Hi FTE,
I've been looking for sway bars for my 1973 F250 Custom 2WD and did not want to pay for aftermarket ones as that was way out of the budget as i am working on my Fairlane 500 also.

Did some searching for it but didn't find a define answer to what to get if you do find them.

There are 2 Pick and pulls around me and they usually carry Bump and Dent side Custom or C/S.

It was on a Half off day so went to the first one.
no luck there.
It was getting late but off to the second one, and Bingo, found one with a front sway bar.

All happy and stoked about finding it.
I removed the sway bar and mounting brackets with end links.
Didn't have a crescent wrench or a 1 1/8 socket for the bolt head.
It was closing time and by the time i got home and went back with the tools they would've been closed.

so went back the next day armed with the proper tools:
1/2 ratchet
1/2 extension's (long enough to reach down the middle of the spring to the nut but w/o hitting the fender, bring various lengths)
3/8 ratchet
3/8 extension's
pipe to slide over the 1/2 ratchet to break the nut and bolts loose easier
Crescent wrench or a 1 1/8 wrench
WD-40 or any penetrating spray
3/8 socket set shallow and deep (SAE)
wrench set (SAE)
pair of dykes
pliers
nice heavy hammer
this should be it.

so all set and happy that i have everything to take the sway bar mounts now.

started walking to the truck, and the closer i get the more it looks like they cleared out the isle's where the truck was.
sure as s***, they did clear out the isle where the truck was.
all bummed out about it, i started to look for another one that had the front sway bar.

thought it was over and there went my chance to grab the sway bar set up.
was about to leave when i saw a blue dent side out of the corner of my eye.
so start to walk to it to check and sure enough, it had the front sway bar set up.

finally got the bracket's off and did not think about getting the i beams because i thought they were all the same.
decided to check the rears for s*** and giggles and shocked that the rear sway bar was there also.

so i took the rear sway bar set up as well.
all happy that i got the front and rear sway bar set up now.
got home and checking the i beams if they are all the same and they are not.
the one for sway bars are a bit longer and have a notch for the bracket to rest in.

so when you do see a front sway bar set up, grab the I beams, I beam bracket,sway bar,sway bar bracket and end links to save you the hassle of making multiple trips like me.
live and learn i guess.

so here's the pictures of what the components looks like:
I Beam:


I Beam Bracket:


Front End Links:


sway bar mounts:
Image in final picture

Rear sway bar end link:


rear sway bar mount w/ u bolt:


and this is what you should have with everything:




Price list of the parts:
Front sway bar: 12.99 + 1.99 core (half off day) =15.00
end links: 4.49 x 2 =10.00

regular price day:
rear sway bar brackets: 9.99 x 2 =20.00
rear sway bar: 25.99 + 1.99 core =28.00
U-Bolt: 2.99x2 =6.00
I-Beams( control arms is what PNP calls it)25.99x2 =52.00

My grand total is: 131.00 + 30.00 for gas for the 3 trips.
not too bad for a OEM F+R sway bar set up.
cheaper then aftermarket front or rear.
it might be cheaper if you take everything at once as most clerks won't charge for everything since they are all bolted together and look like one unit.

well i hope this helps out the rest of you FTE fans that want OEM sway bar set up w/o making multiple trips.

 

reserve for comparison pictures

 

Nice finds... I too hunted down front and rear bars. Please note that your end link to radius arm ("C") brackets are bent. The face should be flat ala:

 

damn it, but thanks HIO Silver.
will they still work or do i need to find another set of the "C" Brackets?
Just hope that i can find another set.

 

you should b able to straighten those out.

 

They'll work. Pound 'em with a BFH, heat 'em and beat 'em, or squeeze them flatter in a vice.

Poly bushings would be nice... hint, hint.

 

I just recently changed mine all out to get a sway bar. I noticed there was some difference from 73 to 79 , that i used. I had every thing off of my old super cab accept the brackets and link rods to mount the sway bar. I had lost then sometime moving from a different house. But i found some NOS brackets and some new reproduction links. I took all of the parts from the 79 in and had all new bushings in . Had them check the king pins and were good. I even used the heaver duty 79 springs and shocks . Replaced the steering gear with a new rebuilt one . Now it drives like it is supposed to. Before i had to keep it under 45 mph. You are going to like that sway bar , makes all the difference in the world.__

 

10-4! That's why us "in-the-know" will hunt down and install front and rear bars to make driving much more spirited.

I've got a couple of extra fronts if anyone is interested.

 

What about a D70? will the ones for a D60(rear) work or not? Has anyone ever used one from a GM dually rear axle?

 

____Yeah i was real pleased how it helped , i'm sure replacing the steering gear had a lot to do with it . I would like to put a rear one on too but the only one i have in my Ford parts pile is off of a 92 4x4 ranger . It may not be wide enough but i haven't taken time to check it out .__

 

tubes on a D70 are 3.5" or bigger, D60 is usually 3.25" so the U-bolts and brackets should work with a little grinding/elbow grease.

anything from a fullsize truck should work in the back really, but ideally you want the end links to go on the outside of the frame so you'll need to get a sway bar that works with your frame width if you're mixing and matching from other makes.

getting front and rear sway bars was easy, i just bought a truck that came with em

 

Awesome HIO Silver,
That i can do.
And yes new Poly Bushings all around.

I have one more question about the rear sway bar mount.
The mount with the U Bolts have a hole in the center for a alignment it looks like.
This Part:


But after i mount everything and button up, should i mark and weld a bar that is the size of the hole for security?
Or do i need them at all?

The Rear end i took them off of have a tab that was the size of the bracket hole and stuck up a bit.
So i just want to make sure.

 

That was probably a locating dowel. Me myself, I would weld one on the housing...why? I dont know!

 

mine is like that, with the dowel off the axle tube. my lower shock mounts are also part of the same bracket, i wouldn't be too worried about the dowel if i were you. the rear sway bars i've taken off other axles don't also have that dowel, the u-bolt, if properly torqued should be good. a plug weld couldn't hurt though.