Pros & Cons of swaybar removal...

I've got a 16' dcsb offroad with an icon stage 4 with 285/70/17 I daily drive my taco but wheel often. I hear mixed results on the handling once the swaybar has been removed but hear it improves offroad ability a fair amount. What are the pros and cons to doing this on mine? Does it increase maintenance in any way? etc... looking for all input. thanks!

 

It decreases body roll on the road by linking the left and right suspension. Removing it allows your suspension to articulate more off road.

It is not a difficult removal to test. Unbolt it and take it for drive or a commute. If you like it, leave it off. If you hate it, put it back on and consider removing it before you hit the trails. Do you find yourself with a wheel in the air when off road? If so, removing it helps with this.

There is a minor safety issue on road if you get really sideways. Basically, it could increase your roll over risk, but there are bigger factors at play, like the tires, tire pressures, road imperfections, etc.

For me, with the stiffer suspension on my Sport, I'm considering testing it and would definitely drop it off before going off road.

 

Removing the sway bar will increase your offroad performance. It will allow your truck to have greater articulation and allow the two front wheels to act independently. If you actually wheel your truck this is a huge benefit.

On-road handling characteristics will change slightly.. Your truck will have more body roll. If you perform any jerky evasive maneuvers it could potentially be less safe without the sway bar.

I removed mine when I installed my kings, maybe 20k miles ago. It is one of the best mods I have done to my truck and I have not looked back at all.

 

I wonder if you do remove it, and are in an accident, could they decline coverage for removal? Just thinking out loud.

 

I’m guessing VSS is going to go nuts with the increase in sway and body roll.

I leave mine on cause I live on a winding mountain road/ hwy.

 

Hard to say. It would have to be the type of accident (serious) that is investigated and probably shown that it was a contributing factor. So in the case of sliding off the road in the winter and rolling in a ditch, it would not have been a major factor. Same with front or rear end collisions. But, if it was being hooned in a parking lot, rolled, and seriously hurt / killed someone, then maybe.

 

I pulled mine off on a trail in Big Bear so I could get better articulation. Much better off-road. I have noticed more body roll on-road. I think just being aware I need to be a little more cautious and drive my truck like a truck and not like a car, it isn't a problem. Don't think I'll be putting it back on.

 

That is hard to say. Does it go off with the way you drive now? Are your tires howling in corners? Then it may cause more warnings.

Also, I don't think any Tacos come with a rear sway bar. Adding one would bias toward more oversteer, which we don't need, but it is a thought.

 

This same thing can apply to any mod you have on your truck.

Mines off and VSS doesn't ever come on. Except the occasional parking lot entry.


I love mine off. Especially with my super soft suspension.

 

Pro : When your off roading (maybe 10%) of driving it works much better. Con : daily street driving (90%) driving it will be loose and if you get into a panic situation on the freeway at 70 you end up wadded up on the side of the road in the ditch on your roof. That's why real off roaders use disconnects or like the Rubicon has hydraulic disconnects the ram power wagon also has hydraulic disconnect. The fanboys are going to jump in and tell you rip off that sway bar go tear ass down the freeway of course none of them will be around if you have any trouble. So use your own judgment and common sense.

 

I suppose, and I'm not arguing here, but we were talking about the removal of an OE suspension part and not replacing it. I don't know of other suspension safety parts that are removed and not replaced.

Aside from the insurance liability, apparently in WA state, Google says here that WA mandates sway bars on suspension lifted vehicles. No mention in the other states.

As I get older, I think of stuff like this a little more.

 

Neat info, but reality here is very different. There is no annual inspection, and they recently ditched inspections on incoming out-of-state vehicles. The WSP used to do it, but it is either completely gone or sent to a third party.

About the only thing that folks get pulled over for are tires sticking out from the fenders without mud flaps. I think you can have one inch?

The bro dozers that roll around here, city and suburbs, are really out there and nowhere near the linked requirements.

That is not even getting into the lowered cars, rat rods, cafe builds, etc. As long as you have plates and a windshield, it is almost anarchy.

 

Do sway bar disconnect kits work well for part-time off-roading?

 

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Can anyone give me advice on how to deal with my tires rubbing on my sway bar links? How much of a difference would removing them be?

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i am doing a 2.5 level kit with new OME coils (cause my old ones are worn out) would i need to get a different sway bar or should i just take it off.

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If at first you don't succeed, don't try skydiving
First let me say: removing the sway bar, in addition to some benefits, can be very dangerous. to my knowlege, if you are involved in an accident ...

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https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/do...remove...sway-bar.../page-3
You chose ... poorly
and you tow stuff somewhat regularly too, right? No towing.

plus 9 more pages of results....
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We are also talking about insurance. Not reality. As I get older the less I try to think about this stuff. Otherwise I'd be driving a stock 2016 Tacoma.

I'd be more concerned about insurance than violating state laws. One you are screwed and one you just get a fix it ticket.

 

Would it be possible to compile those other 9 pages. I think it would be really helpful.

 

Knock yourself out.

 

Much better off road and barely notice it’s not there during daily drive, even when pressing into turns fast.


It’s always good to play it safe. But even a hardcore risk mitigater like me doesn’t give two shits about this delete.

 

super dangerous when you live your life a quarter mile at a time

 

Because really, there aren’t. Except this one. This one can be removed and not put back on. An upper control arm has to stay. I don’t know of any other animals that grow a horn out of their nose, except a rhino. And yet there it is... a rhino.