MDB Quick-Disconnect Swaybar Links...

[bartonmd]

Quick disco experiment using regular rod ends (heims), and hardened pins through the non-threaded part of grade 8 bolts...

At the moment, these are beginning testing, and are still vaporware. This is NOT the kind of thing that I would sell to anybody before I (or Kyle) tested them!





If they can survive my wife... They can survive ANYTHING!

Time will tell.

Mike

ETA: you'll have to excuse the welding. Didn't bother switching from .035 to smaller wire for just these couple welds.

[janesy86]

Very nice! If/when these go on the market, I'll be the first to order...

[HARDTRAILZ]

Looking good.

[djthumper]

Looking good Mike.

I wouldn't exactly call them vaporware at this point. You have posted pics of them in development and haven't promised anyone anything and not delivered at his point.

[bartonmd]

Thanks, guys!

The tops will be like the bottoms, as far as disconnecting both top and bottom to completely take them out while off road...

Off for a test drive...

[fishsticks]

Holy crap. I might actually run sway bars again if you can pull those off.

[janesy86]

Holy crap. I might actually run sway bars again if you can pull those off.

I'm just glad I haven't cut mine completely off yet.

[bartonmd]

Drove around for a bit, got both fronts (one at a time) up on the (pretty high) curbs at the nearby school, found some dry pavement and swerved back and forth, then put one front up on and off of this big rock by my driveway a few times...

No pops, and everything's still together...

Being that they're heims, though, it does sound like the stock ones sound when they're going bad... Just a little noisy, but you're not going to get around that with this kind of joint, really...



Mike

[dirty anton]

interested how this will turn out mike! may need to get some for the rear at some point.

[HARDTRAILZ]

I bet someone bought parts for them already...

[bartonmd]

Have another set of heims in the garage for just that!

Kyle actually fronted for them, so they're all actually his; but him being local, it was just easier for him to buy them than it was for me to buy them and then sell them to him...

Fronts are around 3/8" longer than stock (and can go up to ~1.5" longer... Longer than that if I cut the DOM longer)... Rears will be probably at least an inch longer than stock... We'll need to look at it closer...

Mike

[Zero]

Sooooo amazing that you are doing this!!! I hope it sells well. Just wondering, is there a different joint other than the Heim that is quieter? Are the Heims ok for people in areas that are exposed to a lot of salt i the winters?

[bartonmd]

Sooooo amazing that you are doing this!!! I hope it sells well. Just wondering, is there a different joint other than the Heim that is quieter? Are the Heims ok for people in areas that are exposed to a lot of salt i the winters?

Yeah, there are 2 kinds...

1. stock (non quick disconnect ball joint)

2. urethane, but that's been tried with a normal cylinder of it in a tube... Tube slid off of the bushing, IIRC... Kyle can tell you better...

I have no idea about the salt... They're supposed to go on cars and such, but I have no idea how resistant to salt they are... The stuff is thick enough that I would think they'd last a few year, anyway, even if there was no corrosion protection... I have no data on it yet, though...

Mike

[Trail X]

I assume the noise is due to the slight difference in diameter between the joint ID and the bolt OD? No real way to get around that unless you can find a poly bushing of some sort to go between the parts.

How do you disconnect the top mount? Or does it not have a pin?

[bartonmd]

I assume the noise is due to the slight difference in diameter between the joint ID and the bolt OD? No real way to get around that unless you can find a poly bushing of some sort to go between the parts.

Yep... Just wanted to state it... Was easier to hear because I was driving on snow (low speed, no tire noise, lots of little bumps)... If the fit was any tighter, they wouldn't slide on and off... A little burr from the cut had to be taken off for them to slide on.

How do you disconnect the top mount? Or does it not have a pin?

Post #5

The top will be like the bottom. What you see there as the bolt head will be a pin.

Mike

[Trail X]

Gotcha!

As for disconnects - I know the idea is not to have to use a tool. But do you think a 3rd nut, instead of a pin, would be able to get rid of the noise? That way it's just a single bolt that needs to be removed in order to disco? Just a thought.

[Gordinho80]

Very nice, Mike. Should these come about, I might decide to reconnect my sway bar.

As far as the noise, I like JD's idea of using a 3rd nut. As long as you have the ability to use a wrench to hold the through bolt in place, nut wouldn't be that big a deal to remove.

[bartonmd]

I had originally thought of that, but then... They would be exactly as "quick disconnect" as the stock ones that only taking (2) nuts off...

Mike

[Gordinho80]

Problem with the stocks is the fact that you have to use an allen key to prevent the through bolt from spinning. Having a hex head on the other side would help.

[Trail X]

I had originally thought of that, but then... They would be exactly as "quick disconnect" as the stock ones that only taking (2) nuts off...

Mike

My end links had to be cut off - so I'm not familliar with this quick disconnect method of the stock links.

Anyways - I see your point. Is there any way to make the stud hold to the mount, and not require a second wrench to hold it? Then it's just a single wrench that's required.