RMK Axis sway bar, who runs with/without

[Gunk]

i took the sway bar off my 14pro, it would boonedock a wall with no problem. the trail home not so fun, hang on in the corners or you will end up in the Rhubarb. i hope to get my snocheck Axys soon dealer is slow!

 

[geo]

The only way you prefer the chevy on the rocks is if you have had a few too many on the rocks yourself... That Power Wagon will leave it for dead, all day every day, twice on Sundays.


I will admit though... I had the sway bar disconnected in that picture

Lol. Love loyalty.

I had plenty of Dodges. They're cheap. Made good friends with the dealer because of warranty. You know tranny, front end, u joints, cheap spec'd AA axle.
Bought a Duramax in 04 and lost my trade in equity 'cause it just kept running and put too many km on.
'Cause Ford dealers will take anything in to make a sale I started a string of Fords. Made good friends with the dealer again, sigh! Final Ford was a '11 6.7 and the frame bent from a bucket in the back while taking across a job site.
Good thing it was new 'cause the dealer wrote me a check and took it back so i found a good ol' 07 Duramax.
It's got 340 k now and still original front end, tranny, u-joints and stuff. I could post a pic of it beside a little dozer too but you probably see the same thing around your neck of the woods everyday anyway.

You're right though. If I saw a rock like that in front of me, I'd probably drive around it.

That's all have to say about sway bars lol.

 

[89sandman]

If you couldn't ride a Pro with the swaybar in you sucked because it rolled over so easily, then because the Axys rolls over easier than the Pro does this mean that all Axys riders suck??? Maybe they need 2 swaybars??? Just don't understand why, if the Pro was the cats meow with it in, they would build a sled that rolls over even easier

 

[AndrettiDog]

If you couldn't ride a Pro with the swaybar in you sucked because it rolled over so easily, then because the Axys rolls over easier than the Pro does this mean that all Axys riders suck??? Maybe they need 2 swaybars??? Just don't understand why, if the Pro was the cats meow with it in, they would build a sled that rolls over even easier

With that mentality we would all still be riding this thing....

I'm mean...why try to make something better?

 

[ullose272]

God made the solid axle for the Rubicon. The Dmax just hauls it to the rocks.

now you say that, but why are most unlimited KOH/Ultra 4 cars going to this?

 

[CO Powder]

Lol. Love loyalty.

I like to call it life experience, which was clearly different than yours... I had a string of Suburbans followed by a couple d-max trucks which caused me to swear off GM. I had bad luck with the D/A combo. I have owned a half dozen Fords and probably 8-10 Dodges now. I too have tried them all myself. I shopped Ford and Dodge this time, it was a pretty easy decision. To me the GM 's are like Cat sleds, they need thousands spent after the fact to make them useful. JMO

 

[Dam Dave]

I like to call it life experience, which was clearly different than yours... I had a string of Suburbans followed by a couple d-max trucks which caused me to swear off GM. I had bad luck with the D/A combo. I have owned a half dozen Fords and probably 8-10 Dodges now. I too have tried them all myself. I shopped Ford and Dodge this time, it was a pretty easy decision. To me the GM 's are like Cat sleds, they need thousands spent after the fact to make them useful. JMO

Thought this was about sway bars..............had 3 new Dodges is a row, all had engine or tranny issues, ball joints replaced on all 3 at less than 17K, last one I got lemon law on it and went Chevy, never looked back, since then 1 glow plug I think, yup life experiences but I would drive around the rock too, I have dirt bikes for riding over rocks

 

[snowmobiler]

swaybars in the mountains are like training wheels.

 

[xmk1080]

Training wheels are for the trail, lol and so much more fun off trail when the sway bar is disconnected

 

[MountainFanatic]

Thought i would bring this thread back around since more people are riding. How are people liking riding without the sway bar? i've always ridden without one but haven't disconnected it yet on the axys

 

[HECKS]

I've always rode without mine, and I removed it from my 16.
I have since reinstalled it, as these WE Clicker shocks are not the best and would seem to blow through the stroke quickly with it disconnected, no matter how tight and cranked the shock springs.
I will be leaving it in with these shocks as it is a lot better with it installed. And still very easy to lay over and carve !

 

[mountainhorse]

Here was my take on the ProRide Chassis... regarding sway bars in/out... but I believe relevant to the AXYS as well...The AXYS gets on edge easier than the ProRide and is also easier to keep on edge.

The part about Squatting the sled vs. Getting it on edge is the major point, for me.

Here is my take on the subject.

MY OPINION>>> there are others that ride without that prefer it... Which is OK too.

This is IMO...

Here are some things that I learned that worked for me and made for less effort riding for my style of riding. I was excited to to learn this and thought I would pass on an experience that made my riding better. There are many better riders out there than me... many of them have a different style all their own that works very well for them.

Keep it. On the Pro... definitely.

Here is an adaptation of a post I put up a while back.

Before you may get all riled up… I do believe that you can get good performance from the sleds without a swaybar… but your shocks will need to be re-sprung/valved. I've had a PRO with my dialed in $1500 Fox EVOL-X's on it and I did like it... but that is an expensive shock with a lot of time in the 5 different adjustments those shocks have.

This conversation is for the "Average Joe/Josephine" that does not have upgraded shocks or years of riding experience.

With the PRO Chassis ... With stock shocks...with the sway bar out... for the most part…. you are really not getting the sled "on edge" even though it may feel like it...You are compressing the front shock and flexing the track.

Many people have this misconception…. I Did too (until I worked with Dan Adams on my technique)

When the shock is collapsed, there is little travel remaining to deal with rough terrain or crusty snow. Even more evident on a steep side hill when the body panels are riding deep in the snow and want to push you back down the hill…much less evident on a PRO RMK than the Previous models.... usually resulting in a roll over or requiring that you turn down the hill and going, usually, where you don’t want to go.

Truly getting the sled "on edge" DOES require more effort (to learn) and balance... It takes a practice to get comfortable with it... but the efforts over a few days of riding will, IMO, transform your riding. Once you "get it"... there is not much effort to the tequnique and you don't get tired on long sidehills.

With the proper swaybar OR new shocks that are valved and sprung for no swaybar... the sled will get up on edge well and hold a line without the shock collapsing on a steep sidehill... and kept the travel in the shock to deal with terrain and not get bucked back down the hill...Nor buck you off when doing powder carves in a meadow.

Yes, you can throw it around easier without the swaybar out...BUT... this is a dead-giveaway that you need to work on your riding techniques...In most cases.

I had the same misunderstanding and needed to work on it. This is the key to better riding on a Mountain sled IMO.

Cranking up the preload on the spring or putting more air in the shock is not the answer either as you can get into coil bind or the air-shock does not want to compress fully and gets super stiff… especially in the standard floats. Plus… this throws off the engineered balance of the sled as it increases the ride heigh of the sled... though some people adapt to it.

In the end... it boils down to practice... get into a packed out field and spend the day getting and keeping your sled on edge in left and right turns. Throttle control is important here too. Sometimes, like for me, it took an hour of literally walking next to my sled with it on edge and controlling the throttle, skis and balance of the sled before I could ride it that way.

You should be able to ride on one ski indefinitely, with little effort, once you have perfected the technique.

My 2 cents.

Have a look at this video...

​

Rasmussen at :50 and Whelpton at 1:39

You can see that the sled is on edge as compared to having the shock compressed on that side... This allows the shock to still have travel to do work if you hit irregularities in the snow.

It is more work to learn it... but worth it IMO.

Have a look at this one...

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at :28 , :48 1:13, 1:18 ... you will see that on the extreme sidehill... the uphill front suspension is basically still fully extended... the sled is on Edge... not "squatted" on that side.

THEN, FINALLY HAVE A LOOK AT THIS ONE...

Bret, at 1:54 seconds... "bumps" the tree on an extreme sidehill... you can actually watch the shock/suspension on the uphill side absorb the impact and watch the ski extend agian... If the shock was "squatted" on that side.. there would have been effectively no travel left to deal with that obstacle and he would have been bucked down the hill.... Pretty amazing move!!

​

,

Some riders have firmer or multi-rate springs or an Assault with firm springs on them... on the ski-shocks that compensate for the extra spring force lost in the removal of the swaybar.... some people don't. Make sure you have an apples to apples comparison.

A swaybar QD like Phatty talks about is a good way to see.

Just make sure you don't confuse "squat" with getting the sled on edge.... everybody has a personal preference and riding style that works for her/him... so go with what you like in the end... I'm just trying to present one side of a conversation.

Wheres my snow??
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[Gunk]

tried mine with and then without, with made hits harder and less controlled, like when side hilling and hittting a rock or log, without much more smooth and controlled, but the Axys is not a trail sled! sucks bad in flat corners

 

[Uncle Bob]

I ended up disconnecting mine while i was trying to get used to riding the axys chassis, tried reconnecting it later after i had gotten comfortable on the sled and didn't like it at all. so it came off completely, The down side is it really shows how bad the non adjustable walker evens shocks are. This year with raptors all around i'm expecting a completely different ride without a sway bar

 

[Killer Time Racing]

Duramax

X2

 

[xmk1080]

Running no swaybar, 36" zbroz front end with skies in narrow position and pro spindles (11 to 15). I absolutely love it, down hill turns are so easy and side hilling is so much more fun on steep hills and technical riding.

 

[mountainhorse]

I ended up disconnecting mine while i was trying to get used to riding the axys chassis, tried reconnecting it later after i had gotten comfortable on the sled and didn't like it at all. so it came off completely, The down side is it really shows how bad the non adjustable walker evens shocks are. This year with raptors all around i'm expecting a completely different ride without a sway bar

More to do with the springs than anything else IMO...pull the swaybar and you have drastically changed the spring force on the shocks.

AND... Yes, the RAPTOR shocks are top notch... Jake puts a lot of heart... and experience into his products, and takes good care of his customers.



.

 

[89sandman]

Cat doesn't even run a swaybar, problem solved...

 

[mountainhorse]

Assaults also don't run a swaybar ... but is sprung and valved for it...Like the Cat.

Heres my 2¢, my opinion.

It is not just a matter of adding stiffer springs when you pull a swaybar and are looking for good control.

Since a stiffer spring will increase rebound force... and very few shocks have rebound adjustment...the new force will not work well with the old valving calbration and not work well... they must work together as a system....compression valving dynamics would also be changed with stiffer springs.

When you are removing a swaybar, you are removing considerable spring force from the equation... and simply "cranking up" your shocks a bit is not compensating in the overall scheme of things, for pulling the bar.

Cranking up the preload on the shock will also change the ride height and ski pressure and how the front end works in conjunction with the rear suspension. ...which will also change how the sled performs.

If you have an aftermarket shock that was designed for use with the stock sled with the swaybar, the same holds true.If you have rebound and compression adjustment on that aftermarket shock.... and the ability to change the spring force without changing the ride height... you would be good to go with this aftermarket shock that was designed for a sled with no swaybar after you adjust for the change.

Now many do just "crank it up" or let it 'squat'....and not change anything else... and like it that way.... I say, GREAT...make YOUR sled how YOU like it... and have fun riding.

I'm just trying to point out some details of the situation here.

In general, IMO, if you pull the swaybar, and leave the your shocks the same, you are diminishing the handling performance of your sled








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[Timbre]

That makes a TON of sense. I tried it on a friends sled a year or so ago and didn't like the sway bar being disconnected at all.