On/off stabiliser switch in mu

[mudgrip4]

Away on West Coast trip this week and noticed a friend's 92 Mu has a switch to engage or disengage stabiliser (sway) bars. Down beside gear stick. Owner noted travel over rough country much easier with bars disengaged.

Very useful idea. Just wondering how this works - hrdraulic or electrical etc and in particular whether such a system could be bought off a wreck and perhaps adapted/fitted to my 88 Bighorn. Is this a common option? Have no idea of compatibility of 92 3.1 sway bar system to 2.8 bighorn but I sure like the idea. A little like the sway bar release in Safaris though beam axle Nissan would articulate further.

Appreciate any comment/experiences on this. And by the way - if anyone is doing the West Coast tracks - remember to do Cathedral Caves (also known as Napoleon Hill) by Reefton. Astonishing trip - superb scenery and track travels underground following a river through caves. 3rd time I've done it and still a primo outdoor experience. About grade 3.

Perhaps we should gather a few of these Wellingtonians and Timaru/Otago folk and do an Isuzu long weekend there sometime

Mike

[mulover]

This must be an otional extra as my mu doesn't have it and i have never seen one with it. The componets shouldn't be that different, if they don't bolt straight on then it should be easy enough to modifiy. Could you please let me know any more details you can find out as i would really like this for my truck!!!

You may even get a southern mu on this long weekend trip, i'd be keen to do a trip up the west coast in a month or 2!!!, As long as its not Waitangi weekend!!!

[geeves]

Some of the lotus model 3.1 bighorns had this but I belive it only acted on the rear sway bar which mus dont have. Send us pictures as its interesting esspecialy if its an easy mod.Otherwise its back to manual disconects a good example is pictured on jameses website

[mudgrip4]

Oops - you've just reminded of a fairly important point - the model on the trip with the push button sway bar disconnect was in fact the 92 3.1 bighorn swb. Sorry about that mild **** up. Still am mighty interested in the system - did not know sway bars were fitted to the rear of some models. Certainly articulation on rear axle of 2.8 bighorn and some mus I've seen has been v good.

Question is whether system is front or rear and if front how easy to adapt. Appreciate any advice from 3.1 owners - and will also make some enquiries with local Chch Isuzu dealers.

Mike

[Roger]

I believe that coil sprung rears have sway bars. I know Jackaroo's here are coil rear, so I assume that the SWB ones have the same rear setup.
MU being leaf springs doesn't have the sway bar.

I might be wrong.
Cheers

[geeves]

That sound about right. If you do an internet search on sway bar disconect you will get several good ideas on removable pin type disconects The 2 best I have seen are James from chch and one off a usa sight for a surf. Some people have just remved the front sway bar and found little differance on road but measureable differance off road. To go this way might upset youe wof man and insurance co though

[mulover]

I have a steel winch bar with 8000 pound winch on the front of mine and with the rancho rs9000's turned up to nine it handles fine, a bit of roll but no lurches, and thats with the rear suspension stuffed!! the wof man has never said anything and my insurance company isn't bothered!!

[geeves]

The wof man quite often choses not to see things that although safe are not quite legal ie needing lov cert but obviously up to the req standard or the cert is only going to be a $400 rubber stamp.
Insurance co though will use this against you even if they know about it should the opertunity arise.

[mulover]

It really sucks doesn't it!!! you tell them, they say its only for theft that they want to know but when you wanna claim they will laugh at you!! Hence my truck will be certified by the end of the year hopefully !!!!!?

[mudgrip4]

Spoke with the owner of the 92 swb bighorn with the on/off stabiliser bar switch. The switch does control sway bars fitted to rear of this truck. It is apparently operated by some kind of electrical vacuum system - but unaware how this works. Would be good idea if some more mechanically able bods took a look at the system on that model - when you can find one - to see if it could be adapted to our front end setup for mu/bighorn. Would be a most welcome addition.

Mike

[geeves]

Best setup for ease of use Ive seen was basicaly a modified watts linkage. (the arm between the sway bar and lower arm) At the top the collar that the lower rubber bush was replaced with a pin and washer. This was done both sides. Simply remove the pin and the sway bar could float the full lenght of the watts linkage which is more than enough for the requirements. At the end of the day push the bar up and replace pin. This design means that the sway bar cant snag the tyres as has happened in some designs which can be a little embarising.
To see how much gain you actualy get just remove the watts linkage on one side and try it.

[mulover]

Had a yarn to my local wrecker and he recons they have only done 2 bighorns with this system and they have wrecked alot of bighorns!! Said they are as common as hens teeth. I think i'll just stick to no sway bars and have fun around corners unless the cert man tells me to put them back on!!!

[James W]

Funnily enough I was looking at a very simular system on a mates 4WD today and I was thinking I gotta look some more into that. However it was on a Safari.... I must give a wrecker a call and see what they are worth, either that or just use it for ideas and fab my own.

[Amber]

My dads 93 3.1td bighorn has a factory fitted sway bar disconnect on the rear operated by a button in the front. It is electric and you can hear it operating when you push the button. It makes a heap of difference to the cornering but haven't tried it off road yet.