Sway bar removal

[rmkdave]

Is it possible to easily remove the swaybar without cutting it?

I have it disconnected on both arms, but I looks impossible to pull it due to the bends.

 

[skibreeze]

Simply remove the rivets holding the bushings in place and it will come right out. That's what I did, but nobody puts them back in.

 

[mtn junkie]

agreed

 

[Island Rider]

You have to drill the rivets out of the bushings that are in the bulkhead , slid them off the sway bar , and sway bar comes out very easily . I have done this to both my rmks , When you drill the heads off the rivets use a 3/16 pin punch to remove the rivet that is still in the bulkhead . I made a couple aluminum plates to cover the holes .

 

[rmkdave]

Thanks!

That's what I figured, but that bar has some pretty big bends and I thought it might be tough sliding it out in which case i would hack it off.

Guess I'll do it the "right" way.

Dave

PS- Anyone need a sway bar?

 

[Island Rider]

I think you will have a hard getting rid of the sway bar , I have 2 colecting dust , cant even give them away .

 

[rmkdave]

It's out!

For anyone trying this in the future I found it easiest to remove pulling to the clutch side with sway bar bend rotated towards the front of the sled.

It required a lot of jacking, turning, swearing, etc to find the right combination for the bar to come out.

Can't wait to try it out.

 

[mtn junkie]

I think you will have a hard getting rid of the sway bar , I have 2 colecting dust , cant even give them away .

they work good for pry bars lol

 

[skis_n_skid]

So, the purpose for removing the sway bar is to make it easier to lean it over onto one ski for side hilling/carving is that correct? And this makes it more tipsy on trails so you have to lean into turns more?

Can I do this with a Gen 1 chassis with a Gen 2 RMK skid and get similar results? Has anyone pulled the sway bar on a Gen 1 (XLT, not the aggressive chassis)?

 

[steepndeeper]

I pulled swaybars out on my 1990 Indy 500, 1991 Indy 500, 1994 XLT, 1995 XLT and 2000 700 RMK. From 1994 and later it was a simple process as others have mentioned. Front spring rates were lower on the 90 and 91 so I cut the bar and used a stainless steel sleeve w/2 hair pins so that I could pin the two pieces in back in place when I was on the trail. When I got to the off trail stuff, I would pull the pins, remove the short section of swaybar and block and then ride.
To totally remove the bars from the early 90's chassis due to bulkhead clearances, it was easier to just cut the bar on each side and then slide the center out.

 

[Kootenay-Stomper]

i got the old hack saw out of the shop and hackerd off. easy as that. and your all good!

 

[keefer]

Makes them ride better on rough trails as well.