I just lifted my OBS, just forester struts (still impreza springs :-\ ), and i noticed that my swaybar makes a 'pop'ing noise when it's being stressed... should i just rip the thing(s) out of there? I know you can get a little more travel in off-road situations.. as a plus, but what about daily driving w/ it not connected...

 

I'll get pics & a writeup about the OBS lift when i get a chance

can't wait to see how it came out.(i still need to get my struts.)

 

is it popping on paved roads or offroad?

 

if it does it just when your offroading,maybe mudrat or someone knows of a way of making quick disconnect endlinks on the swaybar.

 

as far as daily driving with swaybar disconnected all the time,as long as you don't mind the extra body roll (i believe)

Having driven multiple lifted subaru's with and without sway bars, in emergency situations its a good thing to have, i'd highly reccomend keeping it on and just disconnecting one end when you want the extra flex.

Take 'er off!! it's overrated.

Take 'er off!! it's overrated.

Agreed. Plus, when you hit a traffic circle at 40 on three wheels... well, it's good stuff.

 

The Imp is a wee bit faster than our cars Consider that though. Like, if I'm doing 80 on the highway (downhill of course) and I gotta swerve, it can be a little sketchy sans swaybars.

I removed my front sway bar on my forester because it broke. with the lift it does have quite a bit of body roll. I just drive slower now around corners. It is a compromise I'm willing to make for better off-road performance.

Unhook it and see how you like it. If you hate it then you can simply hook it back up. If you love it then you can take it all the way off and throw it in the garbage like I did.

 

As noted above; be safe.

yea, you'll have to drive differently, but you should be some anyway with a lifted rig...

you could consider replacing the bolts at the swaybar link with removable pins.

I just lifted my OBS, just forester struts (still impreza springs :-\ ), and i noticed that my swaybar makes a 'pop'ing noise when it's being stressed... should i just rip the thing(s) out of there? I know you can get a little more travel in off-road situations.. as a plus, but what about daily driving w/ it not connected...

 

I'll get pics & a writeup about the OBS lift when i get a chance

 

 

Probably the popping noise is from you not beating the walls behind the rear struts. You have to bash them back a bit with the hammer to keep the struts from rubbing. Go back there and look, you'll most likely see the marks from where it hits.

 

The impreza will still handle pretty sweet with out the sway bar, ask Dusty Rider, I proved it to him last night on a windy road. The little 13mm your car came with isn't much anyways. I'm actually gonna put one back on to get rid of the roll, but I'm stepping up to a 20mm.

 

If you decide it will be more of an offroader than a street mobile, leave it off.

I agree with the removable pins instead of bolts.... this is the way the swaybar on my brother's jeep is setup... seems to work nice

I agree with the removable pins instead of bolts.... this is the way the swaybar on my brother's jeep is setup... seems to work nice

The problem i'd have with that is getting the swaybar cought on stuff.. since it's still attached, just waiting to drag or cause trouble

plain and simple, no. swaybars are just secondary springs to the struts... they are not neccesarry. just dont drive like a mad man in the streets and you'll be fine.

Even if you aren't driving like a madman on the streets, not having the swaybar can make the car hard to handle in an emergency. say your dodging a bicyclist in the road, but the car leans over to far and you can't make the dodge. Then you get investigated for the cause of the accident, no swaybar, and you get charged with manslaughter. Worst case scenario, but I've driven a jeep with no swaybars, and that sucker would go way over in the corners, to the point a jerk of the wheel would roll it.

Even if you aren't driving like a madman on the streets, not having the swaybar can make the car hard to handle in an emergency. say your dodging a bicyclist in the road, but the car leans over to far and you can't make the dodge. Then you get investigated for the cause of the accident, no swaybar, and you get charged with manslaughter. Worst case scenario, but I've driven a jeep with no swaybars, and that sucker would go way over in the corners, to the point a jerk of the wheel would roll it.

 

Jeep w/o sway bars are WAY different than a Subaru w/o sway bars. I know dudes who put on long arm kits on their Jeep and lift a wheel turning on the pavement!

 

A lot of vehicles WITH sway bars are more of a liablity than my Subaru w/o them. Ford Exploder and Ford 15 passanger van to name a couple.

i have been driving my lifted brat for 9 months without one and i haul rump roast everywhere i go.it can get a little squirmy at times.but you learn how to compensate without it.i say get rid of it.just pay attention to your driving technique onroad and feel the difference in the offroad.like they said,you can always put it back on......i bet you don't though:brow:

Note to everyone: Impreza L's didnt even have rear swaybars standard!!! They were an option up to I believe 1997.

 

My last Impreza L didnt have a rear swaybar at all. I had to get the control links with the endlink connections to even have one installed. Yes, the swaybar does improve handling, but if you are going for a lifted car its not important. Emergancy handling is FINE without one (unless your struts and springs are worn out junk too, which yours are not Andyjo)

 

If you want, install front and rear strut bars instead... Doesnt do the same thing, but it will help a little and wont hinder off-road ability.

Note to everyone: Impreza L's didnt even have rear swaybars standard!!!

 

neither do generic GL's

 

it helps that I don't have quite enough fender clearance in the front, so if I turn too hard, they rub a little...

Kostamojen: I thought we were talking front sway bars?

rear swaybars are a different issue. lots of cars don't have them.

Kostamojen: I thought we were talking front sway bars?

After re-reading the thread, that was never specified... So, which one is it Andyjo?

After re-reading the thread, that was never specified... So, which one is it Andyjo?

 

We're talking about front sway bars here.

I'm talking both swaybars... i was joking around with one of my friends who has a lifted cherokee, and we descided to do a flexout... he won.... stuffed the tire right up into his fender... whereas my subaru just sort of tried to roll over.

Rear, ya you can toss it...

 

Front, not sure about... I'd have to try it myself and get a feel for it to recommend it or not.

as long as you dont drive like a mad man you'll be ok. go ahead and remove both of the sway bars, i did on my old wagon, and i plan to with my legacy once i get the springs in.....