Articulation vs Sway Bar

[Trail_Wagon]

The YouTube algorithm thought I needed to see this video. Actually a pretty interesting visualization of how the front and rear react with each other. Although he's a Toyota guy, the principles will be the same across any platform.

What do you guys think?

 

[Lumpskie]

His results align with my general experience. On my Toyotas (IFS and solid front axle), I've always run a swaybar in the rear but not the front. That's why you fancy Power Wagon guys get your front swaybar disconnect. You can run it on the road and get the balanced articulation off road.

Here's my diesel with the front swaybar on (and stock front radius arms) (Climbed 16.5 vertical inches)

Here it is without a swaybar (and 1 articulink) (Climbed 24.5 vertical inches)

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Yup front swaybars are useless for most people thats why i have been removing them in every truck and jeep i have owned over the last 30 years

 

[UglyViking]

His results align with my general experience. On my Toyotas (IFS and solid front axle), I've always run a swaybar in the rear but not the front. That's why you fancy Power Wagon guys get your front swaybar disconnect. You can run it on the road and get the balanced articulation off road.

Here's my diesel with the front swaybar on (and stock front radius arms) (Climbed 16.5 vertical inches)

Here it is without a swaybar (and 1 articulink) (Climbed 24.5 vertical inches)

Did you ever try a ramp with the rear removed as well?

For what it's worth, I figured that for sure there is no way that keeping the rear swaybar on a solid axle truck would be worse, and then I watched a video of a guy with a 4 door wrangler do an RTI ramp and he got like 17" less travel with the rear disconnected.

Sorcery!

 

[Lumpskie]

Did you ever try a ramp with the rear removed as well?

For what it's worth, I figured that for sure there is no way that keeping the rear swaybar on a solid axle truck would be worse, and then I watched a video of a guy with a 4 door wrangler do an RTI ramp and he got like 17" less travel with the rear disconnected.

Sorcery!

I never did try in with the rear removed... but I believe you. In my experience, getting the front to articulate (in a radius arm setup) is kind of hard. So, using that rear to force the front to create balance in the articulation (keeping the CG close to center rather than off to the side, laterally) seems to be the way to go. Once the truck leans (when the rear articulates more than the front) the CG gets too far off to the side and the truck wants to tip rather than flex. At that point, our rigs are no better than the new Land Rover, haha.