[SDcruiser]

Hey guys! I'll be installing my new +2" TC long travel kit next week, and removing the front sway bars. Would anyone recommend I remove the rears as well? What are the pros and cons of doing this? I've heard you can only really tell on the streets when you're on an off ramp. I know off road you get more flex, which seems beneficial. I just want to make sure it won't screw me up in my daily driving, as I use my FJ on road as much, if not more than I do off road.
Thanks again!!

 

[fj6high]

I removed the front sway bar about a year or so ago...I run 35's and 37's and both sized tires rubbed and restricted my turning radius and articulation...If you do mostly street drivin and like to travel fast in and around tight traffic...Keep the bar in place... I am used to driving without it and there really dosen't seem to be much difference...The difference is that I have a way beefed up suspension...after market lift and bigger stiff coils and struts... the whole nine yrds....

I would not remove anything related to safety unless you compensate your driving and knowingly understand the consequences of what may happen...

 

[mir207]

Hey guys! I'll be installing my new +2" TC long travel kit next week, and removing the front sway bars. Would anyone recommend I remove the rears as well? What are the pros and cons of doing this? I've heard you can only really tell on the streets when you're on an off ramp. I know off road you get more flex, which seems beneficial. I just want to make sure it won't screw me up in my daily driving, as I use my FJ on road as much, if not more than I do off road.
Thanks again!!

I have the OME 897 coils in the rear, which (can't make this not sound rude, sorry) are stiff and long, so we took my sway bar off in the rear. With these coils, it made very little difference (especially when the fronts have to go with the TC LT anyway).

That all said, the sway bars going does make the vehicle more "rolly", you just have to adjust your driving. But with the TC LT you're already on the baja racing truck route anyway, so embrace the rolly It's fun!!

 

[jamo]

If you do very much on road driving then I wouldn't recommend it. I've left mine in place after experience with my 07 Tacoma. After removing the sway bar it didn't track as well and handled as if it were 6" higher. It was terrible driving around town because as the fj6high stated, you must compensate (which was frustrating).

 

[mir207]

Point of clarification for other posters: The question here is only about the rear sway bar. The TC LT kit requires the removal of the front sway bar - so discussion of driving with / without the front sway bar is moot.

 

[SDcruiser]

I have the OME 897 coils in the rear, which (can't make this not sound rude, sorry) are stiff and long, so we took my sway bar off in the rear. With these coils, it made very little difference (especially when the fronts have to go with the TC LT anyway).

That all said, the sway bars going does make the vehicle more "rolly", you just have to adjust your driving. But with the TC LT you're already on the baja racing truck route anyway, so embrace the rolly It's fun!!

I've got the 2" ICON springs in the rear with the Fox piggy backs, I'm pretty sure they would handle the road ok without the rear sway bar. I know the fronts have to go, so I was debating just removing them all. I'm pretty experienced on and off the road when it comes to driving (not to toot my own horn), so I am not really worried about having to compensate for the "rolly":bigthumb:
I'm totally on the baja racing route with my TC LT, and love the rolly feeling I had in my last truck! Did you notice a big gain off road with the rears removed?

 

[mikerd400]

I've got the 2" ICON springs in the rear with the Fox piggy backs

What size Fox shocks did you get?

 

[mir207]

I've got the 2" ICON springs in the rear with the Fox piggy backs, I'm pretty sure they would handle the road ok without the rear sway bar. I know the fronts have to go, so I was debating just removing them all. I'm pretty experienced on and off the road when it comes to driving (not to toot my own horn), so I am not really worried about having to compensate for the "rolly":bigthumb:
I'm totally on the baja racing route with my TC LT, and love the rolly feeling I had in my last truck! Did you notice a big gain off road with the rears removed?

Yeah, it's a pretty fun feeling.

We did some RTI ramp tests when we took the rear sway bar off. I think I have a paleo-thread about them somewhere from 2008. I didn't notice too much difference driving w/wo the rear sway bar, but the RTI measurements did show extra travel.

 

[SDcruiser]

What size Fox shocks did you get?

I'm not exactly sure what size they are, but here's the dimensions:
Ext. length:24.45" & Col. length:14.85"

 

[SDcruiser]

QUOTE=mir207;1837142]Yeah, it's a pretty fun feeling.

We did some RTI ramp tests when we took the rear sway bar off. I think I have a paleo-thread about them somewhere from 2008. I didn't notice too much difference driving w/wo the rear sway bar, but the RTI measurements did show extra travel.[/QUOTE]

Well that sounds good to me! Its sounding more and more like those rears are coming off!! :bigthumb:

 

[Silver_surfer]

I am really looking to get more articulation out of the rear as well.


mir207:
I know this is a little side track and away from the point of removing the rear. However without the TC kit on stock lower arms and upper control arms, would removing the sway bar give you more usable travel upfront. I currently have the TRD suspesnsion off SDcruiser's truck.

We typically wheel together so i have to follow his ass through most trails... Looking for the best way over those big rocks.

:cheers:

 

[TCao]

Hey guys! I'll be installing my new +2" TC long travel kit next week, and removing the front sway bars. Would anyone recommend I remove the rears as well? What are the pros and cons of doing this? I've heard you can only really tell on the streets when you're on an off ramp. I know off road you get more flex, which seems beneficial. I just want to make sure it won't screw me up in my daily driving, as I use my FJ on road as much, if not more than I do off road.
Thanks again!!

You may want to consider adding limit straps for the rear axle to make sure the rear springs don't pop out at max droop with the rear sway bar removed.

I am really looking to get more articulation out of the rear as well.


mir207:
I know this is a little side track and away from the point of removing the rear. However without the TC kit on stock lower arms and upper control arms, would removing the sway bar give you more usable travel upfront. I currently have the TRD suspesnsion off SDcruiser's truck.

We typically wheel together so i have to follow his ass through most trails... Looking for the best way over those big rocks.

:cheers:

You probably won't gain any wheel travel with the OEM upper and lower A arms and TRD shocks as the ball joints in the A arms and the TRD front shock travel limits the wheel travel. My advice would be to take your own line as your set ups are different. A stock FJ with good tires can do some amazing feats. :cheers:

 

[SDcruiser]

You may want to consider adding limit straps for the rear axle to make sure the rear springs don't pop out at max droop with the rear sway bar removed.

Thanks for the advice! I am assuming I would have to weld on brackets to the axle for the straps. Is that a big problem with rear sway bar removal? I dont want my coil popping out on the trail!! :flame:

 

[TCao]

Thanks for the advice! I am assuming I would have to weld on brackets to the axle for the straps. Is that a big problem with rear sway bar removal? I dont want my coil popping out on the trail!! :flame:

Better to use limit straps than the rear shocks to limit your axle droop. you'd need to weld tabs to mount the limit straps. Depending on the combination of rear shocks and rear springs (e.g. extended travel shocks with short springs), there's a potential that the rear springs will pop out on trail.

 

[redfernsoljah]

I too have the +2 total chaos kit. I removed the rear sway bar as well. I have not had any issues driving it besides a little more body roll. It did not mean that I cannot go through turns at the same speed or faster with the the front kit on. I think a little faster as it is more controllable. I have not gone crazy in the rear yet but have the icon lift in the rear and have not yet had any issues with overtravel in the rear and I have tried. To be safe yes limiting straps would be the way to go and the direction I plan on going. Good luck if you have any more issues or questions about the kit let me know I would be happy to answer them. I put mine on myself in about a day.

steve

 

[SDcruiser]

I too have the +2 total chaos kit. I removed the rear sway bar as well. I have not had any issues driving it besides a little more body roll. It did not mean that I cannot go through turns at the same speed or faster with the the front kit on. I think a little faster as it is more controllable. I have not gone crazy in the rear yet but have the icon lift in the rear and have not yet had any issues with overtravel in the rear and I have tried. To be safe yes limiting straps would be the way to go and the direction I plan on going. Good luck if you have any more issues or questions about the kit let me know I would be happy to answer them. I put mine on myself in about a day.

steve

Thanks Steve! So you have the rear sway bars removed and havent noticed too big of a change while driving on the road? I ask because my FJ is my daily driver, and as much as I want to get the most I can off road, I need to make sure I don't sacrifice any on road performance. You saying that you've had no problems with over-travel in the rear makes me feel good, although limiting straps is probably a good idea just in case. I just don't have a welder, and all the shops around me that do weld charge an arm and a leg!
On a side note, are you happy with your TC +2? I can't wait to get mine and put it on!!!

 

[redfernsoljah]

no issues my daily driver as well. Happy just have to fix some ittle issues with the abs sensor and my brakes being mushy. not bad just think i have to retorx the axle and replqce sensor just no time. I like going really fast over bumpy hawaiian roads around a cury road will look for a video doing like 80 in a 25 looks like i am doing maybe 30.

 

[SDcruiser]

Ok, so I figure that I'll be removing my rear sway bar this week when I get my TC+2LT installed... One last question. How does this effect towing? I tow my toys with the FJ, and may not want to have it removed if it effects towing too much/at all. Any insight would be appreciated!

 

[redfernsoljah]

havent towed since i took it off but dont really for see much of an issue with extra weight back there

 

[dallasjetfan]

I took my front swaybar off when I installed my SAW's. I'm not sure if I like the way it handles. It definitely drive ok w/o the swaybar, but I just think it would handle much better on road with the front swaybar. Now it might be because I am running stock UCA's, but I am going to add mine back on tomorrow just to see how it handles.