56 Front Sway Bar
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Freshman User
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From: Chandler, AZ
56 Front Sway Bar
I am looking at making my own sway bar and have a dumb question...when mounting the bar it looks like it would have to mount in the front of the front axle due to the tie rod running in back of the front axle. If I am correct on that assumption does the sway bar then face toward the front of the truck vs. toward the rear??? Any insight would be helpful.
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From: Durham NC
Most conventional swaybars mount the other way around, the bushings and clamps mount to the frame rather than the axle and the endlinks would attach to the axle at the springplates similar to the way the shock absorbers do. In that case the bar would be well in front of the axle with the ends pointed back towards the axle. At rest the ends of the bar should be parallel to the ground.
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From: Chandler, AZ
mid fifty is where i saw how they were recommending to mount a front sway bar. then looking under my truck i realized it woudl be facing toward the front vs the rear. just thought that was wierd and didn't know.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
The swaybar doesn't know one end of the truck from the other, will work same pointed in either direction. I believe the bar would work better mounted to the frame tho based on how a swaybar works.
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From: Topeka, KS
I bought both front and rear swaybars for my '53 from Classic Performance Products. They both mount as shown in your diagram. The end links and brackets mount to the frame and the middle, solid part mounts to the axle on both. They're pretty nice....www.classicperform.com
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From: Chandler, AZ
stewards68 - so on the front sway bar does it face toward the the front of the truck due to the tie rod??
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I bought Quickor bars when they were still in business. The front bar is mounted to the frame forward of the axle and the ends point back at the axle. Although it probably isn't a big issue for our trucks, usually you don't want to add "unsprung weight" to a vehicle. The more weight you have directly attatched to the axle, the more inertia or resistance to movement has to be overcome to move the axle. Not so big an issue on rear axles that already weigh a lot, but relatively light front axles could be more effected. I haven't driven it yet though, it's still in a few pieces in my garage. Now I'm bummed out. Can't drive my truck.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
Originally Posted by Campbell 56
I bought Quickor bars when they were still in business. The front bar is mounted to the frame forward of the axle and the ends point back at the axle. Although it probably isn't a big issue for our trucks, usually you don't want to add "unsprung weight" to a vehicle. The more weight you have directly attatched to the axle, the more inertia or resistance to movement has to be overcome to move the axle. Not so big an issue on rear axles that already weigh a lot, but relatively light front axles could be more effected. I haven't driven it yet though, it's still in a few pieces in my garage. Now I'm bummed out. Can't drive my truck.
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Originally Posted by Campbell 56
I bought Quickor bars when they were still in business. The front bar is mounted to the frame forward of the axle and the ends point back at the axle. Although it probably isn't a big issue for our trucks, usually you don't want to add "unsprung weight" to a vehicle. The more weight you have directly attatched to the axle, the more inertia or resistance to movement has to be overcome to move the axle. Not so big an issue on rear axles that already weigh a lot, but relatively light front axles could be more effected. I haven't driven it yet though, it's still in a few pieces in my garage. Now I'm bummed out. Can't drive my truck.
Have any picturres of the sway bar mounted to the frame?
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From: Topeka, KS
Oh, come on, Ax...this finely tuned, corner carving machine is good enough that it can spare a little more unsprung weight, right??? 
Seriously, though, I can buy the unsprung weight argument, that's why most of our friends cut it all off and go with IFS. But how is the geometry better? That bar's gotta be fairly parallel to the ground (and thus the frame) and then has to twist when the truck "sways". That would seem to work the same in either direction. My problem with turning it around is that the bar mounts are, of course, inside the end mounts. There isn't a crossbar on the frame to mount them on, the engine is in the way. Thus, the bar has to mount to the frame rails. Other than getting a wider bar and somehow mounting the ends out on the spindles somewhere, I can't see how to make it work... I've assumed the reason mine's all 'backwards' is to keep the whole apparatus between the frame rails and out of the way.
Seriously, though, I can buy the unsprung weight argument, that's why most of our friends cut it all off and go with IFS. But how is the geometry better? That bar's gotta be fairly parallel to the ground (and thus the frame) and then has to twist when the truck "sways". That would seem to work the same in either direction. My problem with turning it around is that the bar mounts are, of course, inside the end mounts. There isn't a crossbar on the frame to mount them on, the engine is in the way. Thus, the bar has to mount to the frame rails. Other than getting a wider bar and somehow mounting the ends out on the spindles somewhere, I can't see how to make it work... I've assumed the reason mine's all 'backwards' is to keep the whole apparatus between the frame rails and out of the way.
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Thats why I asked for a pic of it mounted the other way in my above post. I am confused as usual. I think what Ax is getting at is that they can be mounted like the ranger/bII/explorer and still clear the leaf springs.
Here is a Bronco II d28 front axle for comparison. The frame rails are 30 1/2" wide.
Is that what you mean?
Here is a Bronco II d28 front axle for comparison. The frame rails are 30 1/2" wide.
Is that what you mean?
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I am in no rush, since I knew where the picture was (online) of a hacked off BII, I thought it might be a good example for this thread. It will be the spring before the doctors will let me do much of anything.
In the mean time..lots of reading and learning.
In the mean time..lots of reading and learning.