Off-Road Ranger I
Removing sway bars.......
Advantage - More articulation. The purpose of the sway bar is to keep the two sides of the suspension, front or rear, even and together while giving limited articulation for ride comfort. Good for cornering. Good for on road handling. Bad for off road handling. Without the sway bars, the two sides of the suspension can move independently (IFS), or more independently (solid axle) and follow the terrain better in order to maintain traction. The first locker required run I did I was behind an identical Xterra, tire size, suspension package, the only difference was paint color. Except, I had removed my sway bars. Many many times when he was hanging tires in the air or spinning tires due to low traction, I was rolling through because my suspension could articulate more and maintain traction. Until he snapped a rear sway bar link.
Disadvantage - More articulation. Deleted snarky remark about Ford Explorers. Sway bars counter body roll, which is a large component that causes the inboard tires, in a turn, to un-weigh and begin a skid. I drive my Xterra like it's a lifted off road vehicle with body roll. If you drive like it's a sports car, without sway bars, you very well may end up on the side of the road, wrong side up. It all really depends on how the vehicle handles and what you use it for. Daily driver? Groceries and kids? Perhaps look into a kit that will allow quick disconnecting your sway bars. Or carry wrenches and small bungee cords to disconnect and stow them out of the way. Some vehicles come from the factory with electronically disconnecting sway bars. Dedicated dirt mobile? Hard core overland rig? Comfortable with how it handles without sway bars? Take them off. Give it a try. You can always reinstall them and seek an alternative method.
Advantage - More articulation. The purpose of the sway bar is to keep the two sides of the suspension, front or rear, even and together while giving limited articulation for ride comfort. Good for cornering. Good for on road handling. Bad for off road handling. Without the sway bars, the two sides of the suspension can move independently (IFS), or more independently (solid axle) and follow the terrain better in order to maintain traction. The first locker required run I did I was behind an identical Xterra, tire size, suspension package, the only difference was paint color. Except, I had removed my sway bars. Many many times when he was hanging tires in the air or spinning tires due to low traction, I was rolling through because my suspension could articulate more and maintain traction. Until he snapped a rear sway bar link.
Disadvantage - More articulation. Deleted snarky remark about Ford Explorers. Sway bars counter body roll, which is a large component that causes the inboard tires, in a turn, to un-weigh and begin a skid. I drive my Xterra like it's a lifted off road vehicle with body roll. If you drive like it's a sports car, without sway bars, you very well may end up on the side of the road, wrong side up. It all really depends on how the vehicle handles and what you use it for. Daily driver? Groceries and kids? Perhaps look into a kit that will allow quick disconnecting your sway bars. Or carry wrenches and small bungee cords to disconnect and stow them out of the way. Some vehicles come from the factory with electronically disconnecting sway bars. Dedicated dirt mobile? Hard core overland rig? Comfortable with how it handles without sway bars? Take them off. Give it a try. You can always reinstall them and seek an alternative method.
Last edited:
