SwayLOC Dual-Mode Auto-Magic Sway Bar at Moab this Week

[Daless2]

SwayLOC Dual-Mode Auto-Magic Sway Bar at Moab this Week

Hi folks,

If any of you are planning to be at Moab this week you owe it to yourselves to find the folks from OffRoadOnly ( www.offroadonly.com ) and check out the finial pre-production versions of the SwayLOC for the TJ.

This is an incredible new product folks.

SwayLOC is a dual-mode swaybar system. Think;

• While On Road you have the functional equivalent of the Stock Sway Bar for good handling and control.
  
  And when Off Road you have the benefits of a much thinner control bar that will manage flex but still enable control.
  
  All while being able to select which mode you want in a flash.

The dual modes are accomplished via a Patent Pending design, developed by the chief engineer at Though Stuff Products, Inc. ( www.toughstuffproducts.com )

This design incorporates an Inner Torque Bar, tuned for Off Road use and an Outer Torque Tube designed to handle the On Road sway of the Jeep.


The switch between the two modes is controlled by a latching system.

You select which mode you want, Off Road or On Road via a latching system that is either hand operated in about 1 second from outside the Jeep, or Air Operated from inside your Jeep.

Here is the only picture I have that I can share with you at this time.

It shows the air operated latching system developed by ORO for this dual-mode sway management system.





Please understand I do not have any business interest of any kind with either Tough Stuff Products, OffRoadOnly or any other Jeep type business. I can only share with you information I have been given permission to share and that I know about.

So here goes.


The SwayLOC will be initially available from ORO for the TJ in three flavors.

• 1.As an add on, with tuned torque bar/tube, for the AiROCk Suspension System with new ACU code to control it.
  2.As a standalone Air Operated System with tuned torque bar/tube ,for TJ?s with Coil Springs
  3.As a Mechanically Latched System with tuned torque bar/tube for TJ?s with Coil Springs.

I would imagine, but do not know, that other applications will be coming soon.


When Available?

Other then saying soon I really do not know.

I would check with Steve and crew at ORO when they get back from Moab, or better yet ask them while you are there.


How Much?

Well, I really don?t know that either.

But like everything else from ORO, I would expect the absolute highest quality and a price that matches that quality. LOL


If you are going t Moab this weekend you might want to check this out. I know ORO has three TJ?s out there right now with the SwayLOC installed to demonstrate how it functions and to show it off..

Personally I think this is the best new product idea / engineering I have seen in more then a few years for the TJ. It wouldn?t surprise me to find this become the ?Best New Product? at this years SEMA show.

Well done Tough Stuff, and thanks to ORO for bring in this to the market. I want one!

When can I have it! No, I want one first!!!! I want it NOW!!!

Frank

[Robert J. Yates]

Congrats to those involved with the development

[Croaker]

Is this what Allen's been testing?

Very very interesting. Very very $$ too, I'm sure!

[TObject]

Looks very nice!

Will it fit on a TJ with stock rims and 31" tires?

[Daless2]

Originally posted by TObject
Looks very nice!

Will it fit on a TJ with stock rims and 31" tires?

I don't know. I guess that's a question for the Chief Engineer!

Frank

[TObject]

I'll ask tomorrow. I pretty much know what he is going to say. Something along the lines, "do you want it to fit on a TJ with stock rims and 31" tires?"

What I am getting at, this looks like it could be a great mod for jeeps with stock suspension. Not just heavily modified off-road machines.

[mnjeeper]

Originally posted by TObject
What I am getting at, this looks like it could be a great mod for jeeps with stock suspension. Not just heavily modified off-road machines.

I agree totally with that. I am personally really impressed with the stuff ORO puts out. Not priced for the entry level "how can I fit 33s" group, but built for the one's who want the best.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by TObject
Looks very nice!

Will it fit on a TJ with stock rims and 31" tires?

Yes, if you make the appropriate clearances at the front bumper.

Edit- this line of products is being designed to grow with the jeeper who starts stock and grows as his or her skills increase as well as the difficulty of trail and growth in tire size increases.


It's a concept that has been overlooked by most and winds up creating incrementalism which is considered by most to be less than attractive.

The upgrade cost to the Swayloc will be extending the links as your lift height increases and then that should only vary between the small lift and the largest.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Croaker
Is this what Allen's been testing?

Very very interesting. Very very $$ too, I'm sure!

Unfortunately, the system essentially consists of two swaybars, Two sets of arms and the associated hardware.

All efforts are being made to reduce the cost to the consumer, but just the basics to make it function are costly.

It will be cheaper than buy two offroad swaybars though, just not sure by how much.

[blkTJ]

looks really good. nice design, great thinking.

[Allen]

Originally posted by Croaker
Is this what Allen's been testing?

Very very interesting. Very very $$ too, I'm sure!

I wish.....

Allen

[BlueJeeper]

Originally posted by Daless2

• 1.As an add on, with tuned torque bar/tube, for the AiROCk Suspension System with new ACU code to control it.

Does the ACU simply toggle the air source for the different ORO profiles, or are there potentiometers at each end of the tube to calculate the moment on the bar and tube, in order to control the different modes?

The simplicity of the bar and tube arrangement is an achievement. The fact that it can be automated has my mind whirring. That is exactly what I want.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Rick Bernotas
Does the ACU simply toggle the air source for the different ORO profiles, or are there potentiometers at each end of the tube to calculate the moment on the bar and tube, in order to control the different modes?

The simplicity of the bar and tube arrangement is an achievement. The fact that it can be automated has my mind whirring. That is exactly what I want.

It is just a very simple latch that is air actuated by the AirRock computer.

When you reach highway speed or at the time the computer senses sufficient ground speed to lower the ride height, it also re-engages the swaybar to be stiffer. It is in fact two swaybars calibrated for street and offroad use.

When you put it in 4-lo, it will disconnect and let the softer of the two come into play.

Just a simple mechanical/air system that can and may eventually be offered in a manual version with a simple over center handle to flip and go. Depends on the demand.

Someday, I'd like to build the continously variable version I have floating around in my head.

[BlueJeeper]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Someday, I'd like to build the continously variable version I have floating around in my head.

I shall look forward to that. Motor controlled output to a sun gear similar to the below, where the torque tube is the carrier?

[Paradiddle]

I can't wait to buy one! Another great idea.

Jeff

[Daless2]

Originally posted by Rick Bernotas
I shall look forward to that. Motor controlled output to a sun gear similar to the below, where the torque tube is the carrier?

Jeeze Rick!

I have to get you and Blaine and Steve and Brad and a few others in the same room for an hour or two. Collectively we can rule the world!

Frank

[Daless2]

See it pays to beg. Sometimes!

My SwayLOC is being shipped as we speak!

Well in reality it is the last pre-production unit.

Steve agreed to ship it to me with the understanding that I will be shipping it back for a production version (that I need to buy) when they're available. In the mean time I will be testing it and giving my best effort evaluation.

I hope to have this installed on my TJ by this weekend.

If anyone is planning to go the ERoCC / UROC event this weekend in Jellico, TN and want to see this unit I will be there with my Jeep. Let me know.

Have a great day,

Frank

[Daless2]

ORO SwayLOC Installation and Observations

For the last week or so I have had the opportunity to install and test the SwayLOC system on my TJ.

My first, second, third and continual impression is simple.

WOW!!!! This is impressive!!!!

Bottom line, the SwayLOC is a dual mode swaybar system; one Mode for Off Road to provide an off road type sway control

and

A Second Mode for On Road Driving which results in truly remarkable improvements in my Jeep?s handling.


The best I can do is giving you a seat of the pants estimate using my Jeep with the SwayLOC and a bone stock 2003 Rubicon.

I took both Jeeps for four different tests drives. My estimate is that the SwayLOC, when engaged and both bars are employed for on road driving, is about 20% stronger then the stock sway bar on the Rubicon. Management of sway while on road is an order of magnitude better then it was with my AntiRock sway bar. I suppose that is to be expected as I believe the AntiRock is designed to improve off road handling and control of the Jeep, not on road handling.

When the SwayLOC is disengaged, or put into off road mode handling, flex and control appear to be equal to my previous setup.

I feel this as a major improvement in handling, stability and safety for me and my Jeep, as like most, 90% of my driving occurs on road.

If you have wanted to improve the off road sway management of your Jeep but have always been struck by the ?But? statement, ?But I don?t want to negatively effect on road handling and safety", you should at least take a look at this system for a potential solution.



What I am Testing and Why

Please know I have no business affiliation of any kind with either ORO or Tough Stuff Products. I am simply an end users of some of their products.

After bugging Steve to sell me a SwayLOC (endlessly) so that I could improve the handling of my Jeep On road where it spend most of its time he gave me good news and bad.

The bad news was that he would not sell me one at this time. (took my credit card and out me on the waiting list!) The good news was, if I was willing, he would like me to install and test the last pre-production version of the SawyLOC and give an honest assessment, with both positive and negitive feedback as I see it.

I agreed and will do my best.

The SwayLOC system I am testing is a unit that would be an add-on for those folks who already have an AiROCK suspention system on there Jeep. This is a used unit that I believe was on Steve?s long arm converted YJ out at Moab Easter Week.

I would keep that in mind when looking at the photos. Some of the parts have some minor scratches on the paint, and in truth, these parts are indeed painted. I would think they would get a nice power coat finish once in production.


How it all works






The primary components of the SwayLOC system are two sway bars, one that sits inside the other.

The inner bar is a solid sway bar designed and tuned to enhance performance off road.

This inner bar slides inside a Hollow NASCAR type sway bar. During On-Road operations this Hollow Sway bar is locked to the inner Solid Sway bar and together they provide for enhanced on road handling and safety.

The other major element of the SwayLOC system is the ability to select the off road mode or the on road mode.

If you look at the above picture you can see an air cylinder. When the air cylinder is activated by air pressure the cylinder disengages a locking mechanism between the inner and outer sway bars. I?ll show you some more detail of this a bit later.

The selection control to engage or disengage the SwayLOC, in the add-on system I am testing is done at the AiROCK in-cab control head by simply pressing a button. I will provide more detail later on how to do this.



The Installation
The first step to installing this system is to remove your current sway bar, be it the stock bar or any other after-market bar like the one I had.

It would help during the installation to remove your front bumper to get more room to work. But this isn?t required. I did it with my stock bumper in place.

The first items you will be installing are the frame bushings and the inner and outer sway bars.

Here?s a picture of what you will be working with.




The solid inner sway bar has 1-inch diameter shoulders. The outer Hollow sway bar is 1 and ?-inches in diameter.

The two white frame bushing must be installed (read that pounded) into the round tube portion of the Jeep frame right behind the front bumper. These where a tight fit. There was also a minor clearance issue with one of the welded on washer used for the steering box. I resolved this by trimming about 1/16-inch off one spot using a utility knife. Steve tells me he was already aware of this and has made the adjustments to the engineering drawing prior to going to production.

Here are some pictures.

Passenger side frame bushing.




Please take note of this picture. See the upturn on the Jeep bumper? You will need to trim it off a bit near the frame bushings on both sides. This trimming is needed to allow the clamping hubs on the SwayLOC arms to clear the bumper through their full range of motion.

I did this with a body saw, but it could easily be done with a grinder too. Take the lip off in areas about 2-inchs long and you will have no clearance issue to deal with later.

Here is the driver side frame bushing. See the steering gear washer I was talking about. No big deal, but nonetheless an issue that needs to be resolved.

(Pretend that the inner and outer sway bars are not shown peaking through the frame bushing in this picture. I simply forgot to take a picture of the driver side at this time.)





Once the frame bushings are installed you need to install the outer (hollow) sway bar.

Put a light coating of oil on the outer sway bar and work it from the passenger side bushing, through the frame rail and into the frame bushing on the driver side.

This will not simply push it. You have to lightly work it in with a hammer and a small block of wood. Tap tap tap, it does go in nice and tight, as I believe it should to prevent sloppy operations.

Once installed center it between the frame bushing. Measure this, don?t just eyeball it, as it is important.

Measuring to ensure the outer (hollow) sway bar is centered between frame bushings.





Once the outer sway bar is installed and centered in the frame you need to install the short passenger side inner control arm. This is the cam looking thingy with a notch cut in it.

Here is a picture.



This inner arm must be mounted to the outer (hollow) sway bar on the passenger side with the groove facing out, or away from the Jeep frame. The Lock Notch should be positioned so that it is horizontal to the ground.

Once you have it in that position tighten down the nut and bolt to clamp the arm to the outer sway bar. You will need two 9/16-inch wrenches.





Once the inner cam control arm is clamped to the outer sway bar you need to install the inner (Solid) sway bar.

Simply slide this bar through the hollow sway bar and position it so that an extra 1/16-inch is sticking out on the driver side.

Please measure it.




Now you need to install the driver side control arm. This arm has two hubs on the end that attaches to the sway bars. One hub is 1 and ?-inch the other is 1-inch to enable both sway bars to be clamped to the same control arm.

Here is a picture of the driver side control arm.





What you need to do is slide the driver side control arm onto the spleens on both the inner and outer sway bars and clamp it down. You need to do this while holding the passenger side Cam Control arm horizontal, and mount the driver side horizontal to the ground.

In other words, either find a big ?c-clap? to hold the passenger side cam control arm in exact place while you do this, or employ a helper for a few minutes.


Tighten the clamping bolts down.





Move over to the driver side to complete the passenger side fancy latching assembly.


Remember the groove cut in the Inner Control Cam Arm? You need to find and install the aluminum bushing into this groove. I found it helpful to hold the bushing in place with a small piece of masking tape.

Once in place, slide the outer passenger side control arm onto the inner sway bar splined shaft. Make sure it matches the angle you have the passenger side control arm set to, pretty much horizontal to the ground. Once set, tighten the clamping bolt and nut.

Here is a picture.




Double check that the aluminum bushing did not fall out of the groove when you installed the arm. You can do this by verifying there is less then 0.100-icn or just under 1/8-inch gap between the inner and outer control arms.

Got it? Good!

The mechanical installation of the SwayLOC is basically complete.

Onto the Air system.


Air System Integration

As I mentioned at the start the SwayLOC system I am installing is the add-on system for people like myself who have an AiROCK suspention system. These instructions deal specifically with this installation. I have no first hand knowledge as to how the mechanical or stand-alone Air Operated SwayLOC system would be installed from this point forward.


The SwayLOC system comes with an air solenoid/valve similar to the type used on an ARB locker. This valve needs to be plumbed into the air system and wired into the AiROCK wiring harness.

This is a really simple installation.

Here is what you will be working with.

Air Valve/valve



The air valve will need to be plumbed into the OBA supply using a T-connector provided.

The wiring to the air valve/solenoid is plugged into a small harness shown below.

There are only two wires that need to be connected besides simply plugging things in.
The read wire goes to an ignition switched 12-volt source, and the black wire goes to ground. It is that simple.


Here is the mating harness to the AiROCK system and what appear to be a photo optical relay inline with the harness. (See black tube on bottom of wiring harness.






There are two (2), Two-wire connectors already installed on the AiROCK wiring harness. They are currently terminated with a plug that goes to know where. Find the connector that has a brown and a black wire going into it and unplug the terminating connector.

Plug the above wiring harness into the AiROCK harness at this connector.

Plug the other end of the new wiring harness into the Air Valve/Solenoid harness.

Your done with the wiring.

All that is left is to cut the supplied ?-inch hard airline to the correct lengths and attach the air valve/solenoid to the compressed air supply via the intake port of the valve.

Connect the outlet port of the valve to the air cylinder on the SwayLOC passenger side control arm.

The installation is complete.

All that is left it to tell the AiROCK system that the SwayLOC has been installed and learn how to use it.

I am going to have to finish this up later or tomorrow as I am out of recess time and have life calling me to do things I don?t really want to do.

Have a great day folks.

Frank

[ChrisO]

My hats off to the folks who thought this up. I'll just have to have one for the YJ.

Just think, non of this would be this easy if Jeep Corp hadn't used the tube cross member! I wonder if the Jeep engineers had the foggest idea what they started by going to this type of crossmember? BTW you TJ guys.............YJ's started this crossmember idea

[Daless2]

SwayLOC to Axle Links

I forgot to mention these during the installation. Probably because I didn?t install them.

Seems the set that were to be shipped to me had to be diverted to the machine shop with the final drawing as the 3-D model.

I am using the AntiRock links right now, but expect to be getting the heavy-duty aluminum links in a week or so. I?ll post some pictures when I have them.



Telling the AiROCK System about the SwayLOC System

The control programs in the AiROCK ACU have to be re-flashed by the folks up at ORO.

I don?t know how Steve will be handling this but I am certain it will be a part of the package for those who are going with the SwayLOC add-on unit. Best check with Steve on this.

I believe the ACU Code must be at least up to version v2.0g but I am not certain.

Anyway, you need to go into the AiROCK Main menu and select ?Installed AiROCK Options? There you will find a new option for the SwayLOC. All you need do is press the ?>? button on the in-cab control unit to toggle the SwayLOC option to Installed.

Simply ?X? out and you're done letting the AiROCK system now that the SwayLOC is installed.



Operating the SwayLOC from the AiROCK In-cab Control head

Enter the AiROCK Main menu.

The first line of the first option will read ?SwayLOC Engaged?

The second line will read either a ?yes? or a ?no?

To toggle this option simply press the ?>? button.



Set the SwayLOC option to ?Yes? to engage the SwayLOC for on road driving and take it for a spin. If the SwayLOC is not physically fully engaged when you start out it will automatically engage the control arm latch/lock upon moving past the latching position.

I have tested this continuously and often, and ever time this latch engagement happened within a few feet.



To disengage the SwayLOC, to allow for more articulation all you need do is tap either the ?<? or ?>? buttons.

The Jeep will not tilt left or right on the "tap" when you do this, but it will disengage the SwayLOC and put you in off road mode.

As long as the Jeeps remains in Manual Mode (Under your chosen speed setting to enter Active (Highway) Mode, the SwayLOC will remain disengaged.

Once you reach your ?Active Mode Speed threshold? the SwayLOC will automatically engage giving you on road, or high-speed improvements to handling.

Once your Jeep speed drops you down from Active Mode to manual Mode, the SwayLOC will automatically disengage again.


If you wish to manually over ride this engage and disengage you can do so by going back to the main menu and simply selection ?SwayLOC Engaged? and toggling to the ?Yes? position. When you do this, the SwayLOC will be using both inner ands outer sway bars for on road driving, until you choose to disengage it by tapping ether the ?<? or ?>? buttons.

It is that simple folks.


Other thoughts or little things I can share

I have had this SwayLOC installed for only a week or so. And the overwhelming amount of driving I have done with it has been on the pavement. I did get a chance to kinda show it off at Jellico last weekend to a few folks and during that test it sure flexed out nicely.

I do not however have any real experience to indicate longevity other then to say from appearances, this is very well engineered and I believe over built, and from experience with other products from ORO, they all work flawlessly right out of the box. Kinda takes away some of the sticker shock. (but not all! LOL)

I do not have pricing information to share with you because none of that was shared with me. Only a range of pricing for the three flavors of the SwayLOC that are going to be available. I do not feel comfortable in sharing this price range as I was not specifically given the ok to do so.

If anyone has a real need to know I would suggest you give Steve or Brad or any of the other fine folks at ORO a call. www.offroadonly.com

Availability will be dependant on final testing. I believe there are a few other folks (customers of ORO) testing the last pre-production units as well.. I would imagine once this effort is completed it would be only a short time before the ?AiROCK add-on units? would be available.

When will that be?

Yesterday would have been fine with me, but I really don?t know. Might want to call Steve on that one. If I were to guess I would say 45 to 60 days, but that is just my guess, I have no inside info on this.

That?s about it for tonight folks. I am hoping to give this a good off road workout over the weekend. If I do will provide a few more thoughts and observations as I see them.

Have a great night, I plan to.

Frank

[Tumbleweed]

ChrisO, that tube cross member idea came out with the Willys MB model; around the early 1940's.

[ChrisO]

Originally posted by Tumbleweed
ChrisO, that tube cross member idea came out with the Willys MB model; around the early 1940's.

Yes, It was in fact a tube, however it had slight bends at each end, and the sides of the frame were not "open", to allow a bar to pass through it. And, it was under the radiator, not the ideal location for a ASB to route.

But I hear Ya, and agree, it's not new stuff. I started Jeeping with a CJ2A, waaaaaayyyyy back in the 70's.