Bilsteins & Rear Sway Bar

[Dayspring]

I just got finished installing a full set of Bilsteins and AAL's yesterday (with help from NJAX/MAXC people) but here's my question. How imperative is it to remove the rear sway bar for the bilstein shocks? (the right rear one is the only one close to it) I drive more on pavement than anything else, and want the stability of it, but I don't want to damage the shocks... Any thoughts on solutions?

FYI- rear model # is B46-2126-H0

[Ag_xterra]

just remove your rear sway. you'll be safer that way. ive seen stock shocks dented by the sway bar. the first few days after removing the sway bar you may notice alittle more rear end sway but you'll soon get used to it and not even notice that it's missing.

[Stormy]

Will the rear sway bar extension links that Calmini offer in there lift help? If it lowers the mounts to the frame, wouldn't that move the swaybar away from the shock?

[Dayspring]

I was thinking about that... I'd have to crawl underneath again and see if it would work... How long are the extensions anyway?

[Stormy]

Seeing that it's a 3" lift, I would say 3"...

[Olegkha]

I think those are LIFT extencions and they just go up and down, what i think you need is sometihng that goes a bit sideways

i cannot remeber who did them, or has them

Nick i was not working today , i will look at my email tommorow , i think i saved the original email in my mail box

[Toy Man]

Just remove the sway bar. Very unlikely you will notice ANY difference.

(or at least I did not and I was hesitate to remove it.)

[Dayspring]

Ken and I were just thinking- why not mount the shock upside down? It'd have the clearance for the sway bar then, am I wrong? Or would we REALLY risk damaging the shock?

[rrdstarr]

DON'T MOUNT THEM UPSIDE DOWN!!!! the boot will collect all kinds of goo and you'll wear the shock out quicker! Just get rid of the swaybar permanently! If you have the +20 Bilstiens you will not notice any difference in cornering with the swaybar gone.

[Craigs_Tonka]

Originally posted by rrdstarr
Just get rid of the swaybar permanently! If you have the +20 Bilstiens you will not notice any difference in cornering with the swaybar gone.

I agree with rrdstarr on the above comment. The stock shocks you will notice a big difference in removing your sway bar, however with stiffer shocks compensating for it, and if you do AAL's as well, you wouldn't even notice the difference if you get a quality shock. I have ran the Rancho 9000's set on 4 in the rear without the swaybar and it handled great. I am now testing some AAL's and have the stiffer Bilsteins on, and the rear handles much better and is stiffer than the front. (Time for the new torsion bars) I like the stiffer Bilsteins over the Ranchos as they don't seem harsh but are very firm, must be the valving.

If you are going to mount shocks upside down make sure you check with the manufacturer and verify that it doesn't effect the performance of the shock. Some shocks can only be mounted one way, others can be mouned either way. I'm no expert when it comes to shocks, but that much I do know from my research.

[O1SalsaX]

Ok, If the Billsteins are Xterra/frontier specific Theoreticly there should be no reason that you would have to remove the sway bar. Billstein or Rancho should've already thought of that..I dont understand how a suspension upgrade has you removing another part of the suspension. I'm sure that Rancho or Billstein has addressed this issue regarding the Xterra. As for mounting them upside down, I dont see how there would be a rpoblem, it has a boot over the important parts, water might be able to collect in there, I guess you'd have drill a drain hole. I dont know I was just thinking out loud..
L8r..

[wqbang]

Originally posted by O1SalsaX
Ok, If the Billsteins are Xterra/frontier specific Theoreticly there should be no reason that you would have to remove the sway bar.

Keep in mind that the STOCK shocks are often damaged by the swaybar under full compression. The upgraded shocks are larger in diameter, and there is really no way around the problem, regardless of shocks, without a swaybar redesign.

[rrdstarr]

Bryan is right the Bilstiens are larger in diameter. When you do the Bilstiens go for a couple weeks without your swaybar, then put it back on and see if you notice any difference. You probably won't unless you push the Xterra to its cornering limits. I was hesitant to remove the swaybar too......but most everyone in our club that upgraded their shocks got rid of their swaybars and haven't put them back on. I think only ChuckH remounts his Swaybar after a wheeling weekend.

[beaker]

A couple follow-up ?'s on the Bilstein shocks. Is the diameter the same for both types of rear shocks (BE3-6422-H0 stock vs. F4-B46-2126-H0)? Also, I followed some threads and there was an indication that the longer shock would bottom out but it seems there was some debate over this. I've added a Fabtech leaf which didn't raise the rear by much (around an 1"). But I foresee adding another Fabtech leaf or simply ordering the one most of you guys run which gives about 2" of lift.

I would like to order the shocks this week but wanted to make sure I wasn't going to run into any problems. I've read where most of you are blowing off the rear sway bar, but I'm not too keen on that one.

TIA,

Beaker

[ToeJam]

I believe the stock "can" (whatever you want to call it) is smaller on the "stock" shock replacement than on the longer or "non-sway bar" model. When I called SLR to order the shocks, I was specifically told that I must remove the sway bars if I was to use the non "stock" side shock.

BTW - I was very nervous about removing the sway bar also, but honestly you don't know it is missing. With the Bilsteins (I got the 20% stiffer front models, and I don't have an ARB) the ride is 100% better, yet slightly different. The shocks make the suspension behave differently. You will not notice or miss the removed rear sway bar!