[Baggey22]

So I plan on making some quick disconnects for my S10 soon. My only question before I start is, what are any of you that are currently disconnecting your FRONT sway bar doing with the bar after it's disconnected? Like where do you tie it to? What do you tie it up with?
Pictures if you have any!
Thanks

 

[HenryJ]

Here is a good thread: S-10CREWCAB.COM Forum - Front sway bar quick disconnect
Muslhed uses a pair of clevis to hook it it a hole drilled in the core support mount bracket.

I installed first gen tow hooks on the front and use rubber caps to hold it.

I used two 3/8" grade eight bolts that were 4 1/2" long. I welded tabs across the heads with the intent to follow Muslhed's plan. This changed a little during the install.

The wing nut and pin thing works pretty well. The tab to hold the bolt head while tightening the wing nut is where I strayed. I wanted the wing nut and pin to be up. That way they do not take the abuse from brush and debris quite as bad. This is where I found that the tabs needed to be a little more finger friendly, so I twisted the ends.

I still need to repaint them after the "adjustment". I can get them pretty tight by holding the wing nut and twisting the bottom end. The longer tabs offer a little more leverage. Here they are installed-

For holding the sway bar up while disconnected. Those first gen tow hooks work great! The bar swings up just clearing them. All that was needed is to slip a cap over the tips and the sway bar can not swing down! I slipped a couple 1" long pieces of heater hose over the ends as a trial-

With both of them on there the bar will not pass. I stopped by the hardware store this evening and picked up a nice pair of 7/8" black rubber end caps. They look something like a furniture foot cap or crutch end cap. They do look much better. I'll probably throw the heater hose pieces in the tool box just in case.

I disconnect the bar, remove the caps from the front hooks. Swing the bar forward and reinstall the caps. The bar rests on the caps on the front hooks. Works pretty good.

 

[GeorgesBlazah]

Mine broke off...I havent put it back on. Its been off for a couple months now. You get used to it.

 

[Baggey22]

Does having it disconnected REALLY make that much of a difference?

 

[GeorgesBlazah]

Yes, Id say so. There is a bit more body roll. I dont know how it would feel like on a truck thats lowerm but for mine it made a big diffrence on how it handled. Just unolt your endlinks one day and zip tie the car up and see if you like the way it drives. It took me about a week to get used to it.

 

[HenryJ]

I installed the polyurethane bushing kit and did a little testing:
As you may know the stock bushings that hold the sway bar to the frame, are rubber. Trying to swing a disconnected bar forward on those rubber mounts is difficult. That is why installing the greaseable poly mounts is an advantage. The bar moves much easier.
While doing this I calculated the differences.
This may be a little difficult to grasp through text, but here goes.
The sway bar reduces body roll. As one wheel travels upward the bar twists and tries to pull the opposite side upward as well. When you go into a corner the idea is that the whole front squats rather than roll to the outside. For offroading this means when you twist through an off camber section. The front body wants to try to follow the terrain , or tip , rather than remaining level allowing the suspension to travel independently.
By disconnecting the sway bar we are attempting to keep the vehicle level while the wheels traverse the terrain.

Here is what I did.
I used a ramp. I pulled my left front tire up on the ramp and took measurements at all four fenders. This was done stock. Then with the sway bar disconnected and with polyurethane bushings installed. The difference from side to side was subtracted, then the difference was added to the rear. The percentages were calculated from there. The percentages did closely mirror the front alone. I wanted to add the rear measurements to allow for some frame twist. It didn't amount to much since the front alone was virtually the same percentages.

If we call disconnected our baseline the stock bushings decreased body roll by 6%. Poly bushings decreased body roll by 23%.

What does this mean? Well, having the sway bar disconnected and running the stock bushings , the body is tipped 6% less than with the bar attached. Once I added the poly bushings this percentage really increases and the body will tip with the frontend 23% more than it would with the bar disconnected. The bar being disconnected then makes a big difference.

 

[F9K9]

Oh Gawd! That actually made sense to me. I don't know if, I am scared or should compliment you on the excellent description, HenryJ:haha:

 

[Baggey22]

So would it be a bad idea if I took the sway bar completely off?
My s10 is strictly a trail truck and sees very little road action.

 

[HenryJ]

So would it be a bad idea if I took the sway bar completely off?
My s10 is strictly a trail truck and sees very little road action.

I am not going to say "bad idea" , lots are running without bars. On the road there maybe some advantages to having it on there. You might be more prone to a high speed rollover if you need to make a sudden turn.

 

[Baggey22]

I am not going to say "bad idea" , lots are running without bars. On the road there maybe some advantages to having it on there. You might be more prone to a high speed rollover if you need to make a sudden turn.

Well when I drive my S10 on the road I drive like a grandpa because around here lifted trucks get pulled over for no reason because they hate us. So I give the police no reason to pull me over. I think I'm just gonna pull it off next weekend and try it out.

 

[liquex]

I installed the polyurethane bushing kit and did a little testing:
As you may know the stock bushings that hold the sway bar to the frame, are rubber. Trying to swing a disconnected bar forward on those rubber mounts is difficult. That is why installing the greaseable poly mounts is an advantage. The bar moves much easier.
While doing this I calculated the differences.
This may be a little difficult to grasp through text, but here goes.
The sway bar reduces body roll. As one wheel travels upward the bar twists and tries to pull the opposite side upward as well. When you go into a corner the idea is that the whole front squats rather than roll to the outside. For offroading this means when you twist through an off camber section. The front body wants to try to follow the terrain , or tip , rather than remaining level allowing the suspension to travel independently.
By disconnecting the sway bar we are attempting to keep the vehicle level while the wheels traverse the terrain.

Here is what I did.
I used a ramp. I pulled my left front tire up on the ramp and took measurements at all four fenders. This was done stock. Then with the sway bar disconnected and with polyurethane bushings installed. The difference from side to side was subtracted, then the difference was added to the rear. The percentages were calculated from there. The percentages did closely mirror the front alone. I wanted to add the rear measurements to allow for some frame twist. It didn't amount to much since the front alone was virtually the same percentages.

If we call disconnected our baseline the stock bushings decreased body roll by 6%. Poly bushings decreased body roll by 23%.

What does this mean? Well, having the sway bar disconnected and running the stock bushings , the body is tipped 6% less than with the bar attached. Once I added the poly bushings this percentage really increases and the body will tip with the frontend 23% more than it would with the bar disconnected. The bar being disconnected then makes a big difference.

Very nice description of method, controls, variables, and results. Nice use of scientific method. And now back to researching what to do with my sway bar/bars.

 

[Rhotpursuit]

Very nice description of method, controls, variables, and results. Nice use of scientific method. And now back to researching what to do with my sway bar/bars.

Why would you bump a 14 year old thread? Let the dead Rest In Peace.

Closed.