Sway Bars for 1980 F100

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for adding sway bars to a 1980 F100 2WD?

I went to the local junk yard and found a 96 F150 front and rear sway bars.

I think the front bar will work, but I am missing the mount under the spring. Guessing I will need to go back and get that part.

For the rear I am not sure about the fitment due to the differences in 8.8" a 9" differential.

I am wondering if I am better to go aftermarket for the sway bars.

Any input would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Cash - First, WELCOME!!

Second, it seems like you are almost "there" on the front.  Just get the mount.

As for the rear, the page on Suspension & Steering/Sway Bar shows that they used the same sway bar on both 8.8 and 9" diff's.  However, for 1987 and later they used a different sway bar than they did for the Bullnose trucks.

But, I'd see how close it comes and see if you can make it work.  

Thank you Gary! I will get the front mount when I can and take some photos of the install.

Hopefully the rear sway bars will work.

I bought used front and rear sway bars for my 84 2wd Flareside. Both bars I bought were from Bricknose trucks, but my truck has the 8.8 rear diff anyway, so the rear is all plug and play. I've had them blasted and painted, but are still not installed yet.

The 9" and 8.8 sway bars may be the same, but the mounting brackets are different (or so I'm told). The 8.8 mounting plates have little holes that fit on to little nubs on the 8.8 pumpkin. So, it may be the case that the 8.8 brackets will work on the 9", but not the other way around...I'm not sure.

The 8.8 axle tube is 3.25", so if the 9" is the same, the 8.8 brackets should fit...with slight modifications if any at all.

Good point, Cory.  I hadn't looked at the brackets for the bar.  In fact, I didn't have them on the page.  But, I do now, and the brackets certainly have different part numbers.  

Cash - Try it and see.  May not work, but the 9" was used for a number of years so you should be able to find the right brackets.  Or, maybe adapt what you have?

It's a pretty straight forward swap. When I was researching mine, I found all kinds of old threads where guys went to the junkyards, grabbed full front and rear bar sets from 1994-1996 trucks, and just bolted everything on a Bullnose.

There have been several ways Ford mounted front bars on these trucks over the years, so it's probably easier (more options) to get that one right, if you get all the parts from one donor.  These show just a few arrangements:





The rear only had a SLIGHT change that I know of: the debossments on the casting for the center of the axle changed at some point.  Early 8.8s have distinct L&R brackets to fit the different debossments; later ones have identical debossments & brackets.  I drilled out one of my early brackets to fit my later axle's debossments.

This is the later casting, with matching rectangular debossments on the front where the tubes are pressed in:



This is general installation for the rear bar:

Steve,

Do you have any documentation that shows exactly which holes in the frame are used for the rear end links on a 2wd F150? I'll be mounting mine soon. Maybe it will be intuitive where they go, but I seem to have a lot of mounting holes in my frame.

Did you look at the one I linked above?  Also check the PREVious & NEXT - I think there's another version of that diagram in that album.

Every time I've bolted up rear bar end links, there was only 1 place they'd fit.  But I've probably only done Broncos.

I had a closer look at my frame today, and there's really just one hole it can mount in. There are four little holes there for the helper spring pad bracket mount, but then just two others next to that. One is elongated a bit and is very close to the edge, so that shouldn't be it. Just above that is a round bolt hole and must be the correct hole.