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No idea what year but they were used on a top of the wasser Dutch Patrol and at that time I just happened to be conversing with a Dutch 4Runner guy
We did a deal, I sent him some Oz 4wd parts he wanted and he located them for me.
The same Oz Patrols came with a cable operated rear swaybar releease as per this pic. I found 2 at my local wrecker but they were just too long to fit inbetween the 4Runners front suspension etc. They would work on a rear swaybar.
I have seen the Patrol sway bar release modded so it could work with a 5link coil conversion on a FJ55. The ends of the sway bar link used to pop up thru the bonnet.
Interesting, here's a different arrangement on a dodge truck:
I wonder if you could also do this with a swabar link with a worm drive, where the worm is the main shaft and the worm gear moves out of the way when you want to disconnect, then pulls it all back tight when you reconnect.
Actually, how about a simple ratchet set up that just ratchets back up to re-lock the swaybar during the first minute or two of driving. Hmm.
jet-6 wrote:But does that system actually allow the swaybar to become two seperate halves, if not whats the point?
The dodge one is a swaybar disconnect; I have never seen it in real life but I assume it works by making the two sides of the swaybar independent/unlocked, and then joins them back together when you go back on road.
The modified links don't split the swaybar into two separate sides, but they effectively make it as if the swaybar is just unbolted on one side so it is not doing anything any more.
Gwagensteve wrote:I'm not sure the difference is as big as people think, for two reasons:
A) I can laterally load my car as much offroad as on, offroad it's by side angle and on road it's by cornering g's - but the effect of too little roll stiffness and a high COG is the same
B) general suspension tune makes very little difference to car behaviour at low speed, but LOTS of difference at maybe 60 km/h upwards. What I mean is that a car setup to handle for 60km/h up won't behave very much differently at 20 km/h than a car setup only to work at low speed (I'll maintain the 60km/h+ car would work better... but anyway) but a car setup to be optimum at 20km/h would be lethal at 60km/h.
Of course, wheelspeed needs to be taken into account too - I'd vote that possible wheelspeed needs to be taken into account too.
A car moving slowly but with the potential for high wheelspeed needs much better suspension control than a car just plain crawling along - that's why cars "getting on it" in mud tend to look floppy - all that intertia from the spinning wheels starts to be the tail wagging the dog.
all things being equal, I still say a competent car on road will be a competent car off road, but a compenent car off road could be lethal on road.
PS KOH is an excellent exmple of how off road performance in difficult terrain and high speed capability are linked.
Steve.
The difference as I see it is in the moment of inertia.
Onroad the torque generated cornering etc is quite high as the energy input lasts quite some time whereas offroad the enrgy input lasts a significantly shorter period, one is a spike the other is a wave.
I would have thought alot of the KOH stuff would have way more to do with really fancy triple bypass position and velocity sensitive shocks .. or I am missing the point ...
chimpboy wrote:Interesting, here's a different arrangement on a dodge truck:
I wonder if you could also do this with a swabar link with a worm drive, where the worm is the main shaft and the worm gear moves out of the way when you want to disconnect, then pulls it all back tight when you reconnect.
Actually, how about a simple ratchet set up that just ratchets back up to re-lock the swaybar during the first minute or two of driving. Hmm.
That is the same as the JK Jeep Wrangler, the rubicon has an electric disconnect. Basically It has a section that slides back and forth over the splines in a split swaybar. It works very well.
Here's a quick pick of one from the Sydney Jeep Club with this electronic disconnect.
You could buy this whole setup for $80 from Jeep in the US when they first came out!!!
And a good writeup on an install in an older Jeep, also includes a manual override.
Land Rover use a system called ACE (active cornering enhancement) it has an electronic sensor that activates a hydraulic ram on 1 side of the swaybar fr. & rear so when at speed it pushes the ram out loading the swaybar making the vehicle squat for high speed cornering. It becomes inactive under I think it is 30km/h so efectively the swaybars fr. & rear are disconnected. It has been out for many years.
Definately not a cheap option
KiwiBacon wrote:I think sosme of the Isuzu troopers have disconnects as well. Whether the AU market Jackaroos got them I don't know.
japanese and korean troopers did have it as an optional extra, i don't think any other market got the option... but there were a few aftermarket ones, inde4x is re-designing their's atm
jet-6 wrote:A shock would be too soft, you would need something compact yet strong, like a motorbike shock but skinner, i think you would be pressed to find a item to do it and still allow the system to be rigid when it needs it
Try looking for downhill Mountain Bike shocks and then stick a high spring rate spring in it, you can find some that come with lockout now aswell, not sure how they would cope with the load but anything that can stand up to regular abuse of that sport is built to last. (The shocks themselves are a bit smaller than moto shocks.)
jet-6 wrote:A shock would be too soft, you would need something compact yet strong, like a motorbike shock but skinner, i think you would be pressed to find a item to do it and still allow the system to be rigid when it needs it
Try looking for downhill Mountain Bike shocks and then stick a high spring rate spring in it, you can find some that come with lockout now aswell, not sure how they would cope with the load but anything that can stand up to regular abuse of that sport is built to last. (The shocks themselves are a bit smaller than moto shocks.)
Downhill shocks don't have lockouts. Only a few of the lightweight XC models do.
Without having done any calculations on the loads involved - i'd be VERY carefull to ensure that any system fitted was more than adequately strong.
The consequences of a disconect failing "mid corner" on the road would be at the least "frighteneing" or much worse. Any design would need to be as failsafe as is possible IMO.
having said that ... a well engineered system would be great, except it would probably be worth more than my entire vehicle
( usual disclaimers )
It seemed like a much better idea when I started it than it does now.
KiwiBacon wrote:
Downhill shocks don't have lockouts. Only a few of the lightweight XC models do.
And if they have a hard enough hit, the lockout is bypassed anyway to prevent damage.
Additionally, MTB forks/shocks are VERY maintenance intensive items.
Steve.
[quote="greg"] some say he is a man without happy dreams, or that he sees silver linings on clouds and wonders why they are not platinum... all we know, is he's called the stevie.[/quote]
It will 100% transform the behaviour of your vehicle- you'll pick up lots of front flex and balance will improve out of sight.
Coil sierras are begging for a rear swaybar.
Steve.
[quote="greg"] some say he is a man without happy dreams, or that he sees silver linings on clouds and wonders why they are not platinum... all we know, is he's called the stevie.[/quote]
"I had made a start using a cable system when I learnt that the similar set up I was proposing to use was in use on a European vehicle but it was electrically operated."
The European vehicle he's referring to is a GU Patrol and the pictured one is on his 4runner. Australian GU's didnt get the disconnect. Ironicallly only Aussie GQ's got the factory disconnect (cable operated) but none of the overseas models didn't.
The Patrol disconnect only allows about 30mm of "free" link pin travel each way when disconnected so not suited for lifts over 2". I mod them for up to 300% more free travel in lifts over 2" in Patrols and resets the rear sway bar to factory geometry as well when connected.
Bordertrek 4X4 & Fabrication
0400 250 734 Bordertown SA
I love terra firma-the less firma the more terra
and at that time I just happened to be conversing with a Dutch 4Runner guy 
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