Re: Anti-Sway Bars, Safety and Performance Discussion!
 

Mike Romain wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I think that there are far too many new people with coil sprung Jeeps
> reading all the posts about disconnecting the anti-sway bar! (people
use
> the term 'sway' bar incorrectly)
>
> These folks are likely to just go and do it without realizing the
> implications and potential consequences.
>
> I will start off by saying that leaf sprung vehicles 'usually' only
have
> a rear 'sway' bar as an add on to a trailer pulling or high
performance
> package. They have a front one for safety on the roads to slow down
> body lean in quick corners. The front is heavy and dives on corners.
>
> Coil sprung vehicles on the other hand have 'sway bars front and rear
as
> a safety feature to avoid too much body roll in corners as coil
springs
> are Way softer and more responsive than leafs.
>
> Take the Cherokee, front coils, front 'sway bar, rear leafs, no 'sway
> bar.
>
> If you disconnect the 'sway bar on a coil sprung vehicle, your
> articulation off road will improve dramatically, BUT, on most coil
> sprung vehicles there is now nothing there to hold the springs in
> place. This is especially true on the rear of a TJ. Unhook the sway
> bar, get it twisted up good and out falls the coil spring....
>
> Take an off camber corner with the 'right' dip or bump and no sway
bars
> and you have the potential of the body rolling enough to tip you over
> because the springs are just plain loose, especially if you are
lifted.
> You know, wheels stay on ground and body keep on goin'.
>
> Track bars on a coil sprung vehicle should never be taken off! They
> hold the axle straight. Leaf springs hold the axle in place by
design,
> not so with coils.
>
> Then you get into legalities...
>
> Here in Canada, if you get into a serious accident where there are
> injuries or any doubt as to who was at fault, the police Will impound
> your vehicle for a complete inspection.
>
> If they find a stock 'sway bar missing or disconnected, you will be
> charged for 'driving an unsafe vehicle'. You also will be found the
'at
> fault' driver because your 'unsafe' vehicle could have affected your
> vehicles reactions to stopping or avoiding the accident. (in other
> words, you are screwed, this goes for mis-matched tires on a 4x4 as
> well.)
>
> To take that thought a bit farther... Say someone runs a stop and
you
> T-bone him and kill him.
>
> Having a major 'safety feature' like the anti-sway bar disconnected
can
> turn your day from 'oh ----, some poor guy ran a light and I
broadsided
> him and killed the poor sucker' to 'Damn, I am going to jail for
> vehicular homicide because I 'knowingly' disabled a major safety
feature
> on my vehicle and the cops say with the sway bar still hooked up or
with
> properly matched tires, I 'could possibly' have avoided him'.
>
> That scenario is not far fetched and was explained to me point blank
by
> both the Ontario police and my insurance company a couple years
ago....
> I didn't quite kill the guy, he was extremely lucky and survived, but
if
> my Jeep had of failed the inspection by the police and my insurance
> company, well, let's just say a lot of folks from here would still be
> driving with messed up carbs and emissions today.... He was found
'at
> fault'.
>
> I read about far too many folks here that have taken off their 'sway
> bars and have stated, 'oh, I just left it off, there isn't That much
> difference on the road'.
>
> Or when coming off a trail in the rain. 'Ah, I am just going to
leave
> it unhooked until I get home in my garage where it is dry to hook it
> back up.'
>
> Got news for ya, there IS 'that much difference' in the eyes of the
law.
>
> My $0.02,
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Updated Jan. 18, 02.
> 5 Day Canadian Bush 2002 New Year's Jeep Run
> http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292141347
> http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292076845