I have read that disconneting your front swaybar will help with launch by transferring weight to the rear better and improve 60 foot times.

I don't see how this is possible. Since the swaybar is floating there is no resistance in the bar if both sides try to lift at the same time. I can see how they work cornering but not with launch on a straight track. And, on top of that, if the truck should get out of shape on the big end, I sure would like to have the swaybar intact.

What am I missing, anything?

Tim

 

Wont it allow the front to lift more if you take it off?? And how much does it weigh?? I never took mine off but I am guessing...??

 

It weighs about 40lbs.And for whatever reson it does help with weight transfer.
As far as handling concerns I took mine off [of my previous "L"] just for a trip to the track,with all intentions of putting it back on the next day,and never did!It relly didn't affect handling that much.Then again I don't Auto - X or anything.
Hope this helps!

 

Chickenears,

Remember that the swaybar pivots on the two attachment points on the frame. The movement of the control arms moves the swaybar through the endlinks. This pivot movement moves in an arc. The swaybar will only allow the suspension to travel a certain amount -common to both sides of the bar- before the endlink deflection mecahnically halts (or at least severely hinders) the travel of the bar. Remember when you jacked your truck up to change the endlinks? Did you notice that the control arm dropped when you unbolted the endlinks? It did. Now the only thing stopping the control arm movement is the shock, and of course the upper control arm.

Removing the swaybar can help a vehicle that doesn't transfer weight well, but doing this isn't necessarily a cure-all for all vehicles. The energy it takes to lift the front of the car higher and keep it there longer is better spent accelerating the vehicle. I've run vehicles with and without the front swaybars, and honestly it's an insignificant improvement. But it looks cool.
You are better off with axle locators (link-type rear ends), and drag specific components (like springs/shocks/tires) if launching hard is what you are after.

Hope this info helps. . .

 

WEll, I took mine off at WFC and didn't help a bit. It does let the front of your truck lift up though. I am sure on the faster Lightnings it would help, but to me it hasn't yet.

 

No matter what they say, IT WORKS!

 

Took mine off for first time yesterday at WFC5 (thanks for the assistance Jason!). For one, dat Sum b!tch is HEAVY. However, it didn't "help" at all.

Only a guess but the less resistance on the control arms allows for better weight transfer.


It doesn't get crazy on the top end, just had a bit of body roll when turning off the track.

reinstalled it for the four hour return trip.

 

When I loosened the swaybar endlinks, I don't remember the control arms dropping any but then again maybe they did and I just didn't notice.

If this is true, the front of the truck could lift more but by how much?

 

Mine came up quite a bit, 5-6 inches. Kind of cool. If I get my exhaust, 3.73 gears, 4lb lower, traction bars, Accufab TB, and an electric fan and new water pump, I may be able to get the front wheels off the ground. Now that would be cool.



But since I am lacking the funds to do all that right now, I guess it will have to wait till next year.

 

I'm gonna say no you won't

--Joe

 

Most people don't notice the arms drop, because the shocks are still attached, so they don't drop very rapidly, they kinda just drift downward slowly. This is why you always have to jack up the lower control arm (or lower the car off the jacks and set it on the ground) to re-install the endlinks.

The front can potentially lift until the components bind in their travel arcs. Usually 3-4" on a car . . .5-7" on a truck. Again- think about how much power it takes to jack up a heavy vehicle and keep it 9" off the ground for 15 feet. If that power is lifting your front end, it's not accelerating your truck. I don't think I can ever remember John Force yanking his tires a foot off the ground. True he has wheelie bars, but the idea is to keep the front end down, but transfer the force to the rear wheels.
The normal amount of suspension travel will allow you to transfer the weight, but the mecahnical stops will keep you from wasting the forces by 'lifting' the front end and allow it to be transferred through the chassis more effectively. You want to transfer the weight quickly- hense the creation of the drag shock. Capiche?

Bottom line PROS: Your truck will be lighter. Your ET's could improve .04 seconds because of the weight savings and acceleration will also improve because it's easier to move a lighter vehicle. It looks cool to jerk the front end up on a launch.
How much of the improvement is based on the lifting of the front end is a source of debate.

Bottom line CONS: Your truck will handle like a whale. Also, swaybars effect more than just roll stiffness. They also distribute loads (like those generated by braking and accelerating). So to that end there may be a safety concern with a vehicle this heavy at 105 mph. It's a pain to drop a swaybar at the track. Lifting the vehicle beyond it's normal range is tough on the other suspension components- like shocks. You run the risk of bending/wrinkling body panels or even popping a windshield out. Don't laugh- I lost a windshield at Portland International Raceway at a Mustang vs. Grand National Shootout. I also put one hell of a wrinkle in the right-rear quarter panel.

Be careful man.

 

Both sides jacked or just one side?

Spike

 

Good question, Spike. I'm pretty sure I had both sides jacked up and both end links removed at the same time.

Is there a limit on how far the swaybar will move up or down, given that both end links were removed at the same time? I mean, is there a stop or something restricting how far the swaybar can travel?

Giving it further thought; wouldn't the shortened swaybar end links limit front end lift and shock extension due to working in an arc, (the arc can only travel so far) especially given the shortness of the end links?

Tim

 

Yup.

I think you have the idea. It's tough to understand the concept, and it's tougher to explain. . .I'm glad you get it.
Understand that you lowered your suspension, raised the spring rate, installed shorter endlinks & stiffer shocks to resist suspension movement/travel and body roll, right? Yes, the shorter endlinks will reduce the amount of travel that the swaybar can tolerate, but you also put the swaybar travel arc into a more correct and effective window of operation to help handling. The limiting factor is not the swaybar, because if you unhook the links, it should rotate in a full circle about the mount bushings. The lower control arms move in an arc about their mount bushing axis, too. Normally (with the stock components/geometry/alignment) their is quite a bit of range in which all these arcs intersect and can articulate with each other without bind or contradiction- like I said before, about 5". But altering any components/geometry/alignment can and will change these relationship 'windows'.
You can't have the best of both worlds. Long travel suspensions with soft spring rates and no roll control don't fare to well at Sears Point. But then again, Tommy Kendal's Trans-Am car probably couldn't drag launch it's way out of a paper bag. Know what I mean?

Spike- I assumed that Chickenears lifted both front tires off the ground. Although the control arm should drop regardless once the endlink is unfastened. It should drop alot less if both tires are off the ground, because both tires would be 'hanging' the same amount- the lower/outside limit of the interaction window between the swaybar and the control arm.

Chickenears- I know how you feel. For the last three years I've been 'learning' about suspension interactions and types. I can't learn enough. Just when I think I have a handle on it. . .along comes a different thing to learn (that effects everything else). But the cool thing is that you ask the questions and have a desire to learn. That's a rare quality, indeed. Now if we can just get the damn RABBIT to be the same way. . . . . .

Later,

 

That rabbit can't learn chit!

Thanks,

Tim