04 WJ body roll, fix with sway bar?

Jan 31, 2004 4 Replies

I've come across a few sites that mention the excessive body roll on the WJ w/ Up Country suspension can be fixed by installing a heavier rear sway bar? The stock bar (9/16") when replaced with a heavier 1" bar will virtually eliminate body roll. Can anyone confirm or deny this?



thanks


WJ Jeeper did pass the time by typing:

That's what the sway bar is for. But you will loose articulation for off-roading. If you don't do much more than dirt trails a stiffer bar won't hurt.

You have bars front and rear. Don't forget to check the rubber bushings as they wear and the metal brackets can crack.

formatting link

I went through this years ago with an 88 XJ. First I fitted it with a bigger sway bar however the bar mfgr (can't remember who) couldn't provide one that didn't rub, etc. I went back to the stock bar but used polyurethane bushings instead. The results were very good as they are stiffer and were a bolt in. Solved the issue of articulation by modifying the swaybar ends to make them disconnects.

Howard

Don't do much off-road driving, especially after my last incident. (see post

1/30/04 by WJ Jeeper.) May have to stay on-road for a while, at least until the wallet fattens back up again.

So the larger sway-bar in the rear will help with the excessive body roll I feel? I should mention I also have the Up Country suspension package, which has been rumored to make roll more apparent.

And if I take the advice of the other poster, I can modify the sway bar ends and rig up some sort of quick disconnect when needed off-road. Sort of the best of both worlds then?

WJ Jeeper did pass the time by typing:

Yes. As would stiffer shocks or higher side-ply tires like the pirelli scorpions. :) If you want to realy stiffen up your highway ride use RS-9000 adjustable shocks. They can be adjusted either on the shock or with a remote mounted air system.

Up-Country := taller springs and stiffer shocks plus a few other bits (tow hooks, etc)

Quick disconnects are ran only on the front. Disconnecting both sway bars will result in a vehicle that tips over very easily and will tend to flop from side to side on the trail.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required