Installation
date: 12/22/99
JKS,
the company that developed the first commercial swaybar quick disconnects,
has done it again. Their new "Quicker" disconnects
look to be the easiest to use disconnects yet, and they're super quiet
too. I've been through two other sets of discon's (Rubicon Express
and Tomken), and the new JKS discon's are by far the best I've used.
To disconnect your swaybar all you do is pull one pin for each link,
then just slide the discon off the steel mounting pin and swing the
swaybar up and out of the way. Fasten it all up and you're ready to
hit the trails.
The
key to JKS' new discon's are their spherical poly bushings (one at
each end) which allow the links to slide sideways off the axle mounting
pin, but stay bolted to the swaybar at the top. They also allow the
swaybar to be reconnected even when you're on uneven ground (which
usually isn't possible with other types of discon's). In addition,
these special bushings are also greasable for a long, quiet life (one
zerk greases both bushings).
The
discon's are available in 3 sizes, for rigs from stock height up to
6" of lift, and they are also length-adjustable for your specific
suspension height, so it's not like a one-size-fits-all kind of deal
like with other brands of disconnects. And, since the length is adjustable,
you can make one link longer or shorter than another to compensate
for uneven suspension heights.
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Installing
the discon's is a snap, and JKS provides very good instructions,
complete with diagrams. The only tools you'll need for the install
are a 6mm allen wrench/driver and some standard wrenches. TJ
owners will also need a 1/4" drill bit and a heavy-duty
5/16" screw tap to drill and tap the frame.
The yellow
rubber bands are supplied for us XJ/ZJ owners who can't use
the holding pins that TJ owners get to use, you see why later...
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stock swaybar links and mounting pins have been removed, the first
order of business is to install the u-strap on the swaybar. This
is where that 6mm Allen wrench first comes in handy. The u-strap
is installed on top of the swaybar, this way when the axle
droops (like when your rig is up on the frame lift getting those
new bigger tires you've always wanted), all the force is taken
by the u-strap, not the center bolt itself. |
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Next, install
the new mounting pin on the axle tab, making sure the click-pin
hole is horizontal so you can get remove/replace the click-pin
easily.
On some
rigs, the factory mounting pin is splined and pressed into the
tab. If this is the case, you'll probably have to cut the pin
off and press the remainder out with a gear puller or drill
it out. Some people have been able to heat the tab with a torch
and just pound the pin out though.
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Now adjust
the length of your discon links so that your swaybar is in the
proper position (you want the u-strap to be as close to vertical
as possible) and tighten the jam nut.
Once you
have the length set, re-install the discon link in the u-strap
(you'll need that 6mm allen wrench again).
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Now simply
slide the bottom bushing over the steel mounting pin, insert
the click-pin, pump some grease into the links (they don't come
pre-greased), and you're ready to go.
To disconnect
the swaybar, just pull the click-pin, slide the discon link
off the mounting pin, swing the link and swaybar up, and secure
them out of the way (see below). To reconnect it, just do the
opposite. It's as simple as that.
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The holding
pins are similar to the mounting pins that go on the axle, but
they screw into the frame rails. As you can see, there's no
place on the XJ/ZJ "frame" to mount the holding pins,
so XJ/ZJ owners will have to reply on the ol' wire-tie method
to secure the swabyar. JKS does supply big nifty yellow rubber
bands to help with the securing duties though. TJ owners get
to use the holding pins to keep the swaybar and links up and
out of the way.
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So
far I've been very pleased with JKS' new discon's. They're quiet,
super easy and fast to use, and it feels like they actually tightened
things up some around corners, though it may just be that the swaybar
can function more effectively now that my swaybar links are the correct
length. One thing I really like about the JKS dison's, besides how
fast they are, is that they can be reconnected one side at a time,
unlike my previous Tomken dison's that had to be reconnected at the
same time (which required either two people or me laying on my back
under the front bumper to do). At about $120, they're some of the
most expensive discon's on the market, but so far they've been worth
every penny.
For
more information, contact:
JKS
Manufacturing, Inc.
P.O. Box 98
Alliance, NE 69301-0098
308-762-6949
email: jksmfg@bbc.net
http://www.jksmfg.com/
