Sway Bars & Anti-Roll Bars

Sway bars, also referred to as "anti roll bars", control vehicle roll when going through corners at higher speeds as well as improve handling when passing vehicles on the highway. This happens as the bar works as a lever, with the inside wheel compressing through the turn, the sway bar compresses the outside wheel as well, helping the vehicle stay level. The thicker the bar is the firmer the handling will be, as the bar doesn't flex as much.

A custom or universal sway bar helps keep the tires firmly planted on the road. During hard launches at the drag strip, the rear of the vehicle will squat more on the driver side than the passenger side due to the torque applied from the driveshaft to the rear axle as nearly all V8 engine applications rotate clockwise when viewed from the front. A sway bar will help to pull the right side down to maximize tire traction for both sides. The same applies when taking corners at higher speeds as the sway bar helps compress the outside suspension components to match the inside, keeping the tires firmly planted.

A custom or universal sway bar kit controls body roll and sway during cornering. Without a sway bar, the vehicle will lean and rock side-to-side as it turns around a curve, which is more pronounced as speed increases. The sway bar acts as both a lever and spring, typically attached to the lower control arms on front sway bars car suspensions. When one corner compresses, the sway bar moves the opposite side in the same direction, helping to equalize compression on both sides of the vehicle. This helps the vehicle stay straight on the driving surface, keeping the tires firmly planted, and providing better traction and control at higher speeds. Nearly every vehicle has a front sway bar. However, not all vehicles originally were produced with a rear sway bar. For those vehicles, a custom or universal rear sway bar kit will further improve handling.

Hooking up sway bars is typically an easy process. In most cases, the vehicle needs to be under its own weight, such as on ramps or a lift, allowing the suspension to compress. Left to hang, the sway bar will bind with the rest of the suspension components and be more difficult to remove and install. However, when purchasing a sway bar, follow the manufacturer's instructions for your unique vehicle. Street and racing sway bars typically have two main bushings on either side of the center and are connected to the lower control arms via sway bar links. Removal of the sway bar includes removing the sway bar bushings and links. Installation is in the opposite order of the removal. JEGS offers Chevrolet, Mopar, and Ford sway bars, as well as a universal anti roll bar kit selection for custom applications.

Adjustable sway bars for trucks and cars allow you to add or remove body roll on the suspension, depending on the position of the end link. The farther away the end link connection is from the main part of the sway bar, the more body roll and the closer to the center of the sway bar the end link is connected, the less body roll. Some testing in different positions will be required until the desired handling is achieved.

If your vehicle is leaning during turns or squatting unevenly during hard launches, purchase and install a sway bar or anti roll bar kit from one of our high quality options. Each kit includes the necessary custom or universal sway bar bracket, custom or universal sway bar link, as well as any other required components.