Broken Sway Bar Mount/Bracket

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Feb 3, 2005 | 07:34 PM

Sagegrouse

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Broken Sway Bar Mount/Bracket

Found a broken sway bar mounting bracket on my F250 CC PSD today. Front passenger side. Actually the dealer/mech found it and I saw the notation on the paperwork when I pick it up after a oil change. Service department didn't notify me of it at the time of pick up. When I called parts and asked that they order the part they told me they'd have to see the bracket to make sure they order the right one and the parts guy also spoke with the mech who told him there was more involved than just bolting on another bracket. I looked at it and it's seems pretty straight forward, may have to torch off the the bolt on the old bracket but it seems like a fix I should be able to do myself. Anyone have any experiance with this repair?

Thanks

SG

Feb 5, 2005 | 01:21 PM

AustinS

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Joined: Jul 2003

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From: Littleton, Colorado

Sorry no one responded to you before now. There is a TSB on that very issue, depending on the year. But as I have found if it affects one year, it usually affects others as they just do the minimum to correct it. This is from the Dieselmann's Page:

99-99.5
F-Series Sway Bar Breaks off Right Side of Front Axle:
The bracket welded to the right side of the front axle may break off due to stress. The fix is to cut the old bracket off and install one which is positioned higher on the axle. This also requires a revised left side spring cap and sway bar. Replace all hardware and both insulators.
TSB #00-1-6.
Unrelated to the sway bar bracket breaking is problems with the frame braket breaking at the top of the sway bar link. There is a cast bracket available to correct this, P/N F81Z-5C495-BH. OR, to correct this and the problem of the link bushings shifting off center and contacting the bracket or sway bar, model/year 2000 links (P/N 1C3Z-5K483-BB and -BA) and brackets (YC3Z-5C495-AA) with attaching hardware may be installed. SSM 15157

Hope that gets you going in the right direction,

Austin

Feb 6, 2005 | 03:57 PM

Sagegrouse

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Thanks Austin...I found the TSB and it'll cost 212.00 dollars for the Ford parts plus an hours labor. After reading some other posts on this site I'm thinking that buying the Helwig sway bar kit for the F250 will be a better way to go. 162.00 dollars and an install I can do myself. What do ya think?

SG

Feb 6, 2005 | 07:55 PM

AustinS

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Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 1,157

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From: Littleton, Colorado

That's the probably best way to go. Make sure you get the brackets with grease fittings, new end links, and poly bushings. The weight of the front end on these trucks destroys rubber too quickly. The stock end links and bushings are junk also. Mine only lasted 25K on the first set and even less on the second set. I only had them replaced with factory because it was free under warranty. I helped my neighbor install front and rear on his '99 last summer and its a piece of cake. Helwig makes a good quality product. It makes sense to save money, get a better product, and know its done right. You sound a lot like me. I'm sick and tired of paying someone good $$ to do a job, and then have to go in behind them and make it right. I do everything on my truck myself. I save money, and it gives me a chance to catch anything else that might cause a problem down the road.

Good luck, and glad I could help,

Austin