By: Harry Wagner

The idea behind this Comanche project is to make a vehicle that is capable on the trail without sacrificing too much in terms of daily driving, reliability, or versatility. Another prime motivation is getting the most bang for my buck, since I already have a dedicated trail rig that gobbles up funds almost as quickly as rocks. Since I currently have open differentials, keeping the tires in contact with the ground is critical. An easy way to gain articulation is to disconnect the front sway bar.

The new sway bar end links are considerably longer than stock.

Due to budget considerations, I originally planned to just use the stock sway bar end links after installation a Tuff Country 3 ½” suspension lift. Tuff Country offers sway bars as an option to keep the prices of their lift kits competitive and allow each customer to only purchase the items that they need. After installing the suspension lift it was clear that extended sway bar end links were necessary for my application, as evidence by the picture to the right.

A quick call to Suspension Connection and a set of extended sway bar disconnects were on their way. The disconnects arrived quickly and well packaged. When I opened the box I was impressed by the quality of the product, sway bar disconnects have come a long way! Several years ago I had a set of disconnects from a well known company that required two pins to be taken out from each disconnect and the tube between the two ends removed for use off road. Reconnecting these disconnects was always a chore, as the vehicle needed to be articulated in order for each side to be installed. By contrast, these new disconnects from Tuff Country slide off of the lower mount as one whole unit and rotate up out of the way. This is all made possible through a hourglass shaped lower bushing that allows a high degree of mobility. Details like grease zerks and straps to keep the disconnects out of harm's way illustrate the great attention to detail.

These are the parts that were shipped out. Note that the disconnect is asymmetrical.

Clearance between the steering stabilizer and end link is tight.

Installing the disconnects was as simple are removing the old pieces and installing the new end links. The included instructions were very detailed with regards to direction of the disconnects, as they are asymmetrical. As easy as the installation is, I did hit a few snags. A large torx socket is needed to remove the stock end links. Lacking this tool, I used a pair of vise grips, however if you live in an environment where rust is an issue, you may not have this luxury. The other issue I encountered was clearance around the passenger side disconnect was limited by the steering stabilizer. I was anticipating this issue, as it was previous addressed on 4x4Wire's Project Skymiles. I believe that by disconnecting just the driver side sway bar disconnect I should be able to relieve enough bind in the sway bar to allow for improved articulation. For the time being, improved articulation is more of a curse than a blessing, as it results in severe tire rubbing. Check back in the near future to see how I address these issues to make the Project Comanche even more capable on the trail without further affecting ride height and suspension geometry.

| 4X4Wire | Site Index | Links Index | Search 4x4Wire | | Trail Talk BBS | Events Calendar | Photo Galleries | | Advertiser's Guide | Information | About Us | Please support 4x4Wire by visiting our featured sponsors TreadLightly UFWDA

This site and all original materials contained herein are Copyright © 1999 - 2008 by OutdoorWire, Inc.. -- All Rights Reserved.
The use of this website, OutdoorWire, or any of its publications or services is subject to the terms of use agreement.
You may link freely to this site, but no further use is allowed without the express written permission of the owner of this material.
All corporate trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This publication and OutdoorWire, Inc. assume no liability for your use of the material contained within this site.
OutdoorWire, 4x4Wire, SUVWire, JeepWire are all trademarks and publications of OutdoorWire, Inc.