Sway bar disconnects

[Mack73]

So you are saying that the unsprung weight of the other-side wheel and tire would keep the compressed-side from getting further stuffed? I'm not sure I can mentally accept that.

Also...I meant the rock that Ryan, myself and Nasir climbed up last month in order to demonstrate the control-arm hitting the air shock...not your Tahuya example.

No. A sway bar works by transferring upwards motion from one wheel to a downward motion on the opposite. So if the passenger side wheel goes up, it pushes the drivers side down.

In the example photo from tahuya, as the passenger wheel starts to compress, the sway bar starts pushing the drivers side down. This pushing down of the driver's side starts "lifting" the front end way before the passenger side is fully compressed. Without sway bars, the passenger side would be able to be fully compressed before any "lifting" of the front end occurs (and this is simply because the passenger side can't compress any more). I mean, look at the photo, I am practically at ride height on the passenger front. The goal is to have that wheel fully compressed.

I quickly photoshopped an example of what I am talking about. The passenger wheel would be fully compressed and the vehicle would be much more level.

 

[Mack73]

Oh and this is all hypothetical. There are some big questions here like what happens to the EAS computer without sway bars? Is it capable of dealing with wheels moving without sway bars or does it just flip out and drop to bump stops?

Will the airbags at an increased pressure actually let the wheel fully compress?

For all the fuss, do you actually get a real benefit, or is it like <1" of extra compression?

etc

 

[Houm_WA]

"This pushing down of the driver's side starts "lifting" the front end way before the passenger side is fully compressed."

This is the part I don't get...I guess I need to see a diagram or something. Besides, I thought this pushing down of the opposite side when one side was compressed is something that is desired...

 

[Mack73]

"This pushing down of the driver's side starts "lifting" the front end way before the passenger side is fully compressed."

This is the part I don't get...I guess I need to see a diagram or something. Besides, I thought this pushing down of the opposite side when one side was compressed is something that is desired...

Ah ok easy enough. You just got to think about the forces, but yeah it is a bit of a mental exercise. I couldn't find any good videos on the internet.

Yes you do want the opposite side down for contact and the weight of the tire will pull it down as far as it can go anyways.

Ok example. So if the passenger side starts compressing, the sway bar starts twisting and pushing down the drivers side. But what happens if the driver's side is already in contact with the ground? Well the force starts causing the driver's side wheel to keep extending and it now starts pushing/lifting up (which is ok because it is leveling, but now starts the bad). Once the driver's side is fully extended, the sway bar starts storing more and more force, and now is just pushing back down on the passenger side wheel. Once the force pushing back down exceeds the weight of the front end, there is no more compression on the passenger side = the limit to articulation.

 

[Houm_WA]

Okay...so I can visually understand what you're saying. I guess I dismissed this before because I didn't think the swaybar could make such a difference so as to offset the weight of the front end!

 

[MilehighLR3]

Oh and this is all hypothetical. There are some big questions here like what happens to the EAS computer without sway bars? Is it capable of dealing with wheels moving without sway bars or does it just flip out and drop to bump stops?

Will the airbags at an increased pressure actually let the wheel fully compress?

For all the fuss, do you actually get a real benefit, or is it like <1" of extra compression?

etc

@Mack73 . . . .

That was the reason for my original post . . . sway bar discos are used on a lot OE "offroad" option packages these days. . . trucks, Jeeps, IFS, solid axle . . . . just wondered it anyone had ever tried it on the Landies.

I can see where with too much droop the upper A arm could contact the cannister . . . but I think the lower A arm is limited by the shock travel (compression).

As with any sway bar disco the limiting factor is generally the shock travel . . . don't know what the EAS will do . . .Ultimately the goal should always be to keep the tires in contact with the ground/rock/whatever when on a trail where a lot of flex is required/or better said, beneficial.

I have some spare struts (put news ones on with the Toddco lift). . . . I'll play with them and find out what the mechanical limit is. Maybe I'll mock up some discos and give it a try too. . . .