PhullD
First Fill-Up (of many)
- Location
- Ottawa, Ontario
The herd decided a long time ago that running no sway bar in the rear was superior offroad. The sacrifice on-road was worth the trade off to squeeze out a couple more inches of articulation, but I say "nay nay"!
I have first hand experience of one of the cons of running no rear sway bar offroad and it might surprise you! By allowing the rear to cycle so freely, the front stops cycling.
Instead of one front wheel compressing and the other drooping, the truck instead just does whatever the rear does upsetting the vehicle. Picture rapid back and forth over obstacles offroad and increased likelihood of the vehicle sliding in off-camber situations since the truck always leans with the rear axle. The more lifted the rear is and the stiffer the front springs, the higher the likelihood of this occurring.
Some kits provide relocation brackets to continue to use the rear sway bar but they are limited to smaller lifts and limit rear articulation due to reusing stock end links. However, you can have your cake and eat it too!
Bolt on the rear sway bar and remove the end links. Set the sway bar at 10-20 degrees from the horizontal (the ends where the end links bolt into) and measure center to center from the end link mount to the frame mount. This is your new end link length.
Next search for custom adjustable end links with adjustment lengths in which your measured length falls roughly in between. Two brands I recommend are Whiteline or SuperPro. Make sure you order the correct bolt size of 10mm. Example I ordered: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08Z2TWQFL?ref_=pe_123916410_1039242100_t_fed_asin_title
Bolt in the tops to the frame and adjust the end link top and bottom evenly to the desired length, tighten the jam nuts top and bottom and then bolt the end links to the sway bar. The torque specs are roughly 30-34 ft-lbs so don't overdo it! That's it, you are done.
You will benefit from restored handling and safety on-road, but more importantly you will force the front to fully cycle. This directly translates to better manners over obstacles and better traction.
The elephant in the room is "how much did I lose in the rear"....well that depends on your lift and the limitations of the rear sway bar's flex. Myself I lost about one inch to two inches depending where you measure. Basically my tire used to stuff and rub hard into the fender liner, occasionally ripping out screws. Now it stops short about 2 inches from rubbing. The front now cycles the full 10 inches or so.
Front Photos:
Rear Photos:
I have first hand experience of one of the cons of running no rear sway bar offroad and it might surprise you! By allowing the rear to cycle so freely, the front stops cycling.
Instead of one front wheel compressing and the other drooping, the truck instead just does whatever the rear does upsetting the vehicle. Picture rapid back and forth over obstacles offroad and increased likelihood of the vehicle sliding in off-camber situations since the truck always leans with the rear axle. The more lifted the rear is and the stiffer the front springs, the higher the likelihood of this occurring.
Some kits provide relocation brackets to continue to use the rear sway bar but they are limited to smaller lifts and limit rear articulation due to reusing stock end links. However, you can have your cake and eat it too!
Bolt on the rear sway bar and remove the end links. Set the sway bar at 10-20 degrees from the horizontal (the ends where the end links bolt into) and measure center to center from the end link mount to the frame mount. This is your new end link length.
Next search for custom adjustable end links with adjustment lengths in which your measured length falls roughly in between. Two brands I recommend are Whiteline or SuperPro. Make sure you order the correct bolt size of 10mm. Example I ordered: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08Z2TWQFL?ref_=pe_123916410_1039242100_t_fed_asin_title
Bolt in the tops to the frame and adjust the end link top and bottom evenly to the desired length, tighten the jam nuts top and bottom and then bolt the end links to the sway bar. The torque specs are roughly 30-34 ft-lbs so don't overdo it! That's it, you are done.
You will benefit from restored handling and safety on-road, but more importantly you will force the front to fully cycle. This directly translates to better manners over obstacles and better traction.
The elephant in the room is "how much did I lose in the rear"....well that depends on your lift and the limitations of the rear sway bar's flex. Myself I lost about one inch to two inches depending where you measure. Basically my tire used to stuff and rub hard into the fender liner, occasionally ripping out screws. Now it stops short about 2 inches from rubbing. The front now cycles the full 10 inches or so.
Front Photos:
Rear Photos:
Attachments
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