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Throw out that Sway Bar!

ssped

ssped

1/2 ton status
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After the weekend I left the sway bar off. What a difference. I am running ORD disconects and sway bar drop kit and on purpose left it off. Drove home on Ortega Hwy( no sweat actually smoother in the corners) I have been feelin a clunking stiff sensation like a Bottoming out shock when I hit the dip coming off the freeway going to work everyday(throws you around too) after today I am not going to hook it back up. It is the sway bar giving me the sensation and the truck rides totally better with out the damn thing on there. Much smoother and deffinetly more gracefull on city streets. untill now I just did not put 2+2 together. Sorry ORD the Kit is the Bomb but the sway bar has to go.



On that note anyone want a (not a shackle flip kit) ORD sway bar disconects, sway bar with the super lift drop kit?
 
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Guess it's different between Blazers and Burbs, cause i absolutely HAVE to run the swaybar on the streets, mine leans way too far around corners and is just too unstable without it for safe higher speed driving.
 
I am runing 6" lift springs on the front. I know they make a difference.
 
There is a big difference. Depending on your spring rates and amount of lift, some say it's unsafe without the bar. I have a Skyjacker 2.5" lift, their springs are known to be on the soft side, while I don't think the bar is nessesary, it sure helps the on-road handling alot.
OEM's spend alot of time tuning suspensions on trucks (on all vehicles), trying to find the perfect balance of safety, handling characteristics, and what people percieve as the proper ride for a particular vehicle. Tons of things affect handling, bushing material, move the mount location 1mm this way or that, spring rates, amount of unsprung weight, among many others.....
 
Yeah, the shocks and springs on my burb are too soft to go without the sway bar on the streets. It is just too scary going around turns. But I think better shocks will help me.
 
73k5blazer said:
OEM's spend alot of time tuning suspensions on trucks (on all vehicles), trying to find the perfect balance of safety, handling characteristics, and what people percieve as the proper ride for a particular vehicle. Tons of things affect handling, bushing material, move the mount location 1mm this way or that, spring rates, amount of unsprung weight, among many others.....
Click to expand...
Which is traded against economics. Old K10s and K20s, Trucks and Burbs, SBC/BBC have the same sway bars, springs, etc.
Just gotta go a little slower through the sweepers.:D
 
roadnotca said:
Which is traded against economics. Old K10s and K20s, Trucks and Burbs, SBC/BBC have the same sway bars, springs, etc.
Just gotta go a little slower through the sweepers.:D
Click to expand...
#1-They don't have the same springs. I know this from playing around with Burbs and pickups.
#2-My 70 K5 did not even come with a sway bar.
#3- First Gen Burbs did not even share all the front end components with the pickups. My 70 1/2 ton Burb had specific spindles on the front. One balljoint was 1/2 ton, and the other was 3/4 ton, with the same thing going on with the A arms. I know it was original, cause I bought it from the original owner. Also, the rear springs were specific to the burbs, because of the greater weight of the body.
 
I'm pretty sure there's a couple different diameter sway bars out there for our trucks..
They have sway bar bushings for 2 different sizes.
I'd have to check my books to be sure though.
I know springs are different between 1/2,3/4,1ton trucks of our era.

But yeah, they try to commonize as much as they can to save $$$.
I don't like the spindly little tie-rod ends on my '97 K2500HD, one broke once.
Same TRE for 1/2,3/4,1ton. Still continues today, 1/2ton-through H2 gets same TRE. Spindly little things they are.
 
My Burb with 4" Superlift, was way better on road without the swaybar, much smoother, and I drove the feces out of it! I now have the swaybar off of my Blazer and same thing way smoother. Though obviously spring rate and maybe lift must play a huge part in the effects.
 
roadnotca said:
Which is traded against economics. Old K10s and K20s, Trucks and Burbs, SBC/BBC have the same sway bars, springs, etc.
Just gotta go a little slower through the sweepers.:D
Click to expand...
Or should I say "interchangeable" :D
 
Its mainly a truck to truck thing. Some people dont need them. Stiffer springs wont roll as much in the corners as softer ones. Trucks with less lift will roll less. Of course the ride will be better with it off...since all the swaybar does is try to limit the axle from moving independantly of the body. I HAVE to use the ord disconnects on mine. My BDS springs are just too soft, and it feels unsettling taking a corner on the road without the swaybar. I never drive on the highway with it still unhooked.
-Harrison
 
i have a 87 burb with BDS 6 in springs and no sway bar....not only does it ride like stock there is no sway...never felt a diffrence...can run down the high way (and have got a ticket for it) at 80 mph with a trailer on the back no problem..loose the sway bar they are ugly and they are flex elimanitors for wossies...be a man loose the sway bar..
 
twoslo4five0 said:
iloose the sway bar they are ugly and they are flex elimanitors for wossies...be a man loose the sway bar..
Click to expand...

Great advice buddy.:rolleyes: If you know how to read you would see that I said every truck is different. Some people need them some dont. Hop in my K5 with the swaybar unhooked and drive down the highway. Or for that matter....take any turn. It DEFINITELY sways A LOT more than it needs to. I wouldnt want to think what would happen cruising at 65 with the swaybar unhooked in my truck and have to make ANY sort of abrupt manuever.
-Harrison
 
what springs do you have cause if they are bds its prolly not your springs i have 6 inch bds spring no problem....mabye you should check your shocks...i had a buddy put a set of used tsl on his truck and it shook the truck to pieces..but when you put the same set of tires on another truck no problem..he said it was the tires no the truck..sounds like a similar problem...2 blazers (1,79 1,82)and 1 87 burb all with bds springs no problem...look futher
 
not a shackle flip

I am sorry for the Typo I am not getting ride of the totally great shackle flip kit. I am going to sell the ORD disconects and super lift sway bar drop kit. Sorry bout that guys. Drinkin and typing dont go together. Also if you want the sway bar let me know it is 1.25inch.
 
As it has been discussed about eleventy-billion times already.... :rolleyes:

There are no "absolutes" when it comes to the swaybar. Some people have thrown it away and like it better, others need it to keep the truck under control on the road.

  • Stiffer springs have less roll and will be more forgiving with a swaybar removed
  • Smaller diameter radial tires will be more forgiving than a big-ballooned sidewall bias-ply tire.
  • Stiffer shocks will slow-down the effects of body roll, but can NOT prevent it.
The best advice is not to "throw out that swaybar" but in fact to try it both ways ON YOUR PARTICULAR vehicle and with your own DRIVING STYLE.

Take a look at any modern comp buggy and you'll see swaybars on it.......weird huh?
 
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twoslo4five0 said:
what springs do you have cause if they are bds its prolly not your springs i have 6 inch bds spring no problem....mabye you should check your shocks...i had a buddy put a set of used tsl on his truck and it shook the truck to pieces..but when you put the same set of tires on another truck no problem..he said it was the tires no the truck..sounds like a similar problem...2 blazers (1,79 1,82)and 1 87 burb all with bds springs no problem...look futher
Click to expand...

I have bds springs up front and stock ones in the rear with a shackle flip. This is probably our difference. The stock rear springs with the shackle flip are much much softer than even BDS lift springs. My shocks are great shocks (prerunner 8000's) and are in good condition.

Its basically just a truck to truck thing. Some need them, some dont. Its also a driver thing....significant body roll to one person may not be all that bad to another.

I just run disconnects....best of both worlds. I can easily unhook them for the trail and hook them right back up for the drive home.
-Harrison
 
I run a 4" lift front spring and a DIY shackle flip with 56s in the rear and I do not run a sway bar. I found no difference at all with or without the sway bar stock or after the lift. For me it was a no brainer. I plan on 56s in the front and we will see how bad it is then. I also run crossover so I had to remove the swaybar. I do see some guys with sway bars like the buggys run as that is really the only way to do it with crossover.

Ira
 
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