Everything you need to know about removing track bars or swaybar

[JeepsOLot]

Just today, I unbolted my sway and front track bars, and zip-tied them to the frame for now just to see what the differences were. So far, driving it isn't much different, you do see some body roll when turning, but, it's not bad in my book. Here are several pics from several different angles so people can see the differences, and doing this REALLY does help.

Ok, From the front:

With sway-track bars:


Without sway-track bars:


Now, the driver's side:

With sway-track bars:


Without sway-track bars:


Passenger side:

With sway-track bars:


Without sway-track bars:


Now, if you look at the front-on pics, you will see that, without the sway-track bars, the body isn't tilted as much as when the sway-track bars were bolted up, BUT, the front axle is flexed MORE when the sway-track bars are unbolted vs. bolted.

I hope this helps anyone that was wondering what the gains would be with unbolting the sway and track bars, vs. keeping them bolted up.

Jerry

[bigredcherokee]

nice pics and info.

[JeepsOLot]

Thanks. I just wanted to show people how not having a front track bar and either not having a sway bar at all or if they were disconnected would affect the flex. I know mine doesn't flex that much now, but they should get the picture. Now, I still have my rear track bar on, but, as you can see, anymore flex, and I'll be hitting the flares. I might get a 2" body lift, or, I just might go to a 4" RE lift to help with that issue.

Jerry

[kingcandy]

jeepsalot: Go with the 4.5 RE you wont regret It is a very all inclusive kit, shackles, brake line extentions, shocks are extra. But do yourself a favor and do an SYE W/ driveshaft, and throw out that Tcase drop kit, along wilth your rear track bar

[JeepsOLot]

Kingcandy, that's why I haven't gone any farther with the suspension, I need a SYE kit. The one thing that is hard to stomach is paying over $350 for a drive shaft!! I do see that the SYE prices are alot cheaper then they used to be even several years ago. The SYE is the next mod I will be doing after I replace my whole exhaust system.

I will ditch my rear track bar as well, just haven't got around it it. Depending on how the Jeep drives on the interstate, I might either take the sway bar totally off, or, get discos, and hook it back up. The front track bar is going to be totally gone, as soon as I can break the upper bolt on the frame loose, gotta love Torx fittings,

So, as the RE 4.5 kit is concerned, all I need to get outside the kit are the shocks? Will I be able to use my 5/8 More Booms with it as well? Will my 33's look rediculously small with that lift and the Booms? I have a 1" BL, I guess I could take that back off if it looks bad.

Thanks,

Jerry

[navman]

exactly what kingcandy said 4.5 kit has it all. I do have the rear track bar removed but do use the sway bar discos and a jks telescope frnt tracbar, I think it helps the onroad feel and then unlock everything in the woods.

[Mikerp97]

whats every ones opinions about not running a rear track bar, right now all i would be driving to would be to college, into town, to my work (30 seconds down the road from my house) and then the rest in the woods , theres always a possiblity of the high way but i usually steer clear of that

iam already running with out sway bars

[Pylot7]

All suspension must be located in three planes.

Up and down, fore and aft and side to side.

Your track bar locates your suspension from side to side.

You remove the track bar and you go around a corner and the axel stays in place while your jeep slides to the outside.

You crash.

You don't want to know how your obit reads.

Nuff said??

[Sahara88]

It might be possible to do it for a while without incidence, but it's not very safe...

[93jeepyj]

the springs hold you side to side on leaf spring setups so you tecnically dont need them. cjs came stock with out them. take them off and drive it and if you feel comfortable with it that way leave it, if not you can always bolt them back on later. I've been running with no sway bar/ track bars for 3 years now and it rides much better and i'm on the highway alot unfortunatly but its fine and i like the ride quality better without them.

[Mean Max]

Originally Posted by Pylot7

All suspension must be located in three planes.

Up and down, fore and aft and side to side.

Your track bar locates your suspension from side to side.

You remove the track bar and you go around a corner and the axel stays in place while your jeep slides to the outside.

You crash.

You don't want to know how your obit reads.

Nuff said??

Pylot7, that is indeed a true statement for coil spring/link type suspension systems. However, the leaf springs are quite capable of locating the axles in a YJ.

We have 2 lifted YJ's, both without track bars & sway bars, with no negative issues at all.

Originally Posted by 93jeepyj

the springs hold you side to side on leaf spring setups so you tecnically dont need them. cjs came stock with out them. take them off and drive it and if you feel comfortable with it that way leave it, if not you can always bolt them back on later. I've been running with no sway bar/ track bars for 3 years now and it rides much better and i'm on the highway alot unfortunatly but its fine and i like the ride quality better without them.

I have used my YJ to commute 60 miles (round trip) 6 days a week for many years now, at highway speeds and as mentioned above, I have no sway or track bars, and all is well.

93jeepyj has it right, take them off, try it out, and only put back on the items that you feel that you need to make yourself comfortable. The sky is not falling.

[Mikerp97]

thank you ill try it out this week end see how i like it or not

[Rebel442]

My 4.5 RE lift specifically tells you to dump the rear track bar. On a leaf spring vehicle they have little to no use. If fact I would guess 90% of leaf spring trucks don't have one from the factory

[jeepyj027]

Originally Posted by Pylot7

All suspension must be located in three planes.

Up and down, fore and aft and side to side.

Your track bar locates your suspension from side to side.

You remove the track bar and you go around a corner and the axel stays in place while your jeep slides to the outside.

You crash.

You don't want to know how your obit reads.

Nuff said??

Do you have any idea how long they have been producing and selling leaf sprung vehicles without trac bars. As said earlier, the leaf springs locate the axle in all three planes just fine.

[Joe Dillard]

Originally Posted by Pylot7

All suspension must be located in three planes.
Up and down, fore and aft and side to side.
Your track bar locates your suspension from side to side.
You remove the track bar and you go around a corner and the axel stays in place while your jeep slides to the outside.
You crash.
You don't want to know how your obit reads.
Nuff said??

Talk about a dead horse.....you can't be serious.

Somebody has either been feeding you some serious bull, or you don't have a complete understanding of how leaf spring suspension systems operate. Or.....more than likely, both.

Both of my tracbars/panhard bars, the front swaybar and it's links, and also the steering stabilizer have been completely removed for ~11 years on my POS YJ with zero ill effects.

You, or somebody else can buy mine if you wish - but I'll first have to clean off alot of dust & take then out of my trash can.



Sometimes, when I'm feeling deeply ill, I miss my poor old tracbars & swaybar. Whenever I do, I simply pull them from the depths of my blue trash can & place them on a silver platter and toss them a little beer party.