How important is swaybar disconnect ?

[AZshot]

Overlanding is driving slowly to preserve the vehicle, not get stuck, and not scare wildlife or other trail users. 4wheeling is what you see in the commercials, crawling up a boulder field, going 60 MPH down dirt trails with a plume of dust behind you, drifting slides around corners. Two totally different things. Think "camping vs Baja race." You don't need half the stuff on the Broncos above the Base to do overlanding.

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[Cheshire]

One thing to remember is that all modern cars have brake based anti-slip. If one wheel is spinning, the brakes will be applied to that wheel and torque will naturally transfer to the wheel that has grip.

While its certainly not as good as a locked diff. Its probably 75% as good, which makes it 100% as good for 90% of all people who will buy a bronco.

The poster is discussing a manual transmission Base 2.3. I don't think if that vehicle is in a mud or ice situation with a spinning wheel and not moving, that brake based anti-slip will do anything. Also, does this Base Bronco even have that?

Your suggestion that the Bronco Base anti-slip brake is any substitute for diff lockers is peculiar and not really the best advice or comment I've heard.

 

[HPNQ420]

The poster is discussing a manual transmission Base 2.3. I don't think if that vehicle is in a mud or ice situation with a spinning wheel and not moving, that brake based anti-slip will do anything. Also, does this Base Bronco even have that?

Your suggestion that the Bronco Base anti-slip brake is any substitute for diff lockers is peculiar and not really the best advice or comment I've heard.

If it is like my 2005 Xterra the brake anti-slip will do quite a bit on its own. (The Xterra has a rear locker.) The brake anti-slip won't do much if you have a wheel in the air.

 

[F OR D]

There are a LOT of idiots on the road.

I wouldn't. I'd pay the extra money for a disconnect aftermarket if I had to. There is no way I'd go 70 in a vehicle with a high center of gravity and just pray I don't need to dodge something dumb in the road. People are nuts.

People think they need a LOT more than they actually do. I have personally done some off roading people would hold on for dear life doing in a full size pickup without lockers. I have ran all kinds of terrain. I can say with a high level of certainty that 99% of these will never be used to their full extent. I personally will probably never fully use the sasquatch to it's 100% capacity and there is a Moab run in it's future along with a Maine trip and we go annually to Big Bend.

Removing a swaybar is a big deal. Paying for a swaybar disconnect means you've gotten into enough situations or expect to encounter enough situations that you need to release a safety feature to keep all the wheels on the ground. That means you're at some really extreme angles. I have never once found myself in that spot. I'd imagine even most steep climbs would encounter that unless it's weird rock formations, so REALLY hardcore rock crawling stuff, or insane ruts. Remember, you're in a situation where you not only have a wheel that could come off the ground, but NEED it there. I've had a tire off the ground more times than I have fingers and toes, but got out just fine without a disconnect.

This forum is either the most hardcore wheeling ass community I've ever experienced, fostering the most insane up and coming four wheel enthusiasts on the planet, or some people falling for marketing. I'm going to imagine it is the last one.

A base 4x4 with a rear locker will do 99.9% of anything anyone here will do. That vehicle could outperform most of us as DRIVERS. If you have money to piss away, go wild. I'd rather get something, run it, if I find a need (I'd take skidplates and good frame mounted rock rails WAY before a swaybar disconnect. I'd spend on a strong lift and 37s, I'd spend on a good winch, I'd put money aside to replace panels...

It's a rant. I know. It's just crazy the things they can convince you that you need.

This. This is literally the answer to everything posted here regarding options. Almost everything is a "I'd like to have". People are so caught up with paper specs and not practical use. Get what makes you happy and then you pay for it with money.

 

[Rick Astley]

There continues to be some excellent mis-information out there about how these transmissions work and their capabilities.

Thankfully there's a thread in B6g which links to supporting info on the types of AWD and also excellent information by B6g member @Rocketeer Rick who's career is in these systems.

Feel free to read up and educate a bit on the topic!

Please note any quotes in this post are just to outline how confusion on the topic persists, not that a specific person was incorrect in their assessments.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/how-awd-works-includes-fords-4a-system.13882/

 

[Broncodave]

The key is knowing what your vehicle can do. When I saw a wide, sandy arroyo (dry wash) with deep, billowy sand like at the beach, I went the other way in 2WD. If I saw a stairstep of rocks with black rubber marks all over them, I went the other way. The gonzo 4WD guys that want every option for off roading are doing the extreme stuff. Stuff to post on youtube and what many would exclaim "wow! That's INSANE!" If you are just driving to interesting off blacktop locations - don't sweat all those features.

Ford! Let me have the Black Diamond with the High Package. I still want the cool cameras!

 

[JoeSpeed]

Can I drive on road and highway with swaybar disconnected?

Can be done, just like women applying make-up or drinking while driving

 

[SillySpider]

Even if you are overlanding -if you end up getting it, I bet you'll use it. Not because you'll need it, but more because you'll want to use it. Really helps soften up the ride on the rough stuff and again... helps stabilize the vehicle in off camber situations. Then again, that might not be worth the money to you, but it won't end up being a total waste as long as you take it off pavement from time to time.

 

[Mattwings]

At a minimum you want the rear locking differential and the advanced 4x4 transfer case in the Bronco, otherwise, you are buying a mall crawler. The sway bar disconnect is of minor importance, as a 2 door bronco without the SBD can achieve about 90% of the articulation of a 4 door bronco with the SBD. I found the RTI numbers the other day and did the calculations. You will be able to achieve 77% of the max articulation of the 2 door with the SBD.

The advanced transfer case is nice, but offers very little benefit off road unless you are really tearing it up “Baja style”. Standard transfer case locks in 4H and 4L. I have done plenty of fun and challenging off road driving with the set up, including my 5G Bronco.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sway bars front and rear were optional on my truck, it only had a front originally. Drove it like that for 19.75 years. Got a slide in camper last year and that was almost kinda sketchy so I snagged a rear sway bar for that.

Holy crap did that change its road manors.

I still catch myself going into a turn thinking "OK, I need to be backing out of the throttle" and it just sits there and does the turn.

No way I would go back. I do plan on upgrading to the later style front sway bar so I can disconnect it on the trail. I did have it teetering between opposing corners last year but it kept on keeping on (with only a limited slip in the rear (gasp!))

 

[dcmdon]

The poster is discussing a manual transmission Base 2.3. I don't think if that vehicle is in a mud or ice situation with a spinning wheel and not moving, that brake based anti-slip will do anything. Also, does this Base Bronco even have that?

Your suggestion that the Bronco Base anti-slip brake is any substitute for diff lockers is peculiar and not really the best advice or comment I've heard.

First, I"m not in any way saying that brake based traction control is a one for one substitute for a locked differential. What I'm saying that it is enough for 90% of all people who will ever buy a jeep or a Bronco. For most people who drive on trails or in bad weather, it works very well. Is it good for hard core rock crawling? No.

But for the example you gave. Mud or ice with a spinning wheel and another wheel on decent traction it will most definitely work nearly miraculously.

So if you have a wheel in the air occasionally or a wheel in some slippery stuff, it works fine.

Some variation of this exists on every passenger car and light truck sold.

Give this thread a read. Its got a great explanation.

https://www.wranglerforum.com/threads/brake-lock-differentials-bld-explained.803194/

Here is something directly from a Jeep engineer.

https://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com/2008/02/11/jeep-brake-traction-control-explained/

Also. If you've seen any of the videos of Bronco Sports driving ahead with one front wheel in the air, that was active braking being done by the traction control system.

This has a description of how it is applied in Ford trucks.

Here is a snippet.
TCS uses two methods of controlling drive wheel slip. One it reduces engine power via engine management and two, initiating an ABS brake apply & release cycle on the wheel (or wheels) which have lost traction. The brakes will rapidly clamp down and then release on any wheel which has lost traction, the differentials will respond by transferring more torque to the opposing wheel which still has traction.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/928481-controltrac-4-wheel-drive-and-how-it-works.html

If you understand how an open differential works, it makes perfect sense. An open differential sends the same amount of TORQUE to each wheel. If one wheel spins with minimal torque applied, then the same amount of torque (very little) goes to the wheel with traction.

By braking the spinning wheel, the torque applied to that wheel is increased, which allows the same amount (more) of torque to go to the wheel with the traction.

One thing to remember is that most systems use 2 strategies and switch over at some predetermined speed.

At low speed, the goal is to maximize traction and prevent you from getting stuck. So brake based traction control is applied like described in the links I gave.

At higher speeds, typically over 20 to 25, the goal of the system is to maximize stability. Asymetric traction on the left and right side can cause the car to yaw, making the car unstable. In this higher speed example, the system will typically reduce power to maximize stability. Since if you are moving at highway speeds, you worry more about spinning than actually getting stuck.

I hope this helps. Whew.

 

[Buckin Bronco]

If it is like my 2005 Xterra the brake anti-slip will do quite a bit on its own. (The Xterra has a rear locker.) The brake anti-slip won't do much if you have a wheel in the air.

Pretty sure only the Pro had the E-Locker, all other trims had a Limited Slip rear differential.

 

[HPNQ420]

Pretty sure only the Pro had the E-Locker, all other trims had a Limited Slip rear differential.

Mine was a 2005 Off Road. E Locker.

 

[Buckin Bronco]

Mine was a 2005 Off Road. E Locker.

My 2004 had no anti slip and just a limited slip rear. It went absolutely anywhere, never had a situation where I needed a full locker or anti slip.

That said, I'm getting a Badlands with all the goodies.

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