Factory sway bar disconnect issue

Hey guys,

So I'm really new to my GQ patrol (only got it last week). I noticed that mine has the factory rear sway bar disconnecy. Today I was playing around with it, and once activated I noticed that the dash light would stay on once the handle was turned and released (it had not been on at all before I disconnected it for the first time). I tried disconnecting and reconnecting it a few times, but the light remained on.

Finally, i got out and looked at the sway bar link physically, and I noticed that the sway bar is physically disconnected from the link. Is this supposed to happen? Or is it supposed to be still connected while stretching further? You'll have to forgive my ignorance, I'm still very new to car mechanics.

I've attached a picture of the sway bar link.

Regards,
Christian.

Edit: sorry if this is the wrong section, I didn't think to put it in drivetrain and suspension.

Hey mate yeah once you disengage the lever the light will stay on until you have enough flex for the sway bar to connect again.

Go for a drive and take some corners or mount a kerb or something and you'll hear it engage and light should come off.


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Oh just saw your pic...that's no good


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Hey AB, thanks for the quick response.

Is there a specific bolt that should be in there? Or do I need to replace the whole sway bar link?

Someone has just taken the bolt out mate.


http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2017/12/64.jpg


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I just checked the inside of the sway bar release and it's kind of just hollowed out inside. Do you happen to know how the bolt is supposed to be fastened inside it?

Is it safe to drive normally with it disconnected? Will the car just bodyroll a bit more around corners?

I don't know the answer to that mate, hopefully someone else can jump in here, if not ring Patrolapart on Monday and ask them about it and the correct bolt/fitting to sort it.

In regards to is it safe to drive. Can't answer that either but yes you'll have more body roll and plenty of people drive there's daily with no front and rear sway bars.

The back is much more noticeable for boat sway action though.

I personally have no front sway bar and still keep the rear disconnect mechanism like yours to take off when off-road.

Definitely get it fixed though as on road handling is million times better!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by 82588

Is it safe to drive normally with it disconnected? Will the car just bodyroll a bit more around corners?

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Safe enough just don't drive it hard around corners or break suddenly. I drove my GQ with a 4inch suspension lift and 2 inch body lift with front and rear sway bars disconnected and drove hard enough around and never had a problem.

But get it sorted as its illegal

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Originally Posted by NissanGQ4.2

Safe enough just don't drive it hard around corners or break suddenly. I drove my GQ with a 4inch suspension lift and 2 inch body lift with front and rear sway bars disconnected and drove hard enough around and never had a problem.

But get it sorted as its illegal

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I've heard guys purposely removing it to 'sway' the body during quick turns to make it look 'cool'!
Sway bar is there for stability, isn't it?
So, how does it help with cornering or quick 'steering jerks' at relatively high speed?
It would make the vehicle more unstable & prone to roll overs, won't it?

No argument it helps with off road stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 82588

Hey guys,

So I'm really new to my GQ patrol (only got it last week). I noticed that mine has the factory rear sway bar disconnecy. Today I was playing around with it, and once activated I noticed that the dash light would stay on once the handle was turned and released (it had not been on at all before I disconnected it for the first time). I tried disconnecting and reconnecting it a few times, but the light remained on.

Finally, i got out and looked at the sway bar link physically, and I noticed that the sway bar is physically disconnected from the link. Is this supposed to happen? Or is it supposed to be still connected while stretching further? You'll have to forgive my ignorance, I'm still very new to car mechanics.

I've attached a picture of the sway bar link.

Regards,
Christian.

Edit: sorry if this is the wrong section, I didn't think to put it in drivetrain and suspension.

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I would say the guy who sold it forgot to give you the bolt & nut. :)
Or it may be somewhere inside the back of the vehicle. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dom14

I've heard guys purposely removing it to 'sway' the body during quick turns to make it look 'cool'!
Sway bar is there for stability, isn't it?
So, how does it help with cornering or quick 'steering jerks' at relatively high speed?
It would make the vehicle more unstable & prone to roll overs, won't it?

No argument it helps with off road stuff.

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I thought that too but it has the factory disconnect so you would be stupid to permanently take it off.

I'm thinking it may have had a big lift in a previous life.


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Hey guys, thanks for the responses.

I have been doing some research, and apparently there is supposed to be a ball joint with a thread at the bottom. The car currently has a 2" lift, so is it possible that the lift could have overstressed it and caused it to burst free?

In any case, I could either find a replacement sway bar disconnect unit at a wrecker, or I have found that Patrolapart sells sway bar link kits for 2-3" lifts. Is it worth just getting these links from Patrolapart and replacing all of the sway bar links? These are the ones: http://patrolapart.com.au/product/ni...y-2-3-lift-set

P.s. I took the GQ down to Yalwal over the weekend, and the free sway bar was definitely amazing for flexing through big ruts. But things did feel a bit messy on corrugated roads.

Regards,
Christian.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dom14

I've heard guys purposely removing it to 'sway' the body during quick turns to make it look 'cool'!

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If they done it for that reason then they deserve 2 roll over, I done it because they don't suit / fit when doing a 4inch suspension lift and 2 inch body lift, well not back in the days when I done mine. You can these days buy sway bar disconnects 2 suit lifts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dom14

Sway bar is there for stability, isn't it?

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Yes

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dom14

So, how does it help with cornering or quick 'steering jerks' at relatively high speed?

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Having them disconnected doesn't help hence why they are there from factory... although some of the earlier GQ's I believe only came out with one, can't remember if it was front or rear

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dom14

It would make the vehicle more unstable & prone to roll overs, won't it?

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Yes as per the first question on stability.

yeah mines only got a rear sway bar. rolls like a yacht.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by garett

yeah mines only got a rear sway bar. rolls like a yacht.

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I removed my front sway bar and it still drives nice and flat on the road. Leaving the rear sway bar in forces the front end to work a bit more offroad.

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Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

I have found that patrolapart are selling extended sway bar links for 2-3" lifted patrols. Would it be worth getting those and replacing all of the shorter links?

Regards,
Christian.

Good conversation the OP started here. I thought previously the removal of sway bar was all about doing cool tricks on highway by demonstrating quick 'sways', other than off roading needs. It looks like it is necessary to temporarily(or even permanently) remove it in some situations.

I saw a guy doing a 'quick sway' at around 80km/h and lifted the wheels of one side few inches(with his kids inside the Patrol), and have a vague memory of doing that by removing the sway bar(s). Not my thing 'cos I've already somersaulted two cars big time without having to remove the sway bars or purposely trying cool tricks. :D.

Anti-sway or Anti-roll bars if anyone prefers the latter term do two things.

First they reduce body roll which means the C of G stays more laterally centred and also lower therefore reducing the chances of rolling the vehicle at higher speeds

Second they control the amount of stiffness in the suspension transmitted between front and rear and therefore directly affect understeer/oversteer.
Thats why they have the driver adjustable bars in the V8 Supercars etc.

Disconnecting an Anti-sway bar is desirable offroad (and only offroad) because one of the side effects of the bars is the 'coupling' of uneven surfaces from one wheel to both on an axle pair so the ride is much softer with the links disconnected.

Properly tuned bars will not limit overall suspension travel and removing the bar/s is a kinda slack way of not forking out the bucks to properly retune the suspension after lifts etc.

Removing the bars for more flex is pretty much aesthetics only as far as traction is concerned most of the time.

Lifting a wheel is easier with the bars connected and less chance of rolling the vehicle
Lifting a wheel by generating body roll is harder with the bars disconnected and in that config you are more and more likely to roll the whole shebang

Cheers ET, good to learn above!
Must say it freaks us out encountering 4” lift jobbies heading back to the burbs after public holidays up our winding hwy. We do need to hug the left line to stop roof racks clipping our family wagon, scary stuff :-( !!



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