How important is the stabilizer bar disconnect?

[FTBronco9]

Ok, so I’m pretty much new to the idea of off roading/rock crawling/trail riding. The only limited experience I’ve had has been in the sand/desert. Now, with that being said. How important will the stabar disco be? I plan to still go to the desert but also want to go on trails and do mild rock crawling. Nothing that’s going to damage or hopefully not damage my $60k Bronco. All the videos we’ve seen of the Broncos being tested in Moab and even as recently as the qualifier run at KoH; would all that require the stabar disco? I’m currently ordering a WT, so will I be able to add this aftermarket if necessary? Thanks in advance for the answers.

Sponsored

 

[Philly]

The hydraulic disconnect will be very nice to have, but it shouldn't be too difficult to do manually. If you are going to manually disconnect, you're going to want to do it on flat ground prior to entering the trail, and you probably won't be able to reconnect until you are back on flat ground.

@indio22 brings up a good point about not knowing how IFS will handle in all situations, but I would say if you are under 20mph (the point where the sway bar would reengage) for the type of driving you are doing, then go ahead and disconnect at the trailhead. If you are planning on going fast for the entire trail or you're doing some desert running, I wouldn't worry about it.

You don't HAVE to disconnect ever, but it makes things much more comfortable on even mild trails. Do it once in a Jeep and you will know exactly what I mean. It won't be an exact comparison because the Bronco is IFS, but it will give you an idea of the difference.

 

[Newbie]

Baja mode!

 

[Silver-Bolt]

It's not important at all. It can be done with simple hand tools in less than 5 minutes. On the Raptor many have ditched the sway bar altogether.

 

[Toccoa]

How else are you gonna park?

 

[Benzo]

From an old post when we first reserved our broncos. Search for "Stabilizer Bar Disconnect in Action". You can always save the $ and do it manually but as others noted, do it at the start of the trail.

 

[Sampsonrustic]

totally irrelevant for 95% of buyers

 

[Thane]

IFS in the FJ with sway bar entirely removed 24/7, runs great on washboards, just fine at freeway speeds and greatest articulation alway available over obstacles. Increased spring rate helps reduce on street roll. Lifted vehicles already handle like boats, if your a racer automatic disconnects may be better for you... never see dirt you don't need it.

Biggest unknown is if you play in the rocks a lot and want the sway bar with disconnect gone you will end up with a dead "Hero Switch" and an unhappy computer that may treat you to a light show.

 

[Hey19]

How else are you gonna park?

Mall crawling at its best

 

[BossMann]

For me? Very....


For many others? Not very....

 

[Halfsmoke00]

I wonder what the cost would be to get it as a DIO?

 

[Philly]

I wonder what the cost would be to get it as a DIO?

It’s probably not worth it. I looked into it on my JKU, but the cost was in the thousands and a set of manual quick disconnects is probably less than $100. A lot of the higher end Jeep lift kits even come with quick disconnects.

If you must add it afterwards, I would try and find a totaled Badlands or First Edition to pull it from. They will be hard to come by though. People scoop up front axles and sway bars from totaled Rubicon’s quickly.

 

[Gamecock]

It’s important to me...I’m sold on it. It’s a pain to disconnect and reconnect IFS swaybars. It’s hard to even find manual disconnects for Rangers and Tacomas, making me skeptical about them being readily available for Bronco, and I want a swaybar for the street, so I’m not taking it off. It’s worth it.

 

[Rick Astley]

There is also some reasonable information in this thread before it devolves into two forum members measuring the Johnson of their offroad experience.

The article linked is quite good for those new to off-roading and also discusses the sway bar disconnect.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...-in-having-independent-front-suspension.3859/

 

[Ed Morris]

My thinking is that I'll have to get out of the vehicle to air down the tires at the start of any serious trail anyway, so wouldn't that be a good time to manually disconnect the swaybar? I'd still prefer the electronic disconnect, of course, but a manual disconnect doesn't seem like it would be that much less convenient.

Sponsored