OPERATION OF RUBICON SWAY BAR DISCONNECT

[ZTMAN]

Just got the JTR and was playing around with the sway bar disconnect. Sway bar would not disconnect unless the JT was moving.
If I was in 4H or 4L and stationary, the light would just flash, but the sway bar would not disconnect. I was on level ground. If I moved a few mph, the sway bar would disconnect.
Never had a Rubicon. Is this normal? The manual does not say you have to be moving.

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[TTEChris]

It's normal.

If you "rock" the Jeep without driving it will disconnect as well. The links need to have little to no load on them for it to disconnect/reconnect.
I bounce around in the Jeep a bit if I'm not on perfectly level ground and it will usually disconnect when I don't have the room to drive(on a trail)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What Chris said - and if you were in the Jeep - well, not wanting to insult anyone - someone like me at 200 pounds sitting in the seat could load the one side JUST enough to make stress on the connection. It's amazing how one side can have tension when it's only an inch or even less different than the other side.

 

[ZTMAN]

Thanks for the responses. Difference is amazing between connected and disconnected.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thanks for the responses. Difference is amazing between connected and disconnected.

I have posted a couple of videos of Eagle SX4s doing Moab, rock crawling, tip-over challenges, and other fun stuff - and if you watch the front wheels really close once in a while you will see a front wheel hanging in mid-air while the other three are on the rocks. That's the sway bar in most cases holding it up as if the left wheel is shoved up into the wheel well it's tied to the right via that sway bar.
Granted some is the limitations of IFS (independent front suspension) but not all of it.
That sway bar disconnect makes a huge difference in any case. Some of the Eagle guys will take the sway bar links out to help - but what a pain in the butt.

Bet she feels a lot more sure-footed with that disconnected.
Can't beat that Jeep solid axle and sway bar system.

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