SUV rear sway bar delete

[Superflan]

Hi,

on my wife's Koleos, the rear sway bar itself (not the linkages) broke in 2 pieces. So to continue to drive, I removed the linkages and swaybar altogether.



It seems that the ride is really more confortable, and, to my surprise, there's less understeer when cornering, and since the rear end of the car sway a little more when turning, it seems the front end actually drop less...

What's your opinion on this ? Should I replace ? Is there a real safety concern here deleting the rear sway bar ? Emergency collision avoidance ?

 

[Astro14]

Under steer = safe, predictable handling.

I'm certain that it understeers less...but that's not good thing...

I'm certain that it rides better, you've got a truly independent suspension now...but the manuafacturer spent lots of money to add that swaybar, as well as a front swaybar.

Leaving your suspension broken seems ill-conceived.

And that swaybar looks cut to me...shiny, straight edges...

 

[FirstNissan]

I was just about to say the same thing. That damage does not look normal, looks more like it was somehow cut.

 

[Superflan]

Actually it's torn. Like it snapped on a pothole. And this bar isn't plain. It's like a pipe. I'll post a better picture tomorrow

 

[Dyusik]

Never had one, the front one is the one that really makes a difference, I know because I don't have it

.

Put the car in some extreme situations in a safe area, corner hard and see if body roll is too much, if the car handles ok, play around by jerking the steering wheel slightly at high speeds. If all is well, call it weight reduction.

 

[IndyIan]

A missing rear sway bar should make the rear end stick more than the front end, so more understeer. My old Tracker had no rear sway at all and very stiff front springs and a sway bar to make it understeer more.
If your rear shocks are shot maybe the rear sway was helping a little things in transition, but in steady state cornering, no rear sway equals more understeer, or atleast less oversteer.
If you are doing some semi serious offroading a missing rear sway bar helps with keeping both back tires on the ground too. I'd guess that's how you broke it?
I'm impressed on how much 4 lane hwy you have so maybe highspeed handling matters? If I was just doing 80km/h or less I might disconnect the front bar too.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

It looks like it did do something since it was bolted to the body/frame (unlike my Liberty, the rear one literally does almost nothing as it just runs between the two LCAs, solid rear axle).

One thing is without it, you have more rear flex/articulation. Could be a risk of breaking a brake line or blowing a shock if it flexes more than it was designed to since the sway bar isn't there to limit it.

 

[Superflan]

10km of 2x2 lane at 110kph commute each way. Then all day door to door driving on bad condition roads.

For the understeer/pversteer thing, it's an AWD system with 95% front wheels torque distribution on straight.

 

[Colt45ws]

I'd replace it.
Less understeer doesn't really make sense. If anything there should be more.

 

[Lyman]

I broke one just like that on a 99 Ford Explorer. I took it off and ran it like that for a year before replacing it. I didn't notice a big difference in handling. I think a missing front sway bar would be a whole different story.

 

[AZjeff]

Indylan got it exactly right, remove a rear anti-sway bar and you increase understeer.

You can get along on a street car with either A/S bar removed until you have to make a sudden emergency move, then you'll find out why it was put on there. Be safe and replace it.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Indylan got it exactly right, remove a rear anti-sway bar and you increase understeer.

You can get along on a street car with either A/S bar removed until you have to make a sudden emergency move, then you'll find out why it was put on there. Be safe and replace it.


X1000

 

[Fastcompany]

+1 on replacing it. Not sure how you drive that you picked up on an understeer change....I sure don't see when the tires break loose of my wife's Dodge lol.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Superflan
10km of 2x2 lane at 110kph commute each way. Then all day door to door driving on bad condition roads.

For the understeer/pversteer thing, it's an AWD system with 95% front wheels torque distribution on straight.

The drivetrain layout really doesn't influence handling under a normal emergency avoidance maneuver, where you are off the gas, and usually hard on the brakes. Weight distribution, suspension tuning, and brake bias set the fundamental handling traits and then ABS and electronic stability control try to help some more to keep you from spinning out.

I'm curious how much gas costs in such a location? I guess South Africa would have the nearest refinery? Also why are there so many people there? Retirees? Seems like an interesting place.

 

[HangFire]

Is it optional on your vehicle? You may find your answer there.

 

[Superflan]

Actually, it's like the car would have greatly benefit of a stiffer front sway bar and/or stiffer front shocks.

Before the rear bar broke, the back of the car wasn't leaning as much as front when cornering

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I'm curious how much gas costs in such a location? I guess South Africa would have the nearest refinery? Also why are there so many people there? Retirees? Seems like an interesting place.

95 unleaded is currently priced € 1.40 / liter, gasoil at € 1.04 / liter

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
I broke one just like that on a 99 Ford Explorer. I took it off and ran it like that for a year before replacing it. I didn't notice a big difference in handling. I think a missing front sway bar would be a whole different story.


On my '93 Ranger Splash (5.0 liter swap) it came with a factory rear sway bar (rare) and always had bad oversteer. I pulled the front sway bar off for drag racing (left rear one on), and the truck handled better afterwards. Front's still off to this day. Funny how vehicle geometry works.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Removed the rear on the Miata, and added a stiffer bar up front, but that was all part of a carefully calculated suspension setup, with measured inputs and a specific handling goal that included custom valved Bilstein shocks, changes to the rear shock tower mount, bushings, the works.

I don't feel removing the bar in the rear is an absolute no-no, but suspension is a science. Just changing things without a specific goal isn't the right approach.

FWIW, the 1990 easily out-handles a current model, goes faster around a closed course, runs circles around one actually, handles road irregularities better and even rides smoother as a DD. If you take it easy it's radically more comfortable than an all-new stock setup.

Basically it's a track setup softened just enough to be a daily driver. Tuned to oversteer over understeer, so if you don't know what you are doing you can easily get into trouble at the limit. Changes are too radical to meet any Miata or other current class except unlimited, and since the setup is street-oriented would not be competitive against a true track car in that class in any case.

But that took about $3000 parts only and plenty of inputs, right down to a specific tire compound, wheel geometry and size (Dunlop Direzza II), into software and a professional consultation. Not just bolting on or removing parts randomly.

 

[Superflan]

I went to a small roadrace track and pushed it through corners and done some collision avoidance manœuvre.

It handles better Without the rear sway bar. Maybe the shocks are getting old?

I'll try to pass MOT like this and see what happens. Appointment on 23rd.

Btw, is it any chance of success if I weld the sway bar back in one peace?