DIY discos
10-07-2009, 08:41 PM
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DIY discos
Wanted to share the way i saved myself money by making my own swaybar disconnects. I started by making my sway bar links longer by cutting the stock ones in half. I found a tube that would fit over the diameter of the rod *of the cut in half link* Cut the new larger tube to make the link the length i needed with my lift. Rosette welded 4 places and along the top. Be sure to weld only a little bit by the bushings at a time and dip in water to keep the bushings from melting. I then grinded the rosette welds flush and sprayed with bedliner.
I then used the stock bolts as pins. I used a lathe to take the threads off of the bolt where i needed to drill a hole for a 1/4" linch pin, but im sure if you used a grinder or something you wouldnt have to use a lathe. I then drilled a hole for the pin. Then i cut the bolt a little bit after the hole so the ring of the linch pin has something to keep it on. I used some small steel cable with some wire sleeves and crimped them around the sway bar and linch pin to keep them from being dropped in dirt or getting lost.
Lastly, i made brackets to put the pin through mounted off of the frame so i had somewhere to connect the swaybar when i disconnected it. I just used some scrap metal i had, drilled a hole in one end and bent it about the angle it needed to be. i then held it on the sway bar with the pin through it so i could tack it to the frame so everything would line up. Then just welded it a just sprayed some black spray paint on it and what you see is what you get. I did a horrible job of welding, it was a hard area to get to with the mig, and the lighting was bad and couldnt get my head in the area so i could see what i was doing, but its not an important part so im not worried but it all works and i couldnt be happier. Total Cost 5 bucks for linch pins and wire sleeves, like 6 for the bed liner but didnt need it, and had the material but probably only 5 bucks at a metal supplier if you couldnt find it somewhere
I then used the stock bolts as pins. I used a lathe to take the threads off of the bolt where i needed to drill a hole for a 1/4" linch pin, but im sure if you used a grinder or something you wouldnt have to use a lathe. I then drilled a hole for the pin. Then i cut the bolt a little bit after the hole so the ring of the linch pin has something to keep it on. I used some small steel cable with some wire sleeves and crimped them around the sway bar and linch pin to keep them from being dropped in dirt or getting lost.
Lastly, i made brackets to put the pin through mounted off of the frame so i had somewhere to connect the swaybar when i disconnected it. I just used some scrap metal i had, drilled a hole in one end and bent it about the angle it needed to be. i then held it on the sway bar with the pin through it so i could tack it to the frame so everything would line up. Then just welded it a just sprayed some black spray paint on it and what you see is what you get. I did a horrible job of welding, it was a hard area to get to with the mig, and the lighting was bad and couldnt get my head in the area so i could see what i was doing, but its not an important part so im not worried but it all works and i couldnt be happier. Total Cost 5 bucks for linch pins and wire sleeves, like 6 for the bed liner but didnt need it, and had the material but probably only 5 bucks at a metal supplier if you couldnt find it somewhere
