swaybars?

[Rusty_S85]

Gary,

Understood on the detail. I don't need any info, but maybe Rusty does. I was just pointing out that the most front swaybars you're going to find on F150's will be interchangeable...assuming one was "Junkyarding"...

Which is good to know cause if most swaybar interchange then I shouldnt have to be too picky when I find the I beam ears.

[Rembrant]

Which is good to know cause if most swaybar interchange then I shouldnt have to be too picky when I find the I beam ears.

This is what the 1980-1986 mounting brackets look like FYI. The later ones were cast iron and part of the coil spring seat.

[Rusty_S85]

This is what the 1980-1986 mounting brackets look like FYI. The later ones were cast iron and part of the coil spring seat.

Im going to have to check the year, the junk 84 F150 at work that we put the motor in it has no sway bars, but the other F150 it has some juicy parts I would love to rob off it but frenchy brought it to us to get it running again after sitting so many years. I don't know if the swaybar end link mount is part of the perch or not I just looked under to see.

Truck also has the rod style tail pipe hanger bracket, I am very curious if it is backwards compatible with the 81-82 frames. I rather just bolt in that hanger in place of my OE one so I wouldn't have to try and mock up the tail pipe to weld the proper hanger onto the tail pipe I got.

[Ray Cecil]

This is what the 1980-1986 mounting brackets look like FYI. The later ones were cast iron and part of the coil spring seat.

Dang cory, those are some rusty radius arms!!

Im waiting to add the front sway bar to my 82 Flareside also. The 87 bronco has front and rear sway bars. 8.8 rear, so I cant use it on my 9" rear.

Im waiting to get my garage done before I tear apart the front end. I want to clean up the frame, POR15, new everything, leveling springs, etc. Rather have my lift put back together on a concrete floor before I attempt it.

[Rembrant]

Dang cory, those are some rusty radius arms!!

Ray, they are from North Carolina but had been sitting outdoors up here the past couple years. It's just surface rust...they cleaned up very nicely. Even rusty, they're "Mint" compared to what they look like up here. I have since painted them black, but they were like were like new under the brown scuzz...lol.

 

[FuzzFace2]

Dang cory, those are some rusty radius arms!!

Ray, they are from North Carolina but had been sitting outdoors up here the past couple years. It's just surface rust...they cleaned up very nicely. Even rusty, they're "Mint" compared to what they look like up here. I have since painted them black, but they were like were like new under the brown scuzz...lol.

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?

I also then wonder if the front bolt in cross member the bar mounts to will also fit our trucks?

My 81's were not drilled for a sway bar mounting.

That would open a larger door to be looking for the parts.

For the rear bar it would still need to be for a 9" for us that run the 9" but I think after market would be easier to come by for the rear than the front.

Dave ----

[Rusty_S85]

Dang cory, those are some rusty radius arms!!

Im waiting to add the front sway bar to my 82 Flareside also. The 87 bronco has front and rear sway bars. 8.8 rear, so I cant use it on my 9" rear.

Im waiting to get my garage done before I tear apart the front end. I want to clean up the frame, POR15, new everything, leveling springs, etc. Rather have my lift put back together on a concrete floor before I attempt it.

I'm starting to re think the swaybar cause I forgot when I do my leaf springs I'm going to run the suspension assist kit that Eaton sells on the rear. It's a block of collapsible rubber that replaces your axle bumpers and functions as a over load helper spring. I forgot this also helps to control sway as well. Will have to see but if I do this I might not need swaybar or at the very least just the front swaybars.

[Ray Cecil]

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?.......

The 87 bronco parts truck I have has sway bar brackets. They are cast steel, but they look like they are removable. They are certainly not part of the radius arm, or the I beam.

I am adding these to my 82 once I am ready. I have a brand new set of coil springs, factory height.

New springs + sway bar bracket + sway bar should give the front a slight lift if the factory springs are a bit saggy.

I had an 86 that I put a front sway bar on and it lifted the front end maybe .25"-.75" IIRC. I think someone argued with me that its impossible that it lifted it, but the difference was noticable..And the ride was stiffer.

[Rusty_S85]

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?.......

The 87 bronco parts truck I have has sway bar brackets. They are cast steel, but they look like they are removable. They are certainly not part of the radius arm, or the I beam.

I am adding these to my 82 once I am ready. I have a brand new set of coil springs, factory height.

New springs + sway bar bracket + sway bar should give the front a slight lift if the factory springs are a bit saggy.

I had an 86 that I put a front sway bar on and it lifted the front end maybe .25"-.75" IIRC. I think someone argued with me that its impossible that it lifted it, but the difference was noticable..And the ride was stiffer.

Thing to remember is if the rear of your truck is low and you add new springs in the rear it will make your front sit lower. right now my truck sits level due to worn out leaf springs so I have just enough clearance for a little scrub of my tires to my fender on the passengerside front with a passenger. once I raise the back up to OE height with new springs the front will be dropped. Question is how much of a drop so I am leaning towards a 1 1/2" lift for the front just to ensure no scrubbing.

[Rembrant]

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?

Yes they can. I've read on FTE where guys have gone to the junkyard, and pulled both front and rear bars off a 1993, or 1995, whatever, and slapped the whole works on a Bullnose.

I also then wonder if the front bolt in cross member the bar mounts to will also fit our trucks?

As far as I know, yes, but you'd have to get Gary to confirm. I'd almost guarantee that they are the same up to 1991, but after that I am not sure. in 1992, the frames got the front crumble zones, so they may be different.

For the rear bar it would still need to be for a 9" for us that run the 9" but I think after market would be easier to come by for the rear than the front.

Dave ----

Keep in mind that all that is specific to the 9" rear end is the brackets that mount on the axle tubes. That is all that changed between the 9" and 8.8 rear ends swaybar assemblies...the swaybars stayed the same, as did the end links.

See, brackets for the 9" rear end were just little pieces of channel cut to fit only on the axle tubes. See snippet below from Gary's Swaybar page. That is what the bracket looks like.

When the 8.8 rear end showed up in 1983, Ford changed the brackets slightly and added an extension that fits on a little nub that is cast into the pumpkin. It's really just a anti-rotation protection, to keep the brackets from moving on the axle tubes.

What I'm getting at is, you can probably grab a rear swaybar assembly from a 1996 with an 8.8 rear diff, and make the brackets fit the 9" by just cutting part of the brackets off. Not sure if the axle tubes are the same diameter or not...but even still, you could make the bracket easy enough out of a piece of channel.