Took my sway bar off....

[Cornfield creations]

I finally got the time yesterday to take off my sway bar.

I have had problems ever since I put my tuff country 4" on. Mainly bumpsteer.

Since I took it off I have noticed my bumpsteer has lessened. It's still there under large bumps but it easier to manage. Also the ride quality has enhanced, feeling the freedom of the front axle. Also it sits up slightly higher now, (cause my steering wheel is off now)

Another thing I noticed was for the first time when I put my front tire into a bank going up, that corner will absorb the rise and not "throw" the blazer over. The blazer stays level just the tire goes up.


I wish I would have taken it off sooner.

If you do take it off, you do have to drive slower and be more cautious around turns for anyone reading this. A lifted blazer is not a corner hugging g-machine. If you drive it like one, it will quickly show you the flaws in your thinking.

 

[Greg72]

I finally got the time yesterday to take off my sway bar.......it sits up slightly higher now, (cause my steering wheel is off now)

That makes NO sense.

You've got some other phenomenon at work besides a swaybar issue.

 

[cbbr]

With my lift and swaybar, i am pretty sure that the bar is pinning the truck down just a little. If it lifted up, wouldn't that throw the steering wheel off a little also?

 

[ntsqd]

It is possible that the bushes were binding & holding it down. Usually hitting various bumps should have re-oriented things, but perhaps not.

I would suspect that the more likely scenario is that it was holding the axle in laterally differentplace than the springs alone are now holding it.

 

[divorced]

I have had problems ever since I put my tuff country 4" on. Mainly bumpsteer.

What type of steering correction do you have?

I would suspect that the more likely scenario is that it was holding the axle in laterally differentplace than the springs alone are now holding it.

Quit using such big words Which direction is it different in?

 

[Cornfield creations]

I have a raised steering arm, which I know causes that. I just never got a lowered pitman arm. It's bearable enough to drive.

As far as it sitting higher. I'm not saying like an inch or two, but I did notice while taking it off, I had to loosen the frame mounts to be able to continue getting the bolts out of the plates because of the pressure. Once I took the mounts off, the bolts came out a little easier.

When I put the lift on I had to lower the weight of the blazer on the springs to compress them to be able to get the u-bolts in, otherwise it wasn't lining up.

I know how the sway bar works. It just seems as though it was pulling tension between the axle and the frame. Maybe it's just my imagination I don't know.

the steering wheel turned a little clockwise.

 

[JEBSR]

I have a raised steering arm, which I know causes that. I just never got a lowered pitman arm. It's bearable enough to drive.

As far as it sitting higher. I'm not saying like an inch or two, but I did notice while taking it off, I had to loosen the frame mounts to be able to continue getting the bolts out of the plates because of the pressure. Once I took the mounts off, the bolts came out a little easier.

When I put the lift on I had to lower the weight of the blazer on the springs to compress them to be able to get the u-bolts in, otherwise it wasn't lining up.

I know how the sway bar works. It just seems as though it was pulling tension between the axle and the frame. Maybe it's just my imagination I don't know.

the steering wheel turned a little clockwise.

Built some quike disconnects last week for mine and it did the same thing. With the lift the sway bar was pulling the suspension forward causing it to bind a little. When I disconnect it my steering wheel is about 1" clockwise of the original position. When I reattach them like factory it is strait. With the quik disc. it is off again because the bind is off, and the bumpsteer is much better.

 

[gmc4cw]

Jebsr is right. you need disconnects. when you lift your truck the distance between the front spring mount and the rear mount for the swaybar increases. without something to correct this there will be binding. the front of the springs will not be able to flex.