Removed front sway bar,...

[lucas287]

I know this will be a controversial topic,...so have at it pundits! Also, this is not a recommendation to remove a device meant for safety. Do so at your own risk. 

 

I consider myself a smart guy. I'm mechanically inclined and analyze nearly every decision I make in life. I'm pragmatic too. And as a pragmatist I've been pondering why IFS (independent front suspension) equipped vehicles have sway bars. It seems counter-productive to me. You design something to articulate and absorb undulations and imperfections just to tie each side together with a sway bar, which is essentially just a spring. 50 years ago chassis and unibodies were garbage. They flexed a lot and definitely NEEDED sway bars as a bandaid. These days, we have incredibly stiff frames and chassis combined with electronics to keep you safe - see where I'm going?

 

There aren't many people on this forum that would say their K2XX trucks have a plush ride. The springs are pretty damn stiff right out of the box. Add a large diameter sway bar and you've increased the spring rate even more. There are dozens of threads out there on Tundra and Tacoma forums discussing removing their front sway bars and all the positive attributes, but not much discussion on the GM or Ford side. So, I figured I would pioneer this. After all, it's free and only took me 5 minutes to remove. 

 

Results?

 

I've driven about 30 miles so far and I LOVE it! Is there more body roll? Sure. As bad as I expected? Definitely not. The steering actually feels more natural now. Previously I never liked the artificial steering feel of this truck (nowhere near as bad as the over-assisted F150 setup). There was no apparent weight transfer when you turn the wheel going into a corner, slight curves, parking lots, etc.. It just felt numb. With the sway bar removed, the steering feels heavier and more natural. This is hard to describe, and, really, is just an added benefit. I primarily did this to see if my stiff ride settled down and it certainly accomplished that! Genuinely feels like a different truck. On the highway,... it feels rather unordinary, which is a good thing. Not much changed there. The real test is with a side wind and loaded down. I then drove down a country road that I grew up on and have driven thousands of times. I know that road very well and it hasn't been resurfaced in 20 years so it's gotten even rougher. I found myself FLYING down that road today, easily driving 50-55 when previously 45 is about I could handle. Exponentially smoother than before. And curves really don't feel THAT much different. These trucks have stiff springs already which is doing a lot of work in the turns. 

 

Side note: I already have a nice set of Koni shocks all the way around. They are low pressure twin tube by design, but I they have much better body control than the OE shocks. 

 

Is it less safe in an emergency maneuver? Probably. But sway bars don't prevent all rollovers either. Good driving does though! Not overreacting and actually paying attention and being a defensive driver are the biggest factors in safety. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by lucas287

[VanguardK2]

Interested to see how this effects alignment over time....

If I test this also I Might throw my truck on the alignment rack and then take mine off. If worst comes to worst, and a month or two long span wrecks the alignment ill throw it back on and get another alignment for a few beers and a McDonald's run...

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[lucas287]

My guess is that it would only change the alingment dynamically by simply allowing more suspension travel. Ride height was unaffected so statically nothing should've changed - right?

[M1ck3y]

Probably makes all the difference off-road, and high speed corners. Gm doesn't want people rolling their trucks.

 

I can vouch for high speed corners. The sway bar saved me from myself. 

[lucas287]

Offroad and sway bars couldn't be more antithetical. 

[M1ck3y]

1 hour ago, lucas287 said:

Offroad and sway bars couldn't be more antithetical. 

Not if your trying to control body lean in a truck that already does it excessively (at least mine does). A stock truck is obviously limited in what it can do off-road and people do stupid things. A properly tuned sway bar will balance vehicle weight from front to rear, and limit twisting and leaning side to side. It keeps the vehicle stable for its intended purpose. If you get rid of that stability your allowing the transfer weight it obviously wasn't designed for.

 

But maybe your higher quality shocks are all that's needed. A question gm would have to answer. 

 

https://4wheelsandamotor.com/suspension/how-to-sway-bar-uses-and-benefits/

Edited October 14, 2020 by M1ck3y

[Mozzer]

Sway bars are a trade off, trading independent suspension travel for less roll/lean in a corner.

We used to remove anti roll bars (sway bars) from our rally cars for forestry rallies to keep the wheels on the ground over rough roads. Put them back in for circuit / tarmac events where body roll was more important.


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[lucas287]

Still feels good to me. Definitely smoother! The weight transfer on initial takeoff is addicting now. The grunt of the 6.2 has always felt good, but now it really digs and pulls the front end a bit on launch. 

 

Rotating back in at the office now so I got 20 miles of highway. I'm trying to be hyperaware of little details and it MIGHT feel like it wanders a bit now instead of tracking straight. I'm driving to Waco via I-35 tomorrow afternoon so that'll be the real test. 

Edited October 15, 2020 by lucas287

[306K5]

Have you kept the swaybar off? I was going to order custom king coilovers to cure my rough ride. My 2014 single cab truck is only used for 30mph trips to work in the winter months. It's rough enough where I don't enjoy the truck. It's starting to seem silly to spend $2000 + on coil overs for a secondary vehicle. 

 

I may try removed the swaybar. I would like a lower spring rate, but other than Viking shocks/coils.. everything is $1600++ 

[pokismoki]

i found for city driving the oversized  helwig front and rear sway bars are Amazing for improved handling.  yeah offroad is stiff and harsh, but fire trails is OK,  thats why i have a dirtbike for offroading, the truck hauls the gear to the campsite , unload your offroad stuff and your off having fun problem solved

 

i would say if you want to learn how to road race , autocross, then yes take the sway bars off and you'll learn how to make a car handle at highspeeds properly, then re-install the bars and you'll drive like a champion

[Grumpy Bear]

Any updates on this project?

Edited January 19, 2022 by Grumpy Bear