I have removed my front swaybar since it no longer worked anyways (rubicon smart bar). I haven’t replaced it and I feel like the Jeep drives fine on road and the freeway. My rear swaybar is eating through my rear brake line pretty bad. I’m going to remove the rear as well and replace my brake lines.

I’m not so concerned about road manners, my goal is offroad performance. So, for off-road use, I am getting mixed info online about sway bars. I can see the plus of having a sway bar if the whole vehicle is off camber. Aside from this, anyone have good info on whether a swaybar is more helpful than not for playing in the rocks?

 

If the Jeep is staying fairly level on rocks I'd be disconnected, but if off-camber becomes the dominant factor I'll switch back to connected to lessen the body roll.

Have you compared quick steering on the pavement with and without the front swaybar, like avoiding a deer? Curious about how much difference there is.

 

Ive done quick steering tests at about 55-60 mph. Nothing more, I wouldn’t do more even with a sway bar either. I totally get the off camber situations. But at the same time, I never liked having to be in 4wd to unlock my swaybar. I also never liked having to remember to disconnect my swaybar when approaching an obstacle and putting it into 4wd. I feel like the rubicon disconnect is good for most people who want casual wheeling but not for those of us who want a rock crawler. If I ever got another swaybar, I’d get an anti rock or a stock one piece swaybar and get manual disconnects.

edit: in some way, I guess everyone’s experience may be different based on lift, spring rate, shocks, etc...

 

Best of both worlds get a Sway Loc by Off Road Only.

That said its depends on your suspension, I have C/O's and Bypass's all 4 corners and run sway bars on and off road, granted not stock ones.

 

it is impossible to simulate actual emergency evasive maneuvers. like when you are driving highway speed and you get cut off or an animal jumps in front of you. I know we think we can but are reactions are different when we don't consciously think about it...

 

I replaced my electronic disconnect bar with a heavier-than-stock solid bar. It's much better on road and disconnects and is easily out of the way for a day of wheeling.

 

If you watch enough YouTube videos, you'll appreciate that many roll-overs are because of the momentum in the body sway after coming down off a ledge that isn't "checked" by an anti-sway bar.
Your choice in the rocks, but do you really want to put your passengers or other vehicles at risk at highway speeds by removing what is, unquestionably, a safety feature designed to prevent roll-overs?
My Rubicon front sway-bar disconnect failed a few years ago, in the disconnected position, and there was no question the handling was more "squirrelly". Can't imagine what it would be like with both disconnected.

 

I can see not using a rear sway bar, but I wouldn't want to go without up front for something that is regularly on the road. I've driven decent distances disconnected through the colorado mountains just cuz I was too lazy to reconnect between trails/destinations. I think it's a dicey move even when you know it's not there and are compensating your driving accordingly. Just my opinion. It's too easy to get out and pull off some quick connects (maybe 30 sec on mine), or to have an antirock or similar unit. Not worth the risk to go without.

 

One thing that I have learned from also owning a motorcycle is to try to train yourself not to swerve when an animal approaches ( obviously try to avoid objects in the road) many hits could be avoided by animals if you just stay consistent. Its not an easy skill to learn.

 

The road handling is good enough for me so I'm not really interested in the debate of a front sway bar for road use. No offense to anyone and I do appreciate the concern. For what it's worth, I already have good quick disconnect links, so later on if I feel it's necessary then maybe I'll just get a stock JK sway bar and use it.

I'm really looking for opinions on whether or not a sway bar is effective for offroad use... ie: keeping the body from swaying while off camber, etc...