By Sway bars (aka anti-roll bars, anti-sway bars) play a critical role in tuning the stability of a vehicle. They act as a spring linked between the left and right side suspension systems of a car, helping to plant and level the vehicle as it rides through a corner. But how?
What are Sway Bars?
When a vehicle (especially a heavy one) goes around a corner, inertia pulls the body away from the apex of the turn. This is called body roll. Besides pulling the outside tires down into the pavement, it pulls the inside tires up, lessening their contact with the road. This can induce oversteer and understeer depending on the vehicle’s weight distribution. In some serious cases, it can even cause the vehicle to spin out. Sway bars (aka anti-sway bars, anti-roll bars) work as a lateral brace between the left and right side of a car. The front and rear swaybars attach with links to the wheel hubs, and use torsional stiffness to keep the vehicle as close to level over its axles as possible. This allows the outside wheels to force the body and the inside wheels back down towards the ground. Performance sway bars are usually both thicker and lighter than the OEM parts. The best sway bars are made by companies like Eibach, Hotchkis, Hellwig, and Whiteline.
Adjustable End Links
Aftermarket sway bar kits often include adjustable end links to further fine-tune the handling characteristics of your car. Lowering your car on springs or coilovers, puts preload on the factory sway bars and end links. By changing both the length of the sway bar end links and their mounting points, you can change how loose or tight your car performs under body roll.
Bushings
What good is a fancy new suspension setup if you’re stuck with squeaky old factory bushings? Replacement front and rear bushings improve the fit and finish of any sway bar upgrade.
New bushings are often made of polyurethane rather than standard rubber, keeping things quiet under hard cornering and bumps while still staying firm.
Sway Bar Locks
No, these aren’t so people don’t steal your sway bars. They’re so your sway bars don’t try to run away! Many companies will weld stops into their sway bars to keep them from sliding to the left and right inside their bushings. Some companies, like Whiteline, use machined aluminum lateral locks that clamp onto your sway bar. They go right up against the bushings, preventing a loss of torsional stiffness and offering another level of adjustability.
Sway Bar Disconnects
It may seem counterproductive, but sway bar disconnects do exactly what you might think: they disconnect your sway bars. On the road, sway bars are useful. They keep the vehicle planted around corners, making sure there isn’t too much flex between the left and right wheels. Off-road, you want as much flex as possible so your wheels can be on the ground more of the time. Disconnecting the sway bars frees your suspension to move up and down as far as it physically can. This offers completely independent motion between the left and right sides of the car. A sway bar disconnect is a connection that allows you to quickly release or replace the sway bar. That way you can get to your off-roading destination safely, and then have all the suspension flex you need to go anywhere.
Well, all this sounds great! Where can I get some?
Chassis reinforcement is a huge upgrade for the handling of your vehicle, whether it’s strut tower braces or sway bars. Sway bars offer a whole new world of adjustability, and help you make your ride handle exactly like you want it to. If you’re looking for new sway bars, end links, bushings, or any other suspension goodies, check out the Motoroso Marketplace! There are tons of parts for your car or truck, and more are being added all the time. If you’re curious about how to install sway bars on your vehicle, take a look at the Motoroso YouTube channel, where we’re uploading install guides, build showcases, and more!
