front sway bar option

[1971ford]

ok thanks
and that is the ok-with-headers one right?
just want to make sure

[1971ford]

ok thanks
and that is the ok-with-headers one right?
just want to make sure

[390Nut]

Affirmative.

[1971ford]

gracias

[Craigerf100]

Some of our trucks did come with front swaybars, but probably not what you're used to seeing. They fit between the radius arms:

[ Image ]

[ Image ]

The '73-up trucks did come with the convential swaybar style. Look for them on some F250s and almost all F350s. Here's the setup I got from an F350:

[ Image ]

[ Image ]

Here's a picture of a van setup, but it shows you how the bracket is mounted:

[ Image ]

....and here's an exploded-view schematic of the swaybar setup:

http://www.fordification.com/board/73-7 ... ematic.gif

Hey have an opertunity to buy a sway like top 2 pics. The one between the radius arms.
Does anyone out there have one of these? How well do they work?
How do they campare to the 'normal' swaybars? Like the addco style swaybars

[Craigerf100]

Anyone?

[BrockGrimes]

Silly question but do you have to drill holes to mount it to the frame say on a 69?

The aftermarket ones you have to drill the frame and then the mounts on the other ends are all goofy, either drilled and bolted or U bolts like Hellwig uses.

[72BahamaBlue]

Yep, to use 73-79 bar, must drill 4 holes on the frame for the brackets. The 73-79 F100, F150 and F250's front frame should have these holes. The same location will work for the 67-72's.

[HIO Silver]

Yep, to use 73-79 bar, must drill 4 holes on the frame for the brackets. The 73-79 F100, F150 and F250's front frame should have these holes. The same location will work for the 67-72's.

The Dentside front swaybar require the C-brackets which are mounting over the I-beam and secured with the radius arm thru-bolts. That's probably the hardest part of retrofitting so better to install them while doing other upgrades or maintenance when the front end is disassembled. The C-brackets have an indexing pin and fit in a notch on the radius arm. If your arms don't have the notch, they can be grinded. Alternatively, just use the later radius arms which already have the notch. Refer to the pic below of my '70 using '78 arms and DJM beams.

And marking/drilling the frame holes should be done with all the weight on the tires and the suspension at rest. This will ensure ensure the sway bar and end links are not in a bind.

[ultraranger]

I was at a local scrap yard a couple of months ago looking for a Dentside front sway bar. I didn't find any Camper Specials but I did find an E-350 Super Duty DRW cutaway chassis van that had a front sway bar on it. At first, I thought the thing was a '73-'79 model because it had the dent line contour on the front fenders and doors.

I knew the forward-mounted sway bar on it didn't look exactly right but I started taking it loose. After I got the bar off, I held it up under my '69 F-100 and saw that it wasn't going to fit. However, the C-brackets were the correct type needed. I went around to look at the data tag on the door jamb and saw that the E-350 cube van was a 1987 model!

I grabbed the C-brackets --and also the (460) factory engine oil cooler, hoses and filter adapter --all for $12.00 and brought them home. After doing some research, I saw that the sway bar C-brackets on the Super-Duty chassis cabs was produced all the way through 1991.

Since then, I located and purchased a sway bar setup from a member here that had taken the assembly from a '78 F-250 Camper Special. If the bracket(s) get damaged in an accident, I guess I've got a spare set. I just thought it was really something that the C-brackets on the '87 DRW E-350 chassis cab was exactly the same as the ones used on the Dentside trucks and that they were still being put on Fords as late as 1991.

[HIO Silver]

Yuuup... I got mine off a mid-80s Econoline cuz it was mostly disassembled already.

Spares eh? I've got spare Dentside sway bars but no C-brackets cuz they're a pain in the azz to remove!

[ultraranger]

Yuuup... I got mine off a mid-80s Econoline cuz it was mostly disassembled already.

Spares eh? I've got spare Dentside sway bars but no C-brackets cuz they're a pain in the azz to remove!

Yeah, that was the reason I pulled the C-brackets from the E-350 chassis cab. At the time, I didn't have the ('78 Camper Special) Dentside swaybar. I figured if I got my '77 disc brake I-beams installed on my '69 and if I hadn't located a swaybar by then, I would at least have the C-brackets in place on the ends of the radius arms. I figured after this if I found a swaybar from a donor truck, the swaybar would be the easiest part to remove from the donor.

Do you know what diameter your Dentside swaybar is? The reason I ask is because I've been looking for new Energy Suspenion bushings to install on the swaybar I have recently obtained. They list red or black poly bushings for a 7/8", 1.00", or a 1-1/8" bar but not for a 1-1/16" swaybar, like I have. I've seen some blue bushings, from some other company, for a 1-1/16" bar but it doesn't say what material they are made of --and I'm looking for black bushings, not red or blue.

I was just wondering if you knew what diameter your swaybar is and IF it happened to be 1-1/16", where did you get your bushings (brand/part number)?

Thanks,

Steve

[HIO Silver]

I figured if I got my '77 disc brake I-beams installed on my '69 and if I hadn't located a swaybar by then, I would at least have the C-brackets in place on the ends of the radius arms.

THAT is excellent planning.

Good question. I don't know. I plan to reuse the rubber bushings cuz they're still good. However, I just measured the three I have using a digital caliper and they range from 1.070 to 1.090 inches.

1/16th of an inch is .0625 inches and 1/8th of an inch is 0.125. I'm not thinking that Ford ever really anticipated using poly bushings on these so they may have anticipated some "crush" using rubber.

I'd opt for 1-1/8 inches cuz poly bushings don't give and the difference can be made up with layers of teflon tape. That's what I would use instead of that nasty, sticky silicone grease.. and ya never have to re-grease them - ever.

[F-100Ranger]

Well, I'm back at it again. It's be over 10 years since I touched my F100.

So I found a couple F150 sway bars, but on an unidentifiable frame. I'm thinking it's a 75 based on the disc brake dust guards. I got the bar bracket assemblies too. Can anyone tell me the length the front bar would be from end to end so I can be sure it's the right one that is going to fit?

I also got the rear bar off what was left of the frame. I know the fame of the 75 was wider, but not sure it was a pick up donor or high boy etc. So to be sure can anyone tell me how long the correct rear sway bar that would fit be?

[HIO Silver]

A.... Outside diameter at eyes = 44-1/8 inches
B.....Eye to eye, centerline = 43-5/8 inches
C.....Outside diameter at arms = 41-1/8 inches
D.....Overall depth (front face of bar to end of arm) = 15-1/2 inches



Bushings.... Energy Suspension. I don't have the PNs but I know National Parts Depot carries poly bushings for these swaybars.