ever since i got my bilsteins, i've had my rear sway bar off. i've experimented with driving on and off, and noticed no difference. however, i got the 20 percent stiffer shocks, so i'm sure that has a lot to do with it. at first i thought they might be too stiff, but now i can't imagine driving my xterra any other way. it feels better than when it was new and it's definetely offroad. i would consider getting new shocks before removing the sway bar though. i had mine on throughout my "stock" stage, but i've heard other people mention it might get a little hairy around curves or turns.