Does anyone know why some trucks have the fins on the read diff cover and rear sway bar and others don't? Just noticed on 12 350 lariat I'm test driving dont have them.

Thanks,
Bob

 

It's part of the camper package I believe.

 

Maybe truck has snow plow package, can you get it with both?

 

I dont think so. You also can't get it with the 20" wheels.

 

Ford stopped installing the aluminum finned covers sometime during job one. They must have decided they just aren't required. I believe the sway bar is part of the camper package.

 

When you order the camper package it will include the sway bar and the overload springs. Pretty much a 350 rear end..... The finned cover has been discussed a few times with not much luck. Some job 1's have it, some don't. Looks to be a change about the August 2010 mark.

 

I'm familiar with what a sway bar does on a sports car. I'm not sure what it does on a HD truck. I imagine that it provides stability while hauling heavy loads. Would one want to install a sway bar with a truck that hauls but does not tow?

 

I don't see it hurting anything. The sway bar does the same thing on a pickup as a car, just tries to take out the roll when cornering. I can see a sway bar working great on a gooseneck or 5th wheel. Not so much with a bumper tow.

 

My Job 1 F350 SRW was built Sept 26, 2010 and and has the finned aluminum differential cover. Are we comparing all SRW or is somebody looking for the aluminum cover on a DRW? I have yet to see a SRW truck without it.

 

I have a SRW truck with camper package and no fin cover.

 

Remember SRW lariat is standard with sway control. An electronic way of taking out trailer sway. And I can tell you from first hand experience, it works. Dont know about the sway bar.

 

I'd imagine you could buy it from ford right? Wonder how much it costs?

 

See that's what I thought. There should be no need for a sway bar with these trucks. Maybe as a precaution with DRW for daily maximum load towing but for most drivers this would probably not be a worth while investment.
I invite someone to inform me what the camper package sway bars are for. I can look it up. I want to determine what real value the camper package is. There has been a great deal of prior discussion about shocks and air bags.

I did however listen to many of our peers and ordered bilstein shocks to improve ride quality. I think that for those who need support for frequent heavy hauling and towing firestone air bags would be a sound investment.

 

This logic would make sense to me.

 

I believe the reason the sway / stabilizer bar is part of the camper package is that it is designed with the intention of minimizing rear sway when you've got a slide-in camper loaded in the bed of the truck.....or other heavy load for that matter. But with the weight of most of the large slide-in campers combined with the increased height and higher center of gravity posed by a heavy slide-in, the stabilizer bar is a good addition.

The sway control is good for trailering but will probably not be as effective with a large slide-in. The sway control is going to sense and limit sway induced by strong crosswinds and trailer sway. The stabilizer is going to help minimize the sway of the whole vehicle and the "tipsy" feeling you might encounter when a strong wind catches the side of the slide-in camper.