1999 Mountain Max sway bar questions

mountainmaxman

mountainmaxman

New member
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
22
Age
63
Location
Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Hey gang--

I've done the mods but now I have a question or two. My sled is a 1999 Mountain Max 700 with a 142 Hartmann extension and 2.25 finger track. I got the sled off of ebay from a guy in Colorado who used it for running the Rocky's.

He had widened the front end (i.e. not stock radius and tie rods, and I strongly suspect not a stock sway bar too). Total, the sled was about 3.5 inches wider than stock. I was told although that's not a lot in relative terms, it is quite a bit in the stance of a sled.

My Max didn't handle anywhere as nimble as a stock 2000 I rode, or a 2001 either so I bought all new stock radius and tie rods and tried to install everything. Big problem--couldn't pull the front end in enough to hook the new EQ up without the sway bar bushings scratching the bejesus out of the trailing arms.

So after trying a couple different times to make everything fit, I gave up and yanked the sway bar out. I understand the sled will not handle as well on the trails as it did with the bar in. My question is, how much of a difference am I looking at?

I live in the UP of Michigan and we do mostly boonie riding but there IS some trail riding as well (and besides I just bought a 1998 SRX 700 for that kinda riding). Am I going to be able to do 40-50 mph on the trails when we are on them without killing myself? Or am I going to have to ride like a Sunday driver?

Other factors that may enter into the overall picture is a 4-inch rider, stock Yami skis with just installed 10" carbides, Works shocks front-n-rear.

I'm lucky enough to leave from my front yard when we head for the woods so I don't trailer the sled to where the boonies start. If it's going to be a huge hassle getting to them (i.e. sloppy handling), or worse yet dangerous, maybe I should put the sway bar back in?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
I have an 01 MM700 and the first thing I did was pull the stabalizer out. It is really hard on trailing arms when boon docking or side hilling. I have no problems keeping up on the trail. I guess it depends on your riding ability. I would say pull the stabalizer out or just undo them and tie them up out of the way with some wire zip ties to try it out.
 
Absolutely, no stabilizer bar for me either. It does shove a little more in the corners, but the returns on off-trail rideability completely outweigh that problem. Remove it, cut it off, whatever. You will like it a lot better with no stabilizer.
 
same here with my 01MM..lose the sway bar..couldn't believe the difference and my '03 Viper mtn didn't even come with one.
 
I agree with them. Ditch the sway bar. Sure you might lose a little trail performance, but the gain in off trail is WELL worth the sacrifice. Like bullhead, I ditched it from my mtn max and viper mtns dont even come with them. You will still be able to haul balls on the trails.
 
is cutting it the only way to get it off? i was looking at it and didnt see any other way to get it out except for cutting it on one side right where it goes into the bellypan and pulling it through.
 
Not sure how to do it on the 99's. On my 01, there was a small rectangular plate on each side of the bulkhead that the sway bar went through. I just drilled out the 4 rivets on each plate, slid them off the sway bar after i detached it from the trailing arm, pulled out the two white pieces of plastic(behind the littel plates) that sandwiched the swaybar, and out comes the swaybar. One beer job!
 
Bullhead is right. On my 1999, there are four rivets that need to be drilled out on each side where the sway bar passes through the belly pan. The only problem I had with mine is that one of the rivets was up behind the bottom of the pan on both sides of the sled. At least it was plastic there and I was able to get a pry bar to push the plastic up so I could get to that pain in the *** rivet.

Once both mounts are drilled out, each side has two plastic bushings--u-shaped to hold the sway bar in place. With the mounting plates out of the way, the whole thing slides right out.

Better to take it out the right way than to cut off the ends in case you ever decide you want to reinstall it. Then you won't have to buy a new one!

BTW--Love the post by AK Mtn Viper...."the sway bar was put in for little old ladies in the corners..." TOO FUNNY!!
 
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