The sway bar, aka stabilizer bar or anti-roll bar, connects the suspension on opposite sides of the vehicle. It is a type of torsion spring that reduces body roll, so the vehicle stays more level when turning, resulting in better weight distribution on the tires, and improved handling and traction. Most modern vehicles have front sway bars, and many, especially performance cars, have rear bars. The degree to which the sway bar resists twisting and body roll depends on its stiffness. Whether you want to add a sway bar or upgrade for better handling, we have the performance sway bars for the job.
Most OE suspension systems, even on performance models, are a compromise between good handling and comfortable ride. Factory sway bar diameters are conservative, and installing thicker aftermarket sway bars will increase stiffness and resistance to body roll. This will not only make your vehicle more responsive, it will also reduce over and understeer tendencies and make it safer to drive during emergency maneuvers. If not equipped with a rear sway bar, adding one to a vehicle like a pickup truck will greatly improve handling, especially when tall loads like a camper are carried in the bed.
But if new sway bars aren't in the budget, there are still ways you can reduce body roll and improve handling with your existing setup. One of the easiest upgrades is switching to polyurethane bushings. They're much firmer and don't deflect like rubber, which will help your vehicle be more responsive and make handling more precise. Polyurethane bushings will also last much longer than rubber because they're impervious to environmental conditions like heat and contaminants like oil that usually cause rubber to deteriorate. We offer both polyurethane sway bar mount bushings and end link bushings. Some sway bar mount bushings are greasable, so you can have increased rigidity without unnecessary friction and wear, and we also have stronger CNC machined billet aluminum mounts.
Our performance sway bars will measurably enhance handling by themselves, but they're the perfect complement to performance springs and shocks. These bars are precision bent on CNC machines to assure perfect fitment, and powder coated for a durable, long lasting finish. Most come with polyurethane bushings, and many bars are adjustable so you can fine tune your suspension. The method of adjustment varies according to brand and application - some bars and arms are splined so the connection points can be varied, some have several holes in the arms for end link attachment, and some end links can be adjusted for length. For the most rigidity and minimal friction, some adjustable end links feature durable, low friction spherical bearings.
There are driving conditions where a sway bar can be a detriment to vehicle performance. When vehicles like Jeeps are driven off-road over large obstacles, i.e. rock crawling, more suspension travel and greater suspension articulation is desired, and the sway bar links must be disconnected from the front suspension to allow this. Our quick-disconnect links are the easy way to make it happen. Some late model Jeeps have motors that allow you to disconnect the sway bar electronically. We have relocation kits that can reposition the sway bar motor for greater ground clearance and manual conversion kits that eliminate electronic disconnect system problems. We also have kits that relocate the front sway bar on Jeeps to accommodate common off road suspension and steering modifications.
Another place where disconnecting the sway bar can be beneficial is the drag strip. Disconnecting the sway bar from the front suspension members allows the front end to come up easier for better weight transfer to the rear tires, which will increase traction and result in a better launch from the line. This can lower elapsed times by as much as 2/10 of a second. We offer quick-disconnect links that attach with pins that can be removed and installed by hand. This allows quick and easy sway bar disconnection and connection, so you get the performance you want at the strip and the handling and safety you need on the street. They feature adjustable lengths to facilitate different ride heights and spherical rod ends for maximum firmness. |