OEM E-Disco (Smartbar) Study

ronjenx · Dec 2, 2010

I have been wondering how the Smartbar works, and if it can be successfully disassemble, serviced, and reassembled.

The Smartbar is made by American Axle & Manufacturing.

Mechanically it is pretty simple. It's the computer control and the circuit board that will most likely cause problems. I was hoping to see a way to make it manually operated.

Here is a picture of the electrical connector. I don't know if anyone has wired in a bypass switch (like the lockers), but it looks like the computer control is too involved.

RubiRed Unlimited · Dec 2, 2010

That last shot is where mine failed. The connector broke and let water into the control board...it started engaging and disengaging at will during turns!:devil:

ronjenx · Dec 2, 2010

Yeah, I noticed there is a hole in the upper right corner of the connector cavity.
I wonder why it would need to be vented.

tkob1060 · Dec 3, 2010

Venom has rewired his, lot of info here http://www.jkowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14449&highlight=swaybar

ronjenx · Dec 3, 2010

In that link, there is another link that describes how to make it a manual disconnect. I'm going to give that a try.

chromedome · Dec 3, 2010

Off Road Evolution has developed an air actuator for these, similar to an air locking differential.

4x4x4 · Dec 3, 2010

Interesting design and great detailed pics.

ronjenx · Jan 25, 2011

I started this thread to see how the e-disco works, and to try to improve its reliability by making it completely mechanical.

The conversion to mechanical is done, and it works well.
I have to fabricate a lever for the console. Right now, you can see the wooden release handle. The final lever will be one you pull back to an over-center position, so it will keep the release spring compressed, like the original actuator did.

Inside the disconnect housing, the disengage and engage springs are retained. This allows the lever to be moved to the position desired, and the disco will unlock when the torsion bar is unloaded, and re-lock when the teeth are aligned. There is no need for an indicator light, because the status will be obvious from how the lever feels.

Where the cable enters the disco case, there will be a boot to make it waterproof.

Here is a pic. Next step: the lever.

insanitize · Jan 25, 2011

Any more detailed pics you have of this would be greatly appreciated.
I have an extra e-disco that I smashed the curcuit board housing on and I would love to try to do this with it.

SONIC · Jan 25, 2011

Nicely done!
I like the full mechanical idea.

Goodysgotacuda · Jan 25, 2011

Nice work!

SONIC · Jan 25, 2011

There is only one position where it can lock, so it will engage when the links are unlevel but will only actually attach when they align.

RubiJK · Jan 25, 2011

Mine is not re-engaging anymore. Its pretty strange. If I disco the battery, I start off with everything just fine. Use the switch to disengage it, light goes on, everything seems fine. Use the switch again to re-engage it, light goes off, but the sway bar remains disco'ed and rotates up and down without any tension and without locking at the horizontal position.

I havent repeated this to confirm it, but the one time I disco'ed the battery for 20 mins, it reset everything and the sway bar was once again engaged/locked.

Any ideas? It almost sounds like maybe that spring is broken in mine.... but that is not consistent with the computer being able to reset it (which I need to verify again).

ronjenx · Jan 25, 2011

The way it is set up, if all power is lost, it will spring load to re-engage.
If you cannot electrically select re-engage, it is most likely a computer communication problem.
The strange thing with your scenario is, you said the light goes out when the thing is still disengaged. It should be blinking when your selected position and the actual position don't agree.

donvillejeep · May 11, 2011

hi i really like your cable idea... im doing it. after having so much problem with mine... i was starting to hate my jeep. if you could give me details on what you did for hooking the cable to the spring loaded plunger and how you made it water tight... that would be awsome

ShafferNY · May 14, 2011

I wonder why Jeep didn't employ a simple door lock type actuator? They're much simplier in design and very reliable. Why invent something new?

The gear mechanism design is very simplistic and seems like it would be extremely reliable.

Great post ronjenx.

unsub · May 14, 2011

Ours wouldnt relock took it apart and it was filled with water, jeeps never sat under water, just ran through puddles. Think they leak where the bar goes into the houseing. With all the mods people are doing there is no way to know its connected. Got ours sitting on the bench, went with a stock bar and discos. Any one want to buy it? ( In a dry area)

donvillejeep · May 25, 2011

hi. when will we be getting pics to your excellent MOD? how you attached the cable on the inside of mechanism.

ronjenx · May 26, 2011

If you are asking for pics of my mod, (thanks for calling it excellent), I did a thread on it a while back. I must have forgotten to link to it in this thread.
Here is the link:
http://www.jkowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44889

BobCav · Jan 24, 2012

Does anyone know if a smartbar quick disco from 07-11 would fit a 12 JKUS?

J1000 · Jan 26, 2013

They have not changed, but to get it to work, you'll need to mod it like Ron did, or buy the harness and switch and have the dealer re-flash your PCM with the sales code to activate the feature.

charles · Nov 9, 2015

Hey guys, I'm posting this here. Please crosspost if it would be better somewhere else. My sway bar stopped working on my 08. The light would just blink at me. For a while, if I disconnected the battery for a reset, it would function.

SO, I finally tore it apart. I found corrosion and a lack of grease. I cleaned the shit out of it, removed the corrosion with a rust remover from amazon and a wire brush, and greased it. It works now, after a test drive.

If your sway bar dies, you may be able to tear it apart, clean it, grease it, and put it back together. Here is what I found:

Before:

Clean:

All greased up:

Here is the tear down procedure, kinda: http://www.jkowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41373

scubatech · Nov 9, 2015

First onbe of these that I've seen from the low humidity areas. Most have been in areas where there is a lot of mud wheeling & high humidity.

OEM E-Disco (Smartbar) Study

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