Sway bars are important for a few reasons. First, they reduce body roll in turns. When you start to turn while driving, the vehicle will lean because of its weight distribution. If your car had zero sway bars, it would just lean all the way to one side and then the other.

Second, they reduce wheel hop or skipping during acceleration and braking. And finally, they reduce squatting under heavy acceleration or braking by transferring some of the forces from the springs to the axle with links that connect between them. The Polaris RZR 1000 has sway bar links on both ends of its inner and outer.

Sway bars 101

Although you may have no clue what these things are, you may still have questions. Here are some answers. What are sway bars?

Sway bars work by transferring vertical forces from the springs to the axle. A sway bar is basically just a two-piece assembly that connects the engine to the axle and connects the tow hitch to the axle. There is no rocker arm in a sway bar, so it doesn't move as you steer around corners.

So, when you turn or slow down, the vehicle doesn't roll. How do they work? The sway bar doesn't just act like a clutch on an axle. Rather, it transfers all the forces to the vehicle's weight distribution.

Imagine a scenario where the passenger's weight is directly under the right corner of the vehicle.

Why sway bars are important

Sway bars are important in cars and many other vehicles to prevent body roll. But the traction of the ute is another concern. It's not necessarily on the skids, but on undulation, such as bumps, and on the way up the hill or off a ramp, where uneven surfaces can make for a rocky ride.

With all of the rough roads we have around us, maintaining traction is essential for the vehicle's survival. What to consider when selecting a vehicle's sway bar/linkages is weight. It's not just about getting the car up the grade quickly or just getting around hills.

You want to be able to stop on a dime without braking or skidding, turn tight and fairly quickly, and last a long time. Also, if you have four wheels, they should always have a power source.

How sway bars work

If you’ve seen an RZR at a racetrack, it probably has a sway bar. And it likely has three bars with some kind of a sleeve. Each car has the same bodyweight distribution like the ones at the racetrack.

The only difference between a go-kart and an RZR is that the internal weight of the vehicle changes when it enters and exits turns. This is why each vehicle has different levels of torque capacity and starting traction.

The importance of Polaris RZR 1000 sway bar links

When I was testing the RZR S this year, I noticed one of its handling quirks. When I was going down a set of dirt ruts, the RZR skated about 2-4 inches sideways when I hit the accelerator, as if it wanted to recover from understeer. I had some of the same trouble when I was braking hard.

After I installed link upgrade kits, the skidding and squatting ceased almost instantly. In fact, even when I wanted to skid sideways on the dirt trail, I recovered my ability to accelerate back to the right position very quickly, thanks to the fact that my skid was much shorter and had more bite. In turn, this allowed me to brake later with less brake pressure and thereby corner with more confidence and control.

Need a sway bar link for your Polaris RZR? You can find it here.