What is the point of sway bar disco?

[L8apex]

In a sudden turn, such as a child running into the street, the Bronco (or any vehicle) should lose traction between the tire and pavement and spin out before lifting the inside tires and risking a roll-over. It is certainly safer to stay on all fours than it is to roll onto the side. No, the Bronco is not a race car, but the same dynamics and principles apply. A sway bar resists body roll in a corner - period. Maybe you know better than the Ford engineers, though - I think FCA could use some of your innovative thinking, you should apply for a job with them.

I certainly wouldn't want to perform the moose-test sans sway bar.

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[bajabronco57]

You have created a vehicle with no capability for evasive maneuvers. Not smart, but it’s your life.

I know tons of prerunners that remove them. I wouldn't recommend it for a novice driver but it's not unusual either.

 

[Pilsner]

In a sudden turn, such as a child running into the street, the Bronco (or any vehicle) should lose traction between the tire and pavement and spin out before lifting the inside tires and risking a roll-over. It is certainly safer to stay on all fours than it is to roll onto the side. No, the Bronco is not a race car, but the same dynamics and principles apply. A sway bar resists body roll in a corner - period. Maybe you know better than the Ford engineers, though - I think FCA could use some of your innovative thinking, you should apply for a job with them.

Am I to understand that you have not even received your Bronco yet to have sufficient seat time to see how it handles, but have already formed an opinion that not having a sway bar is going to cause a roll? What other opinions do you have with zero first hand knowledge? I have data, I've been doing it in multiple vehicles for years. I'm not alone here. Very common practice in the off roading community, but I'm sure you knew that too.

 

[AlpineDescent]

Am I to understand that you have not even received your Bronco yet to have sufficient seat time to see how it handles, but have already formed an opinion that not having a sway bar is going to cause a roll? What other opinions do you have with zero first hand knowledge? I have data, I've been doing it in multiple vehicles for years. I'm not alone here. Very common practice in the off roading community, but I'm sure you knew that too.

You got me there. I did not account for the fact that physics (and sway bars specifically) could behave differently with a Bronco than it does for anything else in the universe. You win.

 

[Pilsner]

You got me there. I did not account for the fact that physics (and sway bars specifically) could behave differently with a Bronco than it does for anything else in the universe. You win.

Good one. Suspension and handling does, indeed, vary by vehicle. Things like spring rates and digressive vs progressive dampening matter. I'll keep driving mine as I please, go ahead and math yours. This has been happening for years and we were fine until you came along to observe the physics issues. Schrodinger's sway bar.

 

[Lcubed]

That's a myth. Cars and trucks were made without swaybars at all for decades.

many decades ago when i was in grad school, i had the opportunity to ride a 1960s chrysler imperial around the PTI test track. that vehicle could have used sway bars
or if it had them, much beefier ones!

on the figure 8 track, you could touch the ground by reaching out the window
and it was truly scary on the high speed double lane change.

 

[BottleShark]

Need a Forscan hack to enable it at any speed when in offroad modes.

 

[Paul Gagnon]

many decades ago when i was in grad school, i had the opportunity to ride a 1960s chrysler imperial around the PTI test track. that vehicle could have used sway bars
or if it had them, much beefier ones!

on the figure 8 track, you could touch the ground by reaching out the window
and it was truly scary on the high speed double lane change.

But it didn’t flip over did it?

 

[broncoj11]

I have a Badlands and have used the sway bar disco but haven't really seen the advantage. If the front and rear are locked, it doesn't seem to do much. Plus, when locked, once a tire gets lifted, all the weight and traction is transferred to the tire with traction. I have wheeled for a long time and was looking forward to having a rig with the disco, now I think it's over rated.

First picture is connected second is disco look at the space between the front tire and the wheel well

 

[Lcubed]

But it didn’t flip over did it?

pretty damn close to flipping and swapping ends when we did the double lane change at half the speed of my buddy's datsun 240Z.

 

[BroncoBarn]

You would not want to drive above 20-30 MPH without the sway bar. It would handle like crap and roll over far to easily.

But yet people are removing them and throwing them on their garage floor

 

[BottleShark]

First picture is connected second is disco look at the space between the front tire and the wheel well

Yes, but I was expecting it to be life changing for offroad.

 

[broncoj11]

Yes, but I was expecting it to be life changing for offroad.

I think it makes a reasonable difference

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