95 Bighorn sway bar quick disconnects

[billyvanboheman]

Has any one built a quick disconnect set up for the sway bar on the front of a 95 Bighorn?

I have plans for the build on my 89 Bighorn but the 95 has a different set up.

Here is the picture of the set up on the 95



Yip I know the CV boots knacked by the way, that's next weekends job!!

And here is the 89 set up, it is just about the same as the MU set up, so I have robbed a set of plans for one of them to build the one for this.





I know the obvious is just to unbolt at the bottom, but I don't want it swinging around while off road, and want to be able to quickly reattach once I'm back on the road.

Cheers in advance.

[James W]

In many ways the 95 swap bar set up would be better. I have often thought about improvements to the other set up and those ideas would carry accross to the 95 easily and even better. I would cut the link in half and weld on one half say some 20mm rod, drilled to suit the link.... make it telescopic basicily. Then simply add a pin. An even betetr idea would be a spring loaded pin/latch so when back on road you drive and when aligned again the pin/latch springs into place. I can whip up a sketch if it doesn't make sense. It is low tech and simple, and allows the things I want but can't fit in the other deisgn.... If you need help I have the steel and lathe to do the job.

[billyvanboheman]

A sketch of what your plan is sounds like a good idea,I think I follow you but best to confirm. I have a mate who also can do the lathe work for me, but he's in Mayfield so I have to plane a weekend trip down there to do the work!

Cheers

Alex

[James W]

I was thinking something like this. If for the locking pin you use a latching spring loaded one re-latching for on road use will be easy. That is spring loaded to lock, simply drive and while driving it will telescope up and down and the spring will drive in the pin when aligned. Latched while un-locked.

Make the rod so link is sliding fit inside. Make the length so as long as possible but the locked length the same as orignal uncut link.
The pin hole will need some lead in or taper for the pin to easily align.

Something like this;
www.monroeengineering.com/pins/page193.htm

otherwise you could manualy pin with a 'R' clip

[billyvanboheman]

Cheers for the ideas Mr James W, I think I will have a go at that.

I might see if I can pick up a second hand pair to modify while leaving the standards in place.

I take it Mr WOF man wont like the idea if it's not certed?

Cheers

Alex

[billyvanboheman]

Scrub the getting a couple of second hand ones to play with, that adds an extra $90.00 to the job

I think I will just bite the bullet and do it.

[Roger]

My MU has the same set up as the top picture, so I'm interested to see how you go.

I read somewhere a few years back on another forum of a guy that made disconnects for his Rodeo. What he did was cut the sway bar in the middle (i think) and weld 2 small plates at 90 degrees to the bar on both sides of the cut. These were drilled and a bolt or pin tightened through there to secure the bar together. When he would go off road he would take out that bolt and the sway bar would be independant on both sides.

I think thats how it worked.

[James W]

"I read somewhere a few years back on another forum of a guy that made disconnects for his Rodeo. What he did was cut the sway bar in the middle (i think) and weld 2 small plates at 90 degrees to the bar"

Yes, a good idea, that I had seen before and forgoten about, but the catch is welding could be tricky as the sway bar is a torsional spring... of course made from spring steel...but with a little refinement it may even be a better idea. With only one pin/locking mechnasim is has an advantage. With a little refinement such as a spring loaded pin it could be a very good idea

[nig]

jamesw said:

"I read somewhere a few years back on another forum of a guy that made disconnects for his Rodeo. What he did was cut the sway bar in the middle (i think) and weld 2 small plates at 90 degrees to the bar"

Yes, a good idea, that I had seen before and forgoten about, but the catch is welding could be tricky as the sway bar is a torsional spring... of course made from spring steel...but with a little refinement it may even be a better idea. With only one pin/locking mechnasim is has an advantage. With a little refinement such as a spring loaded pin it could be a very good idea

That would have been Roedeo on 4wd monthly forum. The setup he made up involved a couple of fittings he had turned up that were a tight fit on the outside of the torsion bar. These were welded to a hefty tab that used a bolt to connect the two together. There was also a pin in the end of one fitting that aligned with a hole in the other to keep the two halves of the bar on the same axis. The fittings were secured to the cut in the bar with roll-pins to avoid temper issues with welding it together. Removing the bolt let the two halves move independantly
The biggest hassle I recall was getting the bolt in or out if the truck was not parked on dead-level ground

[James W]

nig said:

The biggest hassle I recall was getting the bolt in or out if the truck was not parked on dead-level ground

Yes, the kind of refinements that I think need a little work, however an easy release system can be achived I believe.