1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Dentsides Ford Truck
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: Moser

sway bars again.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 06-04-2021, 12:46 PM
Fireater1968's Avatar
Fireater1968
Fireater1968 is offline
Freshman User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
sway bars again.

Looking at sway bars. Addco looks like ****.. im not drilling my I-beams. I got factory hardware off a 1986? Ford Econoline van and took apart my Suspension and installed the brackets. Fits great. however the sway bar is too long and the spacing isnt right. has anyone fond anything from a different year or make that would work? Helliwig seems out too. none available for 2WD trucks.
 
  #2  
Old 06-04-2021, 02:00 PM
redroad's Avatar
redroad
redroad is offline
Lead Driver
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pa.
Posts: 5,217
Received 493 Likes on 411 Posts
I have a suggestion, Timbrens can accomplish the same end. When the vehicle begins to sway in either direction the Timbren absorbs and mutes the force in the same way that the sway bar does and for less $ and less man hours to install. Combined with a qu8ality variable rate coil spring you have a first rate front suspension
https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index...oducts_id=3197
 
  #3  
Old 06-04-2021, 02:12 PM
Fireater1968's Avatar
Fireater1968
Fireater1968 is offline
Freshman User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
nice.. but not what im looking for, but i get your point!
 
  #4  
Old 06-05-2021, 01:02 PM
speedfreak78's Avatar
speedfreak78
speedfreak78 is offline
Cargo Master
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,146
Received 423 Likes on 338 Posts
You can always customize a bar by cutting a section out of a sway bar using 45 degree cuts, then slide a sleeve with fishmouth or 45 degree end cuts over it, weld the bar back together, slide the sleeve over the weld ,then weld the sleeve on the ends and a few rosette welds between the bar cut and the ends of the sleeve. It'll add some stiffness to the bar, don't know how much or if it'll even be noticeable. I read about that years ago when the pro touring style was just getting started and there weren't many options for big sway bars for some of the off brand cars.
 
  #5  
Old 06-06-2021, 09:54 PM
Ozzie H.'s Avatar
Ozzie H.
Ozzie H. is offline
Laughing Gas
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: S.E. Louisiana;so far USA
Posts: 1,207
Received 56 Likes on 48 Posts
I put a front and a rear Hellwig on my 1976 2WD F-250. They use clamps on the I-beams.



 
  #6  
Old 06-08-2021, 12:15 PM
Fireater1968's Avatar
Fireater1968
Fireater1968 is offline
Freshman User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
helliwig says no part for the 2wd units on the web site .. what was your part number?
called them.. discontinued
 
  #7  
Old 06-08-2021, 01:13 PM
Fireater1968's Avatar
Fireater1968
Fireater1968 is offline
Freshman User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
would anyone have the measurements of a ford bar?
hole to hole and the length of the arms from pivot to holes?

looking for hole to hole , b , a ,and c measurements
 
  #8  
Old 06-08-2021, 01:15 PM
Fireater1968's Avatar
Fireater1968
Fireater1968 is offline
Freshman User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
is nice! almost looks like it is same size as factory.
 
  #9  
Old 06-08-2021, 11:56 PM
Ozzie H.'s Avatar
Ozzie H.
Ozzie H. is offline
Laughing Gas
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: S.E. Louisiana;so far USA
Posts: 1,207
Received 56 Likes on 48 Posts
Originally Posted by Fireater1968
helliwig says no part for the 2wd units on the web site .. what was your part number?
called them.. discontinued
If they told you that they were discontinued, knowing the part numbers probably won't help any, but just in case:
The front was 7422; the rear was 7436.
 
  #10  
Old 06-09-2021, 07:02 AM
AKsilvereagle's Avatar
AKsilvereagle
AKsilvereagle is offline
Mountain Pass
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: North Pole, Alaska
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 24 Likes on 16 Posts
I also confirm 7422 front and 7436 rear - Hellwig part numbers for my 1975 2WD - I purchased them thru Slummit Racing in September 2017 since they were the only outfit that had them in stock and onhand at the time...

The 7422 currently shows 5 in stock right NOW and the 7436 shows not in stock with an estimated late August date thru Slummit Racing ...

I purchased my Hellwig front and rear sway bars from Michigan Truck Spring for my 1970 F250 back in 2008 when I upgraded the suspension to haul my new 8 ft cabover camper on it thru 2016.....

My 75 F250 Camper Special did have the factory sway bars but they were cheesy to me (7/8 diameter) and replaced them with the Hellwig's as they are beefy (1 - 1/8 diameter) as I finally fixed the truck up in a four year span to be much more reliable and upgraded the suspension as well and made this truck as my designated camper rig since 2017.

Hope Hellwig will resume or reverse their discontinued status - good thing I kept the factory cheesy sway bars (I generally keep most everything anyways as one will never know when it could be needed again)

The only mod I had to endure on the front was drilling two holes thru each frame with the 1975 truck to mount the sway bar bushing brackets :




Rear sway bar on the 1975 truck :



 
  #11  
Old 06-09-2021, 09:13 AM
Fireater1968's Avatar
Fireater1968
Fireater1968 is offline
Freshman User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
awesome your photos confirmed what i suspected. these arms dont used the factory mount points. why do aftermarket always feel the need to make it different? thicker stronger i get but why not make them work in factory locations.
 
  #12  
Old 06-09-2021, 03:15 PM
WheelMan6's Avatar
WheelMan6
WheelMan6 is offline
Mountain Pass
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 228
Received 128 Likes on 71 Posts
I don't have any photos to show it at the moment, but my '79 F-150 2wd has a sway bar on the front that mounted to some brackets on the front of the radius arms. Seemed factory to me, or at least like it could have been. Is that what you're after? If so, I could grab some measurements off of it for you.
 
  #13  
Old 06-10-2021, 06:26 AM
Ozzie H.'s Avatar
Ozzie H.
Ozzie H. is offline
Laughing Gas
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: S.E. Louisiana;so far USA
Posts: 1,207
Received 56 Likes on 48 Posts
Originally Posted by Fireater1968
awesome your photos confirmed what i suspected. these arms dont used the factory mount points. why do aftermarket always feel the need to make it different? thicker stronger i get but why not make them work in factory locations.
There may be different reasons for different applications. It would O.K. with me if they used the factory mount points and just improve on whatever the manufacturer may have been deficient on. The Hellwig end brackets for the front bar are easier to attach to the I-beam than the Ford brackets. Perhaps that was the reason. ?????????
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bert cook
1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
7
05-17-2013 05:36 AM
ydaveitsu
1968-Present E-Series Van/Cutaway/Chassis
5
06-24-2011 01:17 PM
SpokaneJim
1999 to 2016 Super Duty
8
04-28-2010 09:31 AM
FLgargoyle
1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
29
12-17-2004 08:02 AM



Quick Reply: sway bars again.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:03 PM.