at best and deliver a harsh ride with our um... Less than perfect nsw road surfaces. I would be keen on a system that is manual disconnect without laying on your back in the bush with a handful of tools and easily reconnected without 4 mates laughing whilst your asking for their help lying on your back in a bull ants nest type scenario!

[got_bar_work]

In cab via a cable would be nice
If u can make front and rear i would be keen

[got_bar_work]

For the rear you could do something like kenny lj but use a jimmny vac hub

[Gwagensteve]

This thread raises an interesting question.

Most 4WD's see larger lateral loads off road than on. Surely a sway bar will do more to improve a 4WD"s behaviour off road than on?

Steve.

PS I know this sounds like I am shitstirring, but I don't really know why it's automatically assumed that a different set of suspension parameters are required on road rather than off. If a car handles poorly on road with the swaybar pulled, it will handle poorly with the swaybar pulled off road as well. The cars I have experience with handled better on road AND off with the bar pulled. this may not always be the case, but I don't think that what's required for good on road and off road behaviour are all that different.

[Built4thrashing]

With a light front end like in the suzuki's a sway bar will stop the front end articulating. The difference is easily noticed.

[joeblow]

You got front and rear lockers Jason?

[Built4thrashing]

joeblow wrote:

You got front and rear lockers Jason?

only front now. took the rear lockright out as it had too much play. Plus i was going to tassie and a locked rear would have been a nightmare on the twisty wet tar roads.

[bigdogdazza]

Gwagensteve wrote:

This thread raises an interesting question.

Most 4WD's see larger lateral loads off road than on. Surely a sway bar will do more to improve a 4WD"s behaviour off road than on?

Steve.

PS I know this sounds like I am shitstirring, but I don't really know why it's automatically assumed that a different set of suspension parameters are required on road rather than off. If a car handles poorly on road with the swaybar pulled, it will handle poorly with the swaybar pulled off road as well. The cars I have experience with handled better on road AND off with the bar pulled. this may not always be the case, but I don't think that what's required for good on road and off road behaviour are all that different.

I am no expert either but I would imagine sway bar fitted on road helps with high speed g force and weight of the car vs offroad very low speed but maximum suspension travel to conquer rough undulating terrain with the cab of the vehicle staying as level as possible, sway bars in and diffs moving tend to drag cab with them and cause unstable ride and wheels tend to lift more often resulting in loss of traction. Both opposite ends of the scale. Unless you do 80kms an hour whilst 4wheeling?
I have experienced both my jimny and my brothers patrol on road with sway bars off and really scary body roll around corners unless absolutely crawling speed maintained, also felt very wobbly like jelly on a plate with sideways action when road bumps etc are traversed over. Hence the quick disconnects! Best of both worlds easily done!

[DarkHorse]

My front has tended to flex fine with the swaybar connected, but to be fair the rubber on the linkages was shagged. Will be interested to see how the shiny new Nolathane ones go.

As for laying on your back with a handful of tools - for the Vit we are talking about 4 x 14mm nuts - that's one tool, and about a minute each. Less time than it takes to air down. Certainly not worth the effort to engineer/manufacture a solution

Not sure about the GV or Jim, will have to have a look next time I get the chance.

[atari4x4]

my design needs no tools what so ever.

[Mitchie.1]

there are some for the new hilux that replace the link from the swaybar to the rest of it. it doesnt fully disconect the sway bar but allows more travel before it loads up. they r only $200 a pair. i'll try and get some pics. my lux with 11.5" travel in the front struts just bends the toyota links and when it articulates the other way they straighten out and snap. another reason i decided to build an old sierra.

[Mitchie.1]

this is them. been getting pretty good reviews. hope they can help you come up with something to suit

[atari4x4]

vitara links are around an inch long max...

[Fatzook]

atari4x4 wrote:

vitara links are around an inch long max...

yep. But they could stand to be a little longer when lift is involved. Maybe 2"? I still think it will be hard to get a decent design to work in that space.

[bigdogdazza]

Yup and my jimny after a 3" lift the swaybar is at a shocking angle when bolted up connecting rods way to short. I like the looks of those hilux ones!

[larry]

ive experimented with swaybar connected vs. disconnected and didnt notice much difference on or off road, the front is stiff as shit either way.
when i fitted strut spacers, after wheeling i noticed the ball joint had come apart on one side i crushed it back together with multigrips a few times but stopped bothering, i dont see much gain of a disconnect on ifs (in my situation)

[Built4thrashing]

Hey Mitchie.1, How long are those hilux ones? Its given me some alternative ideas on what i can do.

[bigdogdazza]

larry wrote:

ive experimented with swaybar connected vs. disconnected and didnt notice much difference on or off road, the front is stiff as shit either way.
when i fitted strut spacers, after wheeling i noticed the ball joint had come apart on one side i crushed it back together with multigrips a few times but stopped bothering, i dont see much gain of a disconnect on ifs (in my situation)

Do you run the Calmini kit?