Disconnecting sway bar links
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SnowBlazer
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If you disco the emdlinks, you'll obviously need to remove the sway bar(s) completly. Depends on your driving really. Without them, you will get sway on the highway. I am looking at Suspension Maxx endlinks as the Mevotechs I put on two months ago at most, are already failing. The Suspension Maxx links are all metal and don't utilize the ball joint design. They are triple the price but will probobly at least have triple the lifespan.
Mounce
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SnowBlazer
Member
djthumper
Administrator
Quick disconnects can easily be made. I don't think they can be bought for the GMT360. Go to offroadtb.com they have an article over there on how to make them.
SnowBlazer
Member
Yea looks like you need parts from Mark MC though. It's not as simple as a quick Home Depot run.
http://forums.offroadtb.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1695&start=100
djthumper
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SnowBlazer
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HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
- Nov 18, 2011
- 49,665
A. You do not need to remove the swaybars.
B.Smaxx fail like any others. They are rebuild-able though. That was their gimmick. If you want some to last, go with stock or build your own.
Yea looks like you need parts from Mark MC though. It's not as simple as a quick Home Depot run.
http://forums.offroadtb.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1695&start=100
False again. MarkMC does not sell the parts for quick disconnects. No vendor sells the specific parts. I built a couple sets for people and sold them, but the parts need to be sourced from places like TSC, or Fastenal or McMaster-Carr.
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The ones I made and run on my front end... They do not use pins, but just simplely bolt on and off to avoid some of the rattles of quick disconnects. Have served me well and are cheap to build.
Here is the info on building some that Mr. Barton shared a few years back.
by bartonmd » Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:15 am
This is copied from an email where I told someone how to make them, some time ago:
MCMaster Carr:
(4) 4444T231 (Steel Ball Joint Rod End with Grease Fitting 1/2"-20 RH Fem Shank, 1/2" Ball ID, 1-1/16" L Thrd)
(1) 98957A809 (ASTM A193 Grade B7 Alloy Steel Threaded Rod Plain Finish, 1/2"-20 Thread, 2' Length)
Local auto parts store:
(4) 1/2-20 lug nuts that use a 3/4" wrench
Local hardware store (or Fastenal, or McMaster, if you don't have a good one close)
(4) 1/2-20 x 3.5" long bolts, grade 8
(4) 1/2-20 prevailing torque nuts (nuts with a crimp on one side, so you can't put them on by hand. They take a wrench the whole way.)
(8) 1/2" grade 8 lock washers
(4) 3/16" tractor pins (the kind with the ring that flips around to hold them in place)
So, you cut the all-thread and put it into the heims at whatever length works for your setup (I usually go ~1-1.5" or so longer than stock). The heims are done.
Onto the bolts... While there's still a bolt head put the lug nuts on tight to the end of the threads, with the taper pointing toward the non-threaded part of the bolt. Then cut off the bolt head, and clean the cut up.
Next, stick the bolt in a vice on the drill press, and drill a hair bigger than a 3/16" hole ~3/8" from the freshly cut end.
Now, you just put it all together. The order goes, from the cut end:
- cut end
- tractor pin
- lock washer (this just spreads the load out. Pins seem to bend on occasion without the washer there)
- heim
- lug nut
- mounting flange on the control arm
- lock washer
- prevailing torque nut
Somewhat like this, except with female heims and only 1 lock washer where the nuts go:
paul2005tb
Member
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
- Nov 18, 2011
- 49,665
Rollover. Hit a bus full of nuns and children killing them all in the ensuing fireball.
But I drove with no sway bars links for 6 months when I sent my stocks off to have some custom made quick disco's way back in the early days of my TB build. I drove through dry, snow, and ice with no issue other than a bit of sway. Just dont drive like a d-bag and its fine. Some guys have deleted front and rear.
I still have the rear links and bar in the garage at this point. I cant tell a huge difference with it on or off like I could with removing the front for awhile. The front seems to do most of the work on our platform.
But I drove with no sway bars links for 6 months when I sent my stocks off to have some custom made quick disco's way back in the early days of my TB build. I drove through dry, snow, and ice with no issue other than a bit of sway. Just dont drive like a d-bag and its fine. Some guys have deleted front and rear.
I still have the rear links and bar in the garage at this point. I cant tell a huge difference with it on or off like I could with removing the front for awhile. The front seems to do most of the work on our platform.
My GF has been DD'ing my Trailblazer with no sway bar's for two month's now, and I know she drive's too damn fast, but she doesn't even know she doesn't have sway bar's lol.