Electronic Sway Bar Disconnects-- BAD BAD BAD!!!!!
10-12-2007, 04:48 PM
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Electronic Sway Bar Disconnects-- BAD BAD BAD!!!!!
So this has to be the worst execution of what seems like a good idea-- Electronic Sway Bar Disconnects. I souhgt out and purchased my X becaues it has these and the rear locker from the factory. First time out, I disconnect thinking how cool is this. . .in my TJ I would have had to get out. Wihtout knowing it, the lower link bent back down over the axle and eventually snapped on Cliff Hanger. I didn't realize this, so I drove home to Salt Lake and the jagged ends of the links shredded the inside sidewall of my nice new 35" Toyos.
Si I drop slmost $400 to replace the tire, and I drop another $130 for the JKS Quicker Disconnects (Thanks Northridge!) since they have adjustable links and the stock links on my 3" Teraflex lift are so completely way to short that the sway bar does not ride level. I was told that the too-short links were the reason for my link bending back against the axel and snapping. Great. So I install the disconnects and adjest them to get the sway bar to ride level. Minutes later the snow starts falling and I head for the hills to have some fun. Now my plan was to completely disconnect whenever I am doing serious wheeling, and to use the e-disconnects for simple stuff (like snow).
I get up in the hills and hit the e-disconnect button and I tear up the mountain. On the way down, I no longer need 4wd so I shift into 2 on level ground and wait for the disconnects to reconnect. They don't. It just blinks. Now, someetimes they just need to get aligned for it to link back up so I drive a little ways and nothing, so I drive a lot of ways and nothing. THinking that perhaps they are connected and the light is just a crazy light, I start going a little bit faster, though not agressive. SUddenly I feel the disconnects engage, and shake my head as I continue to drive home.
As I round the corner driving home, my tire rubs against something and I can barely make the turn. I get out and look and hanging there by a severly bent mount on the axle-end are my nice new JKS disconnects. The top pin--gone, The Bushing for the top end of the link--sheared in half.
WTF!!!! I am pissed! First of all, you have to think that the main ones who want to use a disconnecting sway bar are those who are going to be doing some wheeling. If the stupid thing isn't made to work well with a lift, or if it doesn't re-connect well or quickly, it is a waste! And that is exactly what it is to me. I paid for it, so I thought I would use it, and now it will just sit there as I disconnect the way I have for years, by getting out and pulling the pin.
So my take on the e-disconnects: Waste of money! Can't use em. They don't work!
Si I drop slmost $400 to replace the tire, and I drop another $130 for the JKS Quicker Disconnects (Thanks Northridge!) since they have adjustable links and the stock links on my 3" Teraflex lift are so completely way to short that the sway bar does not ride level. I was told that the too-short links were the reason for my link bending back against the axel and snapping. Great. So I install the disconnects and adjest them to get the sway bar to ride level. Minutes later the snow starts falling and I head for the hills to have some fun. Now my plan was to completely disconnect whenever I am doing serious wheeling, and to use the e-disconnects for simple stuff (like snow).
I get up in the hills and hit the e-disconnect button and I tear up the mountain. On the way down, I no longer need 4wd so I shift into 2 on level ground and wait for the disconnects to reconnect. They don't. It just blinks. Now, someetimes they just need to get aligned for it to link back up so I drive a little ways and nothing, so I drive a lot of ways and nothing. THinking that perhaps they are connected and the light is just a crazy light, I start going a little bit faster, though not agressive. SUddenly I feel the disconnects engage, and shake my head as I continue to drive home.
As I round the corner driving home, my tire rubs against something and I can barely make the turn. I get out and look and hanging there by a severly bent mount on the axle-end are my nice new JKS disconnects. The top pin--gone, The Bushing for the top end of the link--sheared in half.
WTF!!!! I am pissed! First of all, you have to think that the main ones who want to use a disconnecting sway bar are those who are going to be doing some wheeling. If the stupid thing isn't made to work well with a lift, or if it doesn't re-connect well or quickly, it is a waste! And that is exactly what it is to me. I paid for it, so I thought I would use it, and now it will just sit there as I disconnect the way I have for years, by getting out and pulling the pin.
So my take on the e-disconnects: Waste of money! Can't use em. They don't work!
10-12-2007, 05:38 PM
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Im sure someone would trade you in a heart beat.
I havent had any problems with mine and Ive used it quite a bit.
Sometimes it takes a couple seconds to re-connect due to uneven ground, but once the Jeep is level it hooks right up.
Ive never bent or broken anything on the quick disco links that came with the RE kit, and Ive never disconnected them manually since I installed the lift.
Maybe your installing something wrong?
I havent had any problems with mine and Ive used it quite a bit.
Sometimes it takes a couple seconds to re-connect due to uneven ground, but once the Jeep is level it hooks right up.
Ive never bent or broken anything on the quick disco links that came with the RE kit, and Ive never disconnected them manually since I installed the lift.
Maybe your installing something wrong?
10-13-2007, 06:48 AM
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Stock e-disco. Factory installed. I am pretty sure that everything is installed correctly. I was tempted, but didn't do my lift as a do-it-myself job.
The first issue I had was that the linkage extended the whole way out and when the wheel was flexed out, but when it came time to settle back into place, it bent back the wrong way and wrapped around the tie rods and steering bar--imagine how your elbow bends normally, now imagine it bending the wrong way. It is a pile of crap. Perhaps it's intended for getting better articulation on paved roads. .. . stupid sway bar.
The first issue I had was that the linkage extended the whole way out and when the wheel was flexed out, but when it came time to settle back into place, it bent back the wrong way and wrapped around the tie rods and steering bar--imagine how your elbow bends normally, now imagine it bending the wrong way. It is a pile of crap. Perhaps it's intended for getting better articulation on paved roads. .. . stupid sway bar.
Last edited by natius; 10-13-2007 at 06:50 AM.
10-13-2007, 02:53 PM
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Stock e-disco. Factory installed. I am pretty sure that everything is installed correctly. I was tempted, but didn't do my lift as a do-it-myself job.
The first issue I had was that the linkage extended the whole way out and when the wheel was flexed out, but when it came time to settle back into place, it bent back the wrong way and wrapped around the tie rods and steering bar--imagine how your elbow bends normally, now imagine it bending the wrong way. It is a pile of crap. Perhaps it's intended for getting better articulation on paved roads. .. . stupid sway bar.
The first issue I had was that the linkage extended the whole way out and when the wheel was flexed out, but when it came time to settle back into place, it bent back the wrong way and wrapped around the tie rods and steering bar--imagine how your elbow bends normally, now imagine it bending the wrong way. It is a pile of crap. Perhaps it's intended for getting better articulation on paved roads. .. . stupid sway bar.
Do you have any pictures of what your talking about?
Like I said, I havent had any problems with mine at all, while using the e-disco and leaving the links hooked up.
Something must be wrong with yours, whether it be the install of the bar, or the end links, to cause a problem.
Here is what mine looks like sitting on the level garage floor.
My bar is angled slightly upward when on level ground.
.
And here it is flexed with the links still hooked up and e-disconnected
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10-24-2007, 12:11 AM
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So my buddy and I just got back from wheeling in his brand new 2008 JK Rubicon. We experienced the same problem with the sway bar end link. He is running a Superlift 4" (or 4.5"?) lift with 35" BFG Muds. We were going through an area that really flexed the suspension and had the electronic disconnect sway bar disconnected. After navigating this area we heard some BAAAAAD noises coming from the front end and had what felt like binding in the steering. We broke out the flashlights and inspected the front end and were shocked at what we found. Just like the first post, the sway bar link on the passenger side had been bent forward around the draglink. After puzzling over our newly modified suspension geometry, we came to the conclusion that the suspension had flexed so much that the sway bar/link assembly had gone over-center and when the suspension compressed the assembly went forward instead of back to where it had begun. I have an XJ and am used to pulling pins to free my swaybar. With the swaybar still attached like on the JK I can see how it is CRITICAL to have long enough swaybar links to prevent this from occuring.
He had a 4x4 shop do the install of the lift. We reveiwed the instructions ourselves to see if they had goofed it up and found that Superlift calls for the stock rear swaybar links to be moved to the front, and then longer Superlift links to be installed in the rear. Evidently they have not tested thoroughly enough, as the front links (previously the stock rears) do not appear to be long enough.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, and I will post some as soon as I download them off of my camera, but it is 1 am and I am muddy and tired
.
For now, BEWARE! Check the length of your links or suffer the same fate! Tomorrow I will be helping him communicate with Superlift for some replacements and see if they have some longer ones. This is most definitely a design oversight on thier part.
More to follow....
He had a 4x4 shop do the install of the lift. We reveiwed the instructions ourselves to see if they had goofed it up and found that Superlift calls for the stock rear swaybar links to be moved to the front, and then longer Superlift links to be installed in the rear. Evidently they have not tested thoroughly enough, as the front links (previously the stock rears) do not appear to be long enough.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, and I will post some as soon as I download them off of my camera, but it is 1 am and I am muddy and tired
.For now, BEWARE! Check the length of your links or suffer the same fate! Tomorrow I will be helping him communicate with Superlift for some replacements and see if they have some longer ones. This is most definitely a design oversight on thier part.
More to follow....
10-24-2007, 07:47 AM
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I have the RE 3.5" superlift on my Rubicon. I had electronically disconnected, and did not relaize it had automtically re-connected when I hit some higher speeds on a road. I then went on some rougher terrain and was not disconnected, which ended up bending a link. The dealer that installed the lift replaced the link, and I decided it's just easier to always manually disconnect.