After years of wheeling an 80 Series, two things got old fast: the factory sway bar hanging low like a rock magnet waiting to get hammered, and constantly replacing end links and bushings that would rip and bend after every serious trip. That frustration is exactly what led us to develop the BPF AntiRock Frame Mounting Plates and why we think the RockJock AntiRock is one of the best upgrades you can make to an 80 Series.
The Problem with the Stock Sway Bar
The factory front sway bar on the 80 Series is designed for on-road handling and stability. It links the left and right suspension together, reducing body roll at highway speeds. On the trail, that's exactly the opposite of what you want.
When one wheel drops into a rut or climbs over a rock, the sway bar fights the suspension travel. The result is reduced articulation, reduced traction, and a wheel that's more likely to lift off the ground. And that's before you factor in the low ground clearance of the factory bar — it sits exposed underneath the vehicle, right in the line of fire for rocks, stumps, and anything else the trail throws at it.
The Durability Problem: Links and Bushings
Even if you're not concerned about articulation, the stock end links and bushings on an 80 Series have a hard life. Off-road flex puts constant stress on the links, and over time — sometimes after just one hard trip — they bend, crack, or the bushings tear apart. Replacing them gets expensive and frustrating fast, especially when you know they're just going to fail again.
The AntiRock system uses a completely different design. The torsion bar geometry distributes load differently, and the heavy-duty end links are built to handle real off-road use rather than just highway driving. You stop throwing money at consumable parts and start actually wheeling.
More Flex, More Traction
One of the biggest real-world benefits of the AntiRock is what it does for flex and traction. Because the AntiRock allows the suspension to move through a much greater range of travel than the stock bar, your tires stay in contact with the ground longer on uneven terrain. More wheel contact means more traction, and more traction means you're less likely to get stuck or need a recovery.
On technical trails where one wheel is climbing while the other drops, the difference is immediately noticeable. The 80 Series is already a capable platform — the AntiRock lets it reach that potential instead of fighting against a sway bar that was never designed for the trail.
Limit Sway Without Limiting Flex
This is the core of what makes the AntiRock work so well. A conventional sway bar treats sway and flex as the same thing — resist one, you resist the other. The AntiRock is engineered to separate those two forces. It provides just enough resistance to limit body sway and keep the vehicle stable, while allowing the suspension to articulate freely through its full range of travel.
The result is the best of both worlds: a rig that handles predictably on the road and maximizes traction on the trail — without ever touching a disconnect or making a compromise.
Always-On Performance
With the stock sway bar, you're constantly making a compromise. Either you disconnect it for the trail and deal with sloppy on-road handling, or you leave it connected and sacrifice articulation. The AntiRock eliminates that tradeoff. It's designed to perform well both on and off road, so you can drive from your driveway to the trailhead and back without any swaps or adjustments.
The BPF Mounting Solution
Installing a RockJock AntiRock on an 80 Series requires a clean, strong mounting solution for the frame side of the install. Our BPF AntiRock Frame Mounting Plates bolt directly to existing factory frame holes — the same ones used for the spare tire carrier — with no drilling required.
The two laser-cut 1/4" steel plates locate and support the AntiRock outer tube between the frame rails, with slotted mounting holes that allow you to dial in position, clearance, and end link alignment before the axle-side mounts are welded. It's the clean, North American-made way to do the install right.
Available as mounting plates only, or as a complete kit with the RockJock AntiRock sway bar and the correct 6-1/2" adjustable end links for proper fitment.
