[Zac]

While I've never tried it, and probably never would, just disco'ing one side could potentially be dangerous.

The purpose of the anti-sway bar is to reduce/eliminate body roll. It accomplishes this feat by introduction of a high torsional strength u-shaped bar that equalizes the up and down forces on the body introduced by the axle when in a cornering situation. The links (or quick discos) are what connects the bar/body to the axle.

Now when we flex, this is another "body roll" event. When connected the anti-sway bar limits the amount of stuff and flex. When disconnected, stuff should, and usually is, limited by a bump stop, or spring compression (and sometimes by shock travel - not good); Flex, on the other hand, is limited by control arm travel, less by spring droop or shock travel, (and sometimes by brake lines - really bad), or limiting straps (for the bad boys).

Where we to remain connected on one side, flex on the opposing side would be free and somewhat full, but stuff on the connected side would be full stuff less the length of the link, when the bar end jambs into the top of the wheel well. Whereas stuff on the unconnected side would again be full, but flex would be limited by the link again. This would lead to uneven roll characteristics of your rig depending on which side you got up on. This uneven and inconsistent behavior could lead to a roll situation in offcamber articulations. Consistency is important.

Also, less obvious, but equally important in SA designs: When you articulate, your axle moves in two seperate arcs. One is the vertical arc defined by the collective radii of your control arms, the other, however is the articulation arc (term?) around the pivot points of the axle side CA mounts that allow latteral pivoting. Why is the second one of concern? Simple, where you to leave one side connected, you would in essence have differing arcs on the left and right sides of your jeep. This would affect the stuff characteristics. So a tire that would rub on one side, wouldn't on the other.

HTH
Zac

 

[Zac]

I didn't think about the sway bar moving farther after it's disconnected...even though that's why it would be done. But, wouldn't the tire hit something before the bar hit something? :dunno:

I did think about the arc about a longitudinal axis. Would it swing enough to cause enough lateral movement to bent the connector? The conector doesn't like to go sideways.

BTW, the axle really moves in three arcs, doesn't it? There's the control arm arc--vertical--on a lateral axis; the subtle horizontal arc--on a vertical axis--caused by one side's control arms going up and the other side's going down; and there's the vertical arc ( sort-of...I don't know what to call it either) the axle swings about on a longitudinal axis caused by the track bar...right? Since the axle is influenced at both ends of the track bar through "pin joints," the axle can be said to move in four arcs...right, but I think these arcs are very subtle except for bigdogs' rigs.

With respect to the tire hitting first...not necessarily...think about it, now. When both sides are connected, the torsional force on the links of the bar will try to keep the body level over the axle. This will cause the severe body tilt when you ramp one front side...the anti-sway bar is struggling to keep the body parallel over the axle. However if you disconnect one side, the body is technically disconnected from being in parallel to the axle. Thus if you stuff the connected side, you could potentially jamb that end right up and through your wheel well, as the opposing side is no longer being retained by the axle.

There are several mini arcs. However the two main arcs are the vertical up and down arc with a radius defined by the mean length of the Upper and Lower CAs; and the latteral arc with the radii somewhat defined by the pivot points where the CAs and axle meet. There is also linear transverse/latteral movement caused by the track bar, et.al. (Note I'm not talking about the steering, or those arcs, at all.)