OEM Sway Bar install is complete.

Simple and straightforward design; no instructions provided, but none are needed.









All for just over $100.00

 

I agree. What you might notice is a bit more side-to-side rocking on uneven surfaces. The drive, even unloaded, is much more direct in the steering. Wonderful.

 

Ordered F-250 Lariat CC gasser on April 10, 2017; received May 17, 2017.
What is the diameter of the OEM rear sway bar??? Am looking at Hellwig, too.
Thank you.

 

Deleted - information found

 

Does the bar come with the rubber bushings?

 

Yes, the OEM bar comes with the bushings

 

FWIW I installed my Ford OEM bar this afternoon in about 45 minutes, and a good portion of that was looking for tools I had misplaced. 103 Nm for the bracket bolts and end link nuts, and 48 Nm for the bushing bolts on the axle. Use vice grips on the end link ends to keep the stud from twisting in the rubber mount. Easy.

 

I completed the OEM sway bar install tonight.

Some tips:

Install the frame brackets first and torque them down. On the driver's frame bracket (the one near the fuel tank), have the end link inserted between the bracket and the frame before installing, because once the bracket is bolted to the frame, you can't get the end link in place through the gap (at least on my CC SB diesel).

Once the frame brackets are in place, hand tighten the top nuts on the end links to get the end links positioned.

With the end links in place, hang the bar from the lower bolt on the end links. Then bolt up the axle brackets. The flat of the bushing sits in the flat of the brackets; the curve of the bushing sits on the axle.

Finally, come back and torque down the end link nuts and the axle brackets. Converting the numbers Habemus Quattro posted above: 75 ft-lb for the frame brackets and end link nuts, 35 ft-lb for the axle brackets. I don't have a service manual, so I'm not in a position to question the numbers that were posted, they sounded good enough for me.

One caveat: I think the sway bar itself is directional, meaning I think there's a "right side up". In JeepPuller's pictures above, the sway bar hangs down right at the bottom level of the pumpkin or slightly below. This is the way mine is installed right now. On page 4 of this thread, CGA posted some pictures of a factory-supplied sway bar which looks like it sits a few inches above the bottom of the pumpkin. I think there's a slight angle on the bar, and you need to orient it "right side up" to get it to look like CGA's pictures. I'll probably pull mine off and reorient it tomorrow to confirm; I'm sure it works fine either way, but I'm not comfortable having the sway bar (which sits behind the axle) as the lowest point on the truck.

 

A couple of other thoughts I just remembered:

I greased up the bushings at the bar contact points with a synthetic grease before installation. Just slide them back, grease up the bar, and return them to their mounting position.

Also - I did not need vice grips to hold the end links while tightening the nuts. The bolts stayed in position just fine.

 

I installed the big wig as well but by looking at pictures above of the factory bar, looks like I need to shorten my links to bring the bar ends up higher, I was wondering about that they look too low to me. Looks like they can hook on something.

 

With the truck on the ground, you want the end links adjusted so your sway bar is level to the ground when in the front hole. It does seem to hang low but thats how the bar will work best

 

Interesting observation... Anyone with a factory installed sway bar care to take a few shows from the rear and front of the axle? I'll see if my BIL can check out new trucks at his work, and pass on what I learn.

 

JeepPuller - I just took a look at your picture of the parts laid out on the ground. The bar itself seems to also have a shape that would match the contour of the rear diff cover. The way you have it laid out is opposite of the R&P bump-out on my cover, which is on the left-hand side when facing the axle from the rear. I didn't notice this on mine (but I may have just missed it). I'll drop it tonight and flip it over, and will take some more pictures if it makes a difference.

 

Cool. I don't remember if the way I laid it out is how we bolted it up. My BIL was over and helped me bolt it up. He usually catches the dumb-a$$ mistakes I occasionally make.

I look forward to seeing what you find out.

 

Pulled my bar off tonight (much quicker than installation).

There is definitely a "direction" to the bar. See attached pictures. As I thought, the bar has a shape that looks like it follows the contour of the rear diff cover.

I flipped mine over to better match the cover and the bar no longer hangs slightly below the rear diff. Brought it up a few inches.

Again, not sure it would make a difference to the function of the bar, I just feel better knowing I put it this way.


Attached some pictures, including a before and after (may be hard to tell the difference).