There are a lot of opinions regarding whether or not it’s a good idea to remove your sway bar if you’re doing an off road build.
Let’s dig in and see why we would want to do it and things to be aware of when considering sway bar removal.
What Is a Sway Bar?
Yeah what is a sway bar? Also referred to as an anti-sway bar, a stabilizer bar, or an anti-roll bar, sway bars link opposing wheels and suspension components together to improve handling. The goal is to reduce body roll in corners and general maneuvering.
This creates a much more stable and enjoyable travel experience on-road. Sway bars also greatly reduce the chances of a rollover in vehicles with a high center of gravity.
Here is an example of what a Subaru sway bar looks like. There can be variations in the unique bends between different years and models.
Why Would You Remove Your Stabilizer Bar?
One huge advantage to removing your vehicle’s sway bars for off-road purposes is extra suspension travel.
When the sway bar is removed, your suspension components will have far more ability for articulation.
You may have seen a photo of a car trying to navigate a challenging obstacle such as a large ditch or a small boulder with one or more wheels off of the ground.
Removing the sway bar can help remedy this by allowing the wheels more travel up and down. Now you can tackle some tougher terrain.
Removing Your Sway Bar is Easy
If you want to try driving without your sway bar to see if it provides any added benefit, it’s not a hard task.
If you hit each bolt with a lubricant the day before, you should be able to pull the sway bar endlinks easily. I typically just pull my endlinks and then rotate my sway bars up out of the way.
If a person wanted to fully remove the sway bars, they can usually be pulled out in under 60 minutes with basic tools. It can be tough to navigate the bar around the exhaust on some models, but is usually very doable. Of course different models may present different challenges. But typically this is not a hard task.
Make sure to use jack stands if lifting your car up and if you have access to a creeper, it makes the job much more comfortable.
Consider The Pros and Cons Before Removing Your Anti-Roll Bar
If you mainly drive your car on pavement, it’s highly recommended that you leave your sway bar on. This will decrease the chances of a rollover accident.
Your safety, and the safety of those around you is most important. A sudden swerve of avoidance could be much more dangerous without stock suspension components such as the sway bar.
I have been driving without sway bars for quite some time with no issues. But my Subaru sees mainly off-road use and very little daily driving. I definitely recommend that people do everything they can to retain as much safety equipment as possible on their vehicles.
There is also a possibility that your insurance may choose not to honor any claim involving a rollover if you remove your sway bar.
While there isn’t much definitive information, there are people who have said that their insurance company didn’t cover their accident as a result of safety component removal. It’s not hard to believe that they would be reluctant to pay out for an accident that could have been avoided.
Our Recommendation
Since sway bars are designed to help your car handle safely, we highly suggest leaving it on for daily driving.
However, many people who want to remove it for better off road performance will often create a “quick-release” set up for their sway bar. They’ll remove it only when going off road and then reinstall it immediately after. RalliTEK also offers quick release endlinks for many Subaru models now!
Another option is to get a set of adjustable endlinks or extensions for your sway bars. They can allow it to articulate more effectively while still being attached. Companies such as Anderson Design Fab make great products and should be able to get you set up.
Again, we suggest only removing the sway bar for off-road use. With that said, have fun and be safe!
