Bigwig disconnect?

[TxGearhead]

I've heard it mentioned that for off-roading you should disconnect the anti-sway bar to allow the for side to side/ up down axle movement. I'm wondering if I disconnect mine would it improve the ride over rough city streets. How far do you disconnect? I assume back off the jam nuts. But how far, and does it slam around and damage the rubber snubbers?

[TxGearhead]

I'll jack around with air pressures. Hopefully in a couple months it won't seem so bad. I'm good on state highways and interstates, just the usual around town bumps and holes are painfull.

[Reddog1]

This could get pricy, but there are a couple of other ways to get the soft ride.

1 Go to a spring shop and explain your situation. You would want them to soften your main spring pack. Softer springs or remove leafs. Then they would need to beef up your overload springs. Probably the lower spring.

2 As in number 1, soften the main spring pack. Then add airbags to your existing overload springs.

3 Have a suspension seat installed in your truck.

Personally, I favor number 2. That is the way my '96 2500 Dodge was set up when I bought it. It had an aftermarket overload spring I replaced with airbags. It rode great empty. I decided I wanted less squat with my 4000 lb TC loaded. I had one leaf added to the spring pack. It reduced the squat by one inch, and definitely rode like a truck. I made that same mistake years ago, you would think I learned bett, but I did not.

Wayne

[TxGearhead]

I may be stretching the effect the sway bar has on smaller elevation changes. The rear of the truck felt really "locked down" and seemed very harsh on city street bumps.
I had back surgery August 21 and our local small town streets are beating me up pretty good. I just didn't remember the truck being so rough riding before the surgery. But, I had a month of not driving it. I've backed the rear pressure down to the high 50's and it helped some. A couple days ago I aired them down to 50 and backed off the fronts to 60. It helped a lot. I'll keep tweaking it. I'll watch the edges of the tires for wear.

[Reddog1]

TxGearhead wrote:
Yeah I figured about as much. I've taken unloaded rear pressure down to 58 and it helped a little. I'll back off a little more.
You know how they repair a 12" deep pothole....fill it with 18" of asphalt and create a 6" bump.

Are you sure those are not speed bumps? :B Sorry TxGearhead, I just had to say that.

I reading this post again, I realized I misunderstood before. I though you were hitting holes. Now that I understand it is bumps, you can do a simple test. Disconnect one side of your sway bar. Drive over a speed bump at a slight angle. Connect the sway bar and go over the same speed bump at the same angle. The faster go, the more you will be determined to leave the sway bar connected.

[DWeikert]

Are these the kinds of "roads" you'll be traveling?
Youtube:The Reason Why You Disconnect Your Front Sway Bar.

Another example

[Reddog1]

What are you trying to solve disabling the sway bar? All it does in this application is reduce sway. If you were going off road it could limit the the wheel drop. Do you think the road is so rough the OP needs more wheel drop?

[stevenal]

TxGearhead wrote:
I assume back off the jam nuts. But how far, and does it slam around and damage the rubber snubbers?

Yes it would. I would remove the nut and bolt completely on one side, and swing the link on that side up and out of the way.

[towpro]

Try 35 PSI in the rear. I had a 98 ram 2500 I used to run even less (around 28) in the back just so the center of the tires would not go bald as I ran empty every day as a daily driver.
Tire Pressure by weight chart.

as far as sway bar, you only need to disconnect one side.

[Reddog1]

I think you will find disconnecting the sway bar will have no noticeable effect on the rough roads you describe. I have a Samurai for off road. It has no sway bar. A swaybar would limit wheel travel, but would have no effect on bumps. You might find a difference with soft springs and shocks, but I really think the only practical solution is to drive slower.

Wayne

[TxGearhead]

Yeah I figured about as much. I've taken unloaded rear pressure down to 58 and it helped a little. I'll back off a little more.
You know how they repair a 12" deep pothole....fill it with 18" of asphalt and create a 6" bump.

[Grit_dog]

I would say the difference would be negligible just on rough roads, but it’s an easy experiment
Just loosen them up or even remove the bottom nuts and hang the sway bar with some wire or rope for a test drive.
Biggest bang for your buck is proper tire pressure if you haven’t already done that.
Emtpy truck, 35-45psi rear and 50-55 front on stock size tires will soften up those manholes and bumps a bit.