Getting Rock Ready With RockJock Antirock Swaybars

If there’s one vehicle you can’t leave out of the conversation regarding off-roading, it’s the legendary Jeep. Sure, these vehicles have a well-known reputation as capable off-road machines, which is why we selected one for Project Bugout. It’s no secret there is a strong aftermarket following for these vehicles, but why? Even though the Jeep platform is excellent for off-roading, they get even better with aftermarket components. This is the reason performance aftermarket companies like rock RockJock are so important. They have products that make the Jeep platform more versatile and better than the factory dreamed possible. 

We noticed with Project Bugout, our 2018 Jeep JL, that the more stuff we bolted on, the more it affected the Jeep’s handling and driveability. Currently, we are finishing up the Garvin Roof Rack. Soon we’ll install a pop-up tent on the JL roof. The problem is, a Jeep is not designed for added weight on the roof. And unfortunately, the factory sway bars could be better – even in stock form. Since we added a lift kit and Mickey Thompson 35-inch tires, matters have only worsened. We’re sure you can relate to our discussion here if you’re a Jeep owner. For those who aren’t aware, a lifted Jeep experiences body roll that can make you and your passengers feel like you’re in a washing machine, being tossed back and forth.  

Here’s the Jeep JL front supension in stock form. We could see the differences between OEM parts and RockJock parts immediately. With RockJock, everything was beefier.

Since we’re getting ready to add another 200 pounds to the Jeep’s top with a tent, it is an excellent time to remedy the body roll before matters worsen. A quick search led us to RockJock, a company deeply rooted in the off-road world. In fact, none other than John Currie, a staple in the industry, started the company. Knowing that this company is sure to put its product through the paces, we called and talked to Brian Shephard, Marketing Director of RockJock, about the company’s Antirock® off-road swaybars. 

RockJock Antirock Swaybars

Before we ordered any parts, we let Shephard know a little about the build to kick things off. We provided him with a lot of information about our intentions, which was necessary to get the correct setup. However, Shephard told us this is normal: “We do an interview process with the customer regarding weight bias and their intended usage of the vehicle to get them the proper bars.” 

After talking to Shephard about our options, he suggested the Antirock® RJ-246100-101 front swaybar kit and the RJ-246200-101 rear swaybar kit. He affirmed this choice by stating, “The rule of thumb is, if [someone] has a bunch of weight above door handle level, like an overlander with ‘all the stuff,’ water tanks, tent, etc., we [suggest] heavy front and rear bars. However, there is a balance of putting heavy bars on – concerning the application. For instance, is the customer just an overlander, or will they also be crawling”? Shephard continues, “You don’t want to over-bar it if they will be crawling as well. If they are loaded and towing, we may look at the heavy rear and standard front bar. Hence we have many bar weight options to accommodate many weight bias and articulation need variances.”

In our case, we do want to do a bit of crawling in overland trim, which is why, after our application interview with Shephard, he made the suggestion he did. The lighter bar on the front will allow us more articulation to crawl when the opportunity arises. Had we had more roof weight on our build, we’d have definitely moved into the heavy front bar. We know what you probably think: “Just disconnect the swaybar.” Shephard also educated us on this matter, telling us why Jeeps need a sway bar.

“Disconnecting a sway bar yields less traction because every time a wheel hits an obstacle (with no sway bar), it just plows the wheel to the bump stop”, Shephard explains. “The Antirock® essentially applies resistance to all four wheels which forces the vehicle to retain four-wheel footing and four-wheel traction via the torsion bar. Forcing the suspension to work on all four corners additionally ensures that the vehicle’s cab stays level because the suspension is performing as intended. It takes that scary, tippy feeling away in off-camber situations.”

Here is what the AntiRock swaybars look like on the rear of the Jeep when they are installed.

Currectlync

After we were fully educated on what we needed for the swaybars, we asked if there was anything else that would be a good fit for our project. Shephard recommended that we look at the Currectlync® Steering System (RJ-442100-101). The Currectlync® kit offers all factory geometry and ease of alignment specs. This combines dramatically upgraded rod ends, a larger chromoly tube, and an organically shaped forged drag link to enable maximum suspension up travel. This system was built with one thing in mind, safety. “The factory steering on these things (Jeeps) is very vulnerable”, Shephard pointed out. “When you are using the vehicle off-road, in the rocks, or anywhere aggressive, the steering is your first point of impact when approaching an obstacle. Stock components get beat-up on and fail. While not ‘invincible’, these parts are extremely durable when bashed on obstacles via the heat-treated chromoly construction.” 

After we had the parts lined out that we needed, we had one more question, how difficult is it to install the RockJock Antirock® swaybars and Currectlync® steering system? On a scale of 1 to 10, Shephard said it’s about a 2. That said, we decided to take Project Bugout to 4-Wheel Performance in Wichita Falls, Texas. Sure, we can install the products, but watching them work on the Jeep would be fun. This gave us time to shoot photos, and they could also align the Jeep after the installation. 

RockJock relocates the stabilizer and includes the mounts with the Currectlync®, making installation a breeze.

The installation process was straightforward and took about three hours to complete. This included the steering upgrade, front and rear swaybar, and alignment. The fit and finish of RockJock’s products are superb, and the installation went off without a hitch. We started with the Antirock® front swaybar and then did the Currectlync® steering system. Then we (4-Wheel Performance) focused on the rear sway bar. While the front swaybar replaced the factory unit, the rear swaybar requires a bit of finesse as it is located through an opening in the frame. We used a sander and worked around the frame, making a few passes to sneak up on the fitment. We then knocked on the adapters with a dead-blow hammer and finished the installation. 

After 4 Wheel Performance replaced the Jeep with RockJock parts, we headed over to the alignment rack to make sure the alignment was good to go.

With everything buttoned up and aligned, we took it for a quick test drive around the parking lot. We didn’t notice anything different on the first drive. However, after some seat time, we can feel a drastic difference between cornering and turning up an incline. The Jeep stays flat and doesn’t rock back and forth like before. We are amazed by how the handling has transformed from that of a horse and buggy to that of a modern-day car. Knowing what we know now, if we were to do it all again, the RockJock Antirock® swaybars and Currectlync® would have been one of the first upgrades we would have done. Honestly, it’s the upgrade that we didn’t know we needed.