By marc on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 10:37 am: Edit

What are the pros & cons, guys? Since I installed my OME MD lift, I have horrendous squeaking, and most of it seems to be coming from my rear anti-sway bar bushings. Should I remove one or both of them? Are there any safety concerns?

Marc

By RollOver Rover on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 11:01 am: Edit

Remove the rear one and youll be good to go!!!! Ive got HD springs and 1/2 inch spacers......I removed rear sway bar and it drives the same but no squeek squeek! It will be fine.....

Roll Over Rover

By Mike Rupp (Mike_Rupp) on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 11:11 am: Edit

Marc,

I installed an OME HD set of springs earlier this year. I was getting squeaking right after the install. My squeak happens right when I hit the gas pedal as the weight starts to shift and then again when I come to a stop. I thought it might be the rear sway bar also, but that didn't do a thing. I have been living with the squeak, but think that it could be the rear trailing arm bushings.

By Mike B. on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 02:09 pm: Edit

Spray silicon (not WD-40) on all of the rubber bushings. If the squeaking goes away, then you have your answer.

Thanks,
Mike B.

By Marc on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 07:36 am: Edit

Thanks guys, but what I really want to know is what is the practical effect of removing one or both of the bars? Also, are there any safety concerns?

RollOver - I am leaning towards giving it a try, but want some more feedback first, because I can tell by looking that there is so much pull on those bushings (rear) that I will NEVER get the bar back on.

-Marc

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 08:08 am: Edit

Marc -

You can easily just disconnect the sway bar at the ball joint and swing it back towards the gas tank to give it a try. You don't have to disconnect the whole kit and caboodle if you don't want to. If you just want the benefits of no sway bar when you are off-road and want to retain the bar on the road, use disconnects.

The rear sway bar does not do as much work as the front, and I drove mine w/out the rear for a while. However, my logic is why remove something if you don't have to, especially if it does provide for better handling?

Check this out: http://www.discoweb.org/disconnects/

Also - what do you mean the busings are so tight? I have more lift and don't have this issue on the rear bar.

Tom

By peter matusov on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 08:22 am: Edit

- I didn't get any squeaks or any other problems after installing the OME HD springs
- I removed the front sway bar a few times for the trail ride, and was too lazy to put it back on immediately afterwards. Drove it for many miles on the mountain roads, with no adverse effects.
- regarding the removal of the front vs rear sway bars, I heard directly opposite opinions (as far as handling goes)
- in Colorado, i guess i maxed out the rear suspension travel a few times, and the rear sway bar tended to flip the links to the "up" position, not necessarily both of them, and stay there. Bugger caused me to disconnect and reconnect the rear sway bar three times.
- my rangie has no sway bars at all, leans a bit more than the disco in turns, but otherwise perfectly driveable.

peter

By Marc on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 09:29 am: Edit

Tom,

What I mean by saying the bushing is "tight" is that it is compressed by the bar pulling forward. So much so that the bushing is only about 1/4"-1/2" wide at the front, and there is a gap behind the bar (where the bar would normally go).

-Marc

By Matt Milbrandt (95discovery) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 10:08 am: Edit

I never had any squeaks associated with the rear sway bar after my RTE 3" lift, but my bushing was also "tight" so I took the bar off. I can hardly notice any difference at all and have never regretted taking the sway bar off.

Matt