What did you do to your jeep today?

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tommudd

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Hmmm... I always wondered about this too. Never really made sense there. So no big deal just ditching it?
The "sway bar " only attaches to the lower control arms so its not like a conventional one that also controls body lean.
Most people remove them at some point, mines been off for 8 or 9 years
 

SeventyGTX

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Note Tom's paragraph - he's referring to the rear axle spring swap.

When you push one side up it opens up the other side so you can slip in the spring. The other trick is to use the KJ's bottle jack between the frame rail and the lower control arm to open up that side. Pop in the spring and move to the other side.

Bob

Right after I read that, I went out and tried it. I just retired as a body tech by trade for over 40 years, so have plenty of push/pull type tools now at home. I jacked up one side, and used one of my Keysco friction jacks (monkey-on-a-stick) on the other side to jack from the wheel studs to the fender flare and it worked great. So, the rear is all buttoned up. Going to be a long weekend waiting to get the front shocks and new wheels/tires back.
 

ltd02

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The "sway bar " only attaches to the lower control arms so its not like a conventional one that also controls body lean.
Most people remove them at some point, mines been off for 8 or 9 years

The way they were mounted struck me as odd as I was pondering their utility while waited for my oil to drain last weekend. Think it's time for mine to go.
 

TwoBobsKJ

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Right after I read that, I went out and tried it. I just retired as a body tech by trade for over 40 years, so have plenty of push/pull type tools now at home. I jacked up one side, and used one of my Keysco friction jacks (monkey-on-a-stick) on the other side to jack from the wheel studs to the fender flare and it worked great. So, the rear is all buttoned up. Going to be a long weekend waiting to get the front shocks and new wheels/tires back.

You're proof that it's a 10 minute job per side just like Tom said. Funny how many people don't want to believe :waytogo:

Bob
 

tommudd

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You're proof that it's a 10 minute job per side just like Tom said. Funny how many people don't want to believe :waytogo:

Bob

Like anything some make it a long drawn out job while it isn't ( well wasn't when I was younger ) :happy175:
 

CactusJacked

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The rear bar that doesn't do anything does do something. Right after I took mine off, I can tell the back end is more "squishier". If you weave a little back and forth down the road (as a test), the back end of the Jeep dips and sways more than it did. And nope, it's not my imagination. I'm going to be putting on coil spring shocks anyway, which I'm sure will help stabilize the dipping motion.
 

tommudd

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Never noticed any dipping action on any we've removed, and can't see how it would do anything since only goes from LCA to LCA. :shrug:
 

CactusJacked

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Definitely made a difference on mine. :shrug: :shrug:
Why did Chrysler put them there, did they have a huge stockpile of steel bars to get rid of? :happy175:
 

SeventyGTX

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Never noticed any dipping action on any we've removed, and can't see how it would do anything since only goes from LCA to LCA. :shrug:

As far as I know, most if not all front sway bars go from LCA to LCA. Some are routed to the rear, some to the front, but they all mount to the control arms, otherwise they would do nothing. :hmm:

I know my F150 as well as our E450 motor home are on the control arms. I know I wouldn't want to take it off the motor home! Not sure how effective they are on KJs though. I do know most serious off roaders take them off for more flex no matter what kind of rig it is.
 

CzarKJ

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As far as I know, most if not all front sway bars go from LCA to LCA. Some are routed to the rear, some to the front, but they all mount to the control arms, otherwise they would do nothing. :hmm:

I know my F150 as well as our E450 motor home are on the control arms. I know I wouldn't want to take it off the motor home! Not sure how effective they are on KJs though. I do know most serious off roaders take them off for more flex no matter what kind of rig it is.

Talking rear though. This rear one goes from JUST LCA to LCA. No connection to the body in between like the front one has.
 

SeventyGTX

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Talking rear though. This rear one goes from JUST LCA to LCA. No connection to the body in between like the front one has.

My bad. Tom had replied to a pic of my right front and said to remove the sway bar, so I assumed the conversation was about the front sway bar.
 

sota

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picked that kit up. got the wiring done already. trying to figure out where to put the socket and bracket. thought about frenching it into the rear bumper, but the clips that hold the socket assembly won't allow me to add a piece of reinforcement to the back of the bumper to make it stiff enough. I don't want to drill into the brand new hitch. I'm thinking of welding the socket bracket to the hitch though. is there any recommended distance to put the plug from the receiver opening?
 

John3seventeen

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Short little 12 mile run this evening. I'd say that the CAI and hood louvers are working!

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LibertyTC

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Took me 30 minutes to warm up My Kj last night at 27F. Really I like to see the jeep warm up to at least where the thermostat is open above 195F.
That way your toes are warm too!
 

John3seventeen

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Took me 30 minutes to warm up My Kj last night at 27F. Really I like to see the jeep warm up to at least where the thermostat is open above 195F.
That way your toes are warm too!

I agree. I was halfway into the return trip before it got to operating temp. I'm keeping an eye on it and if I need to ill block the louvers for winter.
 

tommudd

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I agree. I was halfway into the return trip before it got to operating temp. I'm keeping an eye on it and if I need to ill block the louvers for winter.

In all the years I've had louvers in I never had an issue where I thought I would need to block them. Always came up to operating temp right on cue.
 

TwoBobsKJ

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...I'm thinking of welding the socket bracket to the hitch though. is there any recommended distance to put the plug from the receiver opening?

I'd suggest no more than about 8 inches to one side or the other, though most factory installations (not just Jeep) have them to the left. Any further away and you run the risk of your trailer's harness being too short to reach the plug or the harness being pulled out of the plug on sharp turns.

This is the way my factory install looks - from edge of receiver to center of plug is about 8 inches:

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Bob
 

LibertyTC

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I agree. I was halfway into the return trip before it got to operating temp. I'm keeping an eye on it and if I need to ill block the louvers for winter.
I just wanted to mention that for folks that may be doing short trips in the colder weather...
That more condensation is taking place in the exhaust system and it's really necessary/good idea that you allow the KJ to fully warm up and then some to dry/ blow the water out!
Otherwise things will rust up bad on the inside!! Getting the exhaust hot requires not going to the store & shutting it off!
Normal driving for about 30 minutes is about right!
I also drilled two small holes in the muffler to allow water to drip out there too.
 

John3seventeen

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In all the years I've had louvers in I never had an issue where I thought I would need to block them. Always came up to operating temp right on cue.

I believe you it just seems mine is taking a little longer, that's why I'm keeping an eye on it . Could be time for a thermostat change.
 

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