Sway bar install

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Oct 7, 2006 | 11:48 AM

f100beatertruck

Thread Starter

Cargo Master

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 2,408

Likes: 5

From: Parkesburg PA

Sway bar install

I don't have any sway bars on my 86, but I'd like to. Even if it's just a front bar.

I've found a few trucks at the yard (80-86 as well as 87-96's) that have front and rear bars.

How hard is it to pull the bars out? I know I'll have to deal with rust, but I'm wondering what I'll have to pull to get them out. They look like there's a plate under the spring. Can I just pull the shocks and drop the axles down, pull the springs and plates? Then I'd just need to pull the mounts and bar off the frame?

How about the rear? If I remember it's bolted to the axle with links to the frame?

Thanks

Oct 8, 2006 | 08:30 AM

Sycostang67

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Joined: Dec 2002

Posts: 5,491

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From: Kuna ID

I haven't seen a swaybar on a coil sprung version of these trucks. I would think that your truck would already have the mounting points for it though. The rear sway bars are held to the axle with large u-bolts and end links. It shouldn't take you more than 10-20 minutes to remove it unless you get some rusty bolts that dont want to let go.

Last edited by Sycostang67; Oct 8, 2006 at 08:36 AM.

Oct 8, 2006 | 10:12 AM

smallblock351w

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Joined: Mar 2006

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ive done this conversion to my own truck. you will need the plates that are under the spring,that is the worst part of the conversion. as its a good size bolt and can rust in there pretty tight. I took mine off a truck just as your thinking of doing and then installed on mine works great. And these years that where coils did have them but it was rare, was usualy on a truck that came with a trailer package

Oct 10, 2006 | 11:12 AM

loudfords

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Joined: Sep 2000

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From: Beachville, Ontario

I think the sway bars are more common on the 87 up trucks. These fit the 86 down trucks with some slight modifications. (I put 87 sway bars in my 86). Modifications: on the plate under the coil springs on the front end, had to cut off the nub that indexes the plate with the radius arm; the rest was direct bolt-in. On the back, the nub that indexes the axle brackets, nubs are roundish while slot in bracket is square. Some time with a hammer had that fitting quite well. Rest was bolt-in.

You're right, the big nut at the bottom of the coil spring is the hardest to get off. You can get the rest of the bolts/nuts with an 18mm socket. It's probably easier to get new u-bolts for the rear sway bar than to remove them. (easy enough for me, since my father-in-law owns a spring shop and just made me new u-bolts.

Oct 10, 2006 | 10:38 PM

f100beatertruck

Thread Starter

Cargo Master

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 2,408

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From: Parkesburg PA

Quote:

Originally Posted by loudfords

...nubs are roundish while slot in bracket is square. Some time with a hammer had that fitting quite well. Rest was bolt-in.

For as long as I can remember I was taking things apart, my grandfather is pretty hands on and I spent alot of time with him (and still to). Anyway I was about 6 or 7 and my parents took me in to take an IQ tests and one of the tests they gave me was a board with vaious round, square, triangual openings and matching pegs. The woman there told me to put the pegs in the slots and I asked if they had tools. She asked why and I said "if I have tools I can put any peg in any hole I want..."

Now I have a plasma cutter and a welder so I really can put any peg into any hole I want...

It sounds like the biggest deal is the spring bolt. Wonder if they'd let me take the "blue-tipped wrench" into the yard?? I called and asked if I got a sway bar and I took the links etc. how much would it cost. The reply: "Swaybar? $5"

For $10 and a couple hours I'll have front and rear swaybars!!