Product Reviews

Swaybar Correction/Disconnect System

Off Road Design's Correction/Disconnect System for full-size Chevy/GMC claims to improve articulation by disconnecting the sway bar from the spring bolt plate.   I have heard a lot about this product over the past few months and decided to see for my self.  I called Steve Watson at Off Road Design and ordered the kit, since the bushings on my 90 K5 were badly worn I sprung for the sway bar bushing kit.  The fist step was to park the Blazer on a level surface and remove the front swaybar to frame mounting bolts, then unbolt the swaybar ends from the spring plate.  The old bushing on the passenger side swaybar end simply fell out, but the bushing on the drivers side had to be drilled, hammered, poked and prodded until I finally came up with the idea to use the hand torch, it only took about 10 seconds before the barbecued bushing came out.   The next step was to bolt the quick disconnect brackets to the spring plates and slide the swaybar ends into the new brackets and insert the pins through the brackets and the bar ends, then tighten the front swaybar to the frame mounts.  The kit even includes a swaybar holdup bracket that mounts to the passenger side bumpstop (I should mention to keep all of the mounting hardware hand tight until finished).  Keep the swaybar loose enough to rotate up into the holdup bracket (I learned this the hard way), and your ready for the trail.  I wasn't finished yet because the proof was on the RTI ramp, so I headed down to Wilderness Off Road in Littleton to see the results, first I ran up the 28 degree ramp (a lot of ramps in the magazines etc. use a 20 degree ramp) with the sway bar connected and scored a 577, then I pulled the pins and headed up the ramp and scored an RTI of 624, not bad for about a hundred bucks and an hours worth of work.  The kit includes all hardware and is very stout, I do recommend buying the bushing kit to replace the factory rubber with poly urethane.  One thing that came in handy for reconnection is to park on a level surface if at all possible and to carry a hammer and screwdriver to massage the bar ends into place.  All said and done this kit is definitely worth the money to improve articulation for off road performance. - Steve Fox CK5