Keeping sway bars connected with lockers

[HYRYSC]

Chatting with a few friends that are not jeepers and they were asking me about my Jeep and jeeps in general. Conversation wandered to the sway bars and disconnects. Friend asked me why I would need to disconnect if I had a locker since lifting a wheel slightly wouldn't pose any issues. I don't know really since when I go on a trail, I always disconnect as a matter of fact.

Thoughts?

 

[Apparition]

A wheel in the air isn’t as useful as one with traction

 

[HYRYSC]

A wheel in the air isn’t as useful as one with traction

True, but if I have it locked, still have traction, so would keeping the sway bar connected help in any way?

 

[SvtLdr]

Also, a wheel in the air means instability elsewhere.
Keeping the sway bar connected would provide more stability in off camber situations.

 

[HYRYSC]

Also, a wheel in the air means instability elsewhere.
Keeping the sway bar connected would provide more stability in off camber situations.

This is what I was wondering?

Have it in my plans to get the Anti-rock early next year, but still curious. Planning on hitting my local trails this weekend, might just do it without disconnecting.

 

[JDS123]

2 locked wheels on the ground create more potential for forward movement than 1 locked wheel on the ground and 1 in the air.

 

[HYRYSC]

2 locked wheels on the ground create more potential for forward movement than 1 locked wheel on the ground and 1 in the air.

True that! So is disconnecting the best option?

 

[jjvw]

True that! So is disconnecting the best option?

That depends on the situation and the swaybar being used. Wheels on the ground with a connected swaybar is going to be the best option.

 

[Wildman]

If you are talking a STOCK type swaybar then IMHO it doesn't matter if you are locked or not you want to disconnect the front. If you are running a Ant-Rock type swaybar then yes leave them connected.

 

[Apparition]

That depends on the situation and the swaybar being used. Wheels on the ground with a connected swaybar is going to be the best option.

Yes, hence an Antirock

 

[HYRYSC]

Yes, definitely when I get the Anti-Rock it will certainly stay connected, just was curious about my stock swaybar and the opinions.

 

[Wildman]

Yes, definitely when I get the Anti-Rock it will certainly stay connected, just was curious about my stock swaybar and the opinions.

When I bought my TJ it didn't have a rear swaybar and I would disconnect my front when going wheeling. I watched and found a used Anti-Rock and ran it until I found a used SwayLoc and swapped to that becasue it works in conjunction with my AiRock system.

So for stock bars I say yes disconnect the front and leave the rear connected.

 

[dbbd1]

I watched and found a used Anti-Rock and ran it until I found a used SwayLoc and swapped to that becasue it works in conjunction with my AiRock system.

Since no one else has asked- still have your old AR?

 

[Wildman]

Since no one else has asked- still have your old AR?

No sorry it went away along with my stock axles that had the 4.88 gears and lockers. Sold it all as a package to a collage kid who was helping me work on my TJ.

 

[The shuggs]

Just because a wheel is touching the ground, doesn't mean you have traction, but sway bars help distribute the weight of the vehicle more evenly.

Think of this scenario:

Your drivers side wheel is down in a rut while the passengers side is up on the bank. Whether you have a sway bar or not, you can usually have both tires touching dirt. But disconnected, the front end weight isn't as evenly distributed between the too front tires. Most of the weight could be over the wheel on the bank, and the drooped wheel is basically just resting it's weight on the ground. With a light rate sway bar like the Antirock, the bar will pull the body of the vehicle a bit more parallel with the frame. With the body tilted a little more into the rut, more weight is over that tire (not exactly 50%, but more than just the weight of the wheel in the discoed case).

The more weight over a tire, the more traction that tire has as it is forced into the ground harder. So the AR gives you two tires that have decent traction versus one tire with good traction. That gives you a better chance of finding traction.

It also helps with soft terrain by making it harder for one tire to dig down and high-center the rig.

 

[mrblaine]

Just because a wheel is touching the ground, doesn't mean you have traction, but sway bars help distribute the weight of the vehicle more evenly.

Think of this scenario:

Your drivers side wheel is down in a rut while the passengers side is up on the bank. Whether you have a sway bar or not, you can usually have both tires touching dirt. But disconnected, the front end weight isn't as evenly distributed between the too front tires. Most of the weight could be over the wheel on the bank, and the drooped wheel is basically just resting it's weight on the ground. With a light rate sway bar like the Antirock, the bar will pull the body of the vehicle a bit more parallel with the frame. With the body tilted a little more into the rut, more weight is over that tire (not exactly 50%, but more than just the weight of the wheel in the discoed case).

The more weight over a tire, the more traction that tire has as it is forced into the ground harder. So the AR gives you two tires that have decent traction versus one tire with good traction. That gives you a better chance of finding traction.

It also helps with soft terrain by making it harder for one tire to dig down and high-center the rig.

You can't create more traction than the weight of the rig. That means that it will have the same force on the ground regardless of whether one, two, three, or four tires are in contact.

 

[The shuggs]

You can't create more traction than the weight of the rig. That means that it will have the same force on the ground regardless of whether one, two, three, or four tires are in contact.

That's assuming the terrain under each tire has the same amount of traction to give.

 

[mrblaine]

That's assuming the terrain under each tire has the same amount of traction to give.

Regardless, you can only make as much traction as the rig weighs. Divvy it up however you like, the total doesn't and can't change.

 

[JDS123]

Seems to me that you can only exert so much force on the ground, which is the weight of the Jeep. My definition of traction is determined by the coefficient of friction of the surface you are driving on. Just pointing out some pedantic physics terms I guess.

 

[The shuggs]

Regardless, you can only make as much traction as the rig weighs. Divvy it up however you like, the total doesn't and can't change.

And I never said otherwise. Yes you only have as much traction as the vehicle weighs, but that's only one side. I don't care what the weight of the vehicle is if it's all concentrated over the tires sitting on ice.