My 96 F150 XLT 4wd ext cab short bed has sway bars front and rear.
My 95 F250 HD 4wd reg cab long bed does not have any sway bars.
Does this make any sense? Is it because the F250 has stronger springs?

 

My truck has sway bars front and rear.

 

My 95 250 4x4 eclb has sway bars front and rear. Truck was built late 94.

 

Front and rear sway bars were available for all 1980/96 F150/350 & Bronco and 1997 F250 H/D & F350.

One front sway bar is the same for 1980/96 F150 2WD/4WD & Bronco & 1980/97 F250 (1997 F250 H/D)/350 2WD gas engines.

There were two different front sway bars for 1983/97 F250/350 4WD diesels, one was only used with the super cooling radiator.

I'd list the part numbers, but the applications are mind boggling.

 

It all depends on what boxes were checked when they were ordered.....

 

my current F-250 didn't have one installed...but the replacement axle I bought off a '92 truck did have one

It's currently sitting in the side of the garage. Truck has virtually no sway and I drive her unloaded. If I actually decide to load her down, will throw the sway bar on there. It's pretty damn stiff without already

 

Yup, if you're on a budget you can deal with body roll.

 

It all depends on how the truck was speced out. They were OPTIONAL

 

I checked the boxes for front and rear anti-sway bars when I ordered my '85 F-250HD. Loved them! Even with BFG Mud-Terrains it would take cloverleafs almost as fast as my brother's '87 Mustang GT on Gatorbacks! (of course he could easily pull away from my 351 once the curve straightened out...)

 

Thanks much to all for the info.
Since they were apparently optional, I assume it would not be considered unsafe for me to remove them even when highway driving, but the main reason I want to remove them is so the frame doesn't twist so much when I 4-wheel over uneven terrain. The F150 has rear springs from a F250, so I guess those stiffer springs also contribute to the severe flexing.
You have all helped me a lot.

 

Remove them. Sway bars increase cornering performance. Yes, increasing cornering and performance increases safety but trying to extend that logic to trucks like ours is like saying your turd is polished with 60-grit instead of 40-grit. If you're constantly hauling something top heavy they'll help make it more stable but at the end of the day you can't cheat physics. Unless you're very familiar with how your truck handles at the limit of available traction you shouldn't notice much of a difference in handling.

The whole "You will kill a bus load of nuns if you remove the sway bars" sentiment that seems to be really prevalent on the Internet doesn't really translate to the real world as well as some people would have you believe. God knows how many SUV sway bars have been trashed after their mounts rust off.

 

I removed my sway bars and didn't notice. Don't drive it like an F1 car and you will be good.
Also these trucks flex like a wet noodle. Don't think removing the sway bars will help very much.