aFe CONTROL Rear Sway Bar released for 6th gen 4Runner

[TRD_Alex]

https://afepower.com/afe-power-440-72t007rr-afe-control-rear-sway-bar

Seems like aFe has released a new rear sway bar for the 4Runner and Land Cruiser platforms. They're saying it gives a 370%+ increase in stiffness. Wondering how much difference it will make in daily driving and towing. Anyone plan on purchasing?

Priced at $525, and lets you choose between three different settings depending on how stiff you want it.

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[TyRoosevelt]

Looks nice. Superpro also has a rear swar bar for the land cruiser. Assuming it would fit the 4Runner as Afe has both vehicles listed for their bar. Superpro is less than half the price of Afe.

 

[Clipse]

Loved superpro on my prior STI

 

[xp0nex]

Wouldn't this increase your chances of oversteering?

 

[Dinosoar21]

Wouldn't this increase your chances of oversteering?

I think it would, yes. I might prefer that to the profound understeer these trucks have, though. Of course, the best way to deal with understeer is to make the front more effective than to "loosen" up the rear.

For me, I need to improve towing, so I think I'm going down the path of installing this bar.

 

[Dinosoar21]

https://afepower.com/afe-power-440-72t007rr-afe-control-rear-sway-bar

Seems like aFe has released a new rear sway bar for the 4Runner and Land Cruiser platforms. They're saying it gives a 370%+ increase in stiffness. Wondering how much difference it will make in daily driving and towing. Anyone plan on purchasing?

Priced at $525, and lets you choose between three different settings depending on how stiff you want it.

I probably will get one...a little pricey and not released yet. It does seem rather stiff...is the OE bar that soft? What does it even do then? My guess so it is still okay off-roading? I have an SR5, so no SDM.

 

[Lucky09]

I think "stiff" is referring to "body roll" and not making the suspension more stiff. The job of a sway bar is to force both sides to do the same thing, thus keeping the vehicle more upright.

Also, after typing all that out, I checked the website (sigh). And yes, it's referring to "body roll", not the ride quality of the shocks.

This will probably be an awesome product. You can have softer suspension (like a Dirt King 2.0 or TRD Pro on the 1st setting) but not have a loss in handling, but rather, increase it.

 

[TRD_Alex]

This will probably be an awesome product. You can have softer suspension (like a Dirt King 2.0 or TRD Pro on the 1st setting) but not have a loss in handling, but rather, increase it.

That's true, didn't think of that aspect!

 

[mjssss]

Will compromise off-road travel if not disconnected.
Rear sway bar primarily affects front handling (and visa versa). While this makes sense for a track racing car, I don’t see the allure for our vehicles.

 

[danimaldaisy]

https://afepower.com/afe-power-440-72t007rr-afe-control-rear-sway-bar

Seems like aFe has released a new rear sway bar for the 4Runner and Land Cruiser platforms. They're saying it gives a 370%+ increase in stiffness. Wondering how much difference it will make in daily driving and towing. Anyone plan on purchasing?

Priced at $525, and lets you choose between three different settings depending on how stiff you want it.

Before anyone goes down this path ask yourself if you like the way your 4 runner handles. If you like it now you will be changing that. I’ve been down this path in my 350z. I installed adjustable sway bars, and adjustable coilovers. In fact I swapped out the suspension 6 times. Even tokico blue shocks were not as tight as stock. In the end I went completely back to stock.as it actually handled the best.
as far as the 4 runner is concerned I’m only going to address the sway bars. I can vouch for bilsteins and will soon put on my fox 2.0.
Personally I would leave the sway bars alone. Heck my gr86 has stock suspension and I’m not messing with it.

 

[Mad Ghost]

Before anyone goes down this path ask yourself if you like the way your 4 runner handles. If you like it now you will be changing that. I’ve been down this path in my 350z. I installed adjustable sway bars, and adjustable coilovers. In fact I swapped out the suspension 6 times. Even tokico blue shocks were not as tight as stock. In the end I went completely back to stock.as it actually handled the best.
as far as the 4 runner is concerned I’m only going to address the sway bars. I can vouch for bilsteins and will soon put on my fox 2.0.
Personally I would leave the sway bars alone. Heck my gr86 has stock suspension and I’m not messing with it.

I think I'm with you... I use to race an Integra on road tracks and added thicker sway bars, but for an off roady rig I'm not so sure I'd want to be doing that. Body lean isn't bad stock compared to other suv's I've ridden in. In fact, compared to the forums for the Integra where everyone was focused on saving every ounce of weight for performance no one in the 4runner world seems to interested in those things. Like the same principles apply... to all 4 wheeled vehicles

 

[Dinosoar21]

So, by way of update, I finally installed my rear roll bar this past weekend. For me, a huge improvement in handling...so much less understeer. My use case is not at all off roading, but daily and towing my racecar, so this makes complete sense for me and was so glad it became available. I know this kit doesn't make sense for most use cases of these trucks being taken off road.

I compared the two bars, factory and aFe. There's just so much of a difference. The bar I pulled off weighs 9lbs, the aFe 26lbs!...and brackets are double the weight at 2lbs as well. I feel like I am unsure what that flimsy OE thing was doing! And, the aFe has three adjustments; I am using the middle. I should also note that the softest setting is still much stiffer than the OE bar. The red accent in the lower wheel well is pretty nice too (but that's totally subjective, I know).

It is a quality piece, though too expensive IMO. It does what it is supposed to. I recommend it!

 

[MikeD]

I claim NO expertise, but the discussion is interesting.
I will note that the rear sway bar on the TRD OR is puny compared to the front. The front is REALLY beefy: >>inch in diameter. The rear is not so much (<half diameter of front I believe). I think Tinkerer's adventure mentions that in this video Tinkerer's Adventure - Articulation vs. Sway Bar (but I am going by first hand examination (photos below). Video includes this graphic:

So it seems a stiffer rear sway bar does not hinder articulation - in fact the opposite (a bit).


Front sway bar (disconnected) orange dot:

Rear sway bar (blue dot):

I don't tow a lot and won't be planning to upgrade my rear sway bar unless that changes - but Dino's experience is helpful to know. Just here making some observations for what help they might be to the discussion.

 

[Dinosoar21]

Yeah, I am not an off-roader, so I don't know the pros-cons of sway bars, though it was always my understanding that maximum articulation means disconnecting. But, the debate over a connected bar and if it should be thicker/stiffer or thinner/softer is lost on me.

But, like all machines...intended use is everything, IMO. Hell, my 4Runner isn't even 4WD....because I'll just never need. I do fear I'll have resale issues with a 2WD, but I don't buy vehicles for that reason.

 

[Dinosoar21]

Wouldn't this increase your chances of oversteering?

Now that I have it installed, I have no worry whatsoever about oversteer. There was so much understeer and I am happy it is so much more neutral, but still on the understeer end of things. It is a truck.

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