Taking off sway-bars
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 329
Likes: 0
Taking off sway-bars
Hey guys, is it true that if the sway-bars are removed that will provide my truck with more suspension travel!
By the way I have a 1990 Bronco with dual shocks up front!! I also have front and rear sway bars. My truck also has a 6" lift and 35" tires!!!!!
THANKS A BUNCH!!!
By the way I have a 1990 Bronco with dual shocks up front!! I also have front and rear sway bars. My truck also has a 6" lift and 35" tires!!!!!
THANKS A BUNCH!!!
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 482
Likes: 1
From: Connecticut
Taking off sway-bars
Won't give more travel unless the sway bar causes a binding condition. It will allow one wheel to articulate a greater amount with the same force applied to it since the sway bar transmits force to the other side. It acts like another spring when only one wheel is articulating. The ride will seem less stiff. I took the rear one off my B2 and the ride is less harsh, especially offroad. I don't even notice it on the highway where I thought body roll might be a problem. On my F150 I have removed the front one at times, it's smoother off road but I reinstalled it for better stability on the highway.
Mark
Mark
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 14,947
Likes: 6
From: Topsfield, MA
Taking off sway-bars
Yeah it does hinker off road use, lots of 4wd's came from the factory without sway bars. Mine doesn't have any and the ride isn't to bad over the 95 F-150 I owed before this one which had 2 sway bars.
Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds
.
Check out my Gallery for a look-see.
Justin - One Happy FTE Member
Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds
.Check out my Gallery for a look-see.
Justin - One Happy FTE Member
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 482
Likes: 1
From: Connecticut
Taking off sway-bars
My 89 F150 came without one also. I added an aftermarket one. The truck doesn't "roll" alot without one while cornering. If you go off road alot I would remove it. I leave mine on since it sees the highway quite often. Even so I'm always debating whether I should remove it.
Mark
Mark
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 14,947
Likes: 6
From: Topsfield, MA
Taking off sway-bars
What kind did you get, could you give us some more detailed information like the brand/size/instalation etc etc?
Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .
Check out my Gallery for a look-see.
Justin - One Happy FTE Member
Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds
.Check out my Gallery for a look-see.
Justin - One Happy FTE Member
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 738
Likes: 2
From: McChord AFB
Taking off sway-bars
well since you have a 90 bronco im perty shure its ifs. If this is the case and you pull the sway bars you will just have to be carefull going down dirt roads and the like. If you hit ruts too hard then the truck WILL roll faster than you can believe. Dont believe me reaserch the first ifs jeeps and what they did...
But i wouldt worry my f-150 will run no sway bars and my 80luv (wich is ifs) runs no sway bars it just gets a little exciting doing 50mph on a dirt road and half the front end starts jumping
But i wouldt worry my f-150 will run no sway bars and my 80luv (wich is ifs) runs no sway bars it just gets a little exciting doing 50mph on a dirt road and half the front end starts jumping
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 329
Likes: 0
Taking off sway-bars
I don't think I'll remove it then beause, I often go in excess of 65 M.P.H. OFF- ROAD!!
:-staun
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,330
Likes: 17
From: Dryden, ON, Canada
Taking off sway-bars
The Ford TTB IFS is nothing like the normal IFS you find on a Chevy or Dodge, however, with speeds in excess 65 MPH off road, it'd probably be best to leave 'em on... My 82 F100 was a bit squirrely on pavement when you hit a bump without 'em, let alone doin 65+ mph in the dirt... for all intents and purposes, for a go-fast off road machine, your truck is a bit tall... Gotta have a low slung big tired machine with HUGE amounts of suspension travel so that a pothole isn't even noticed, and a berm is little more than a speedbump... Then again, I am biased... I have an off road race truck in my garage...
Evan
86 F250 HD XLT Lariat Explorer 4x4 ex. Extended Cab: 8800LB GVWR 460/Edelbrock 1411
T19/BW 1345/3.55 geared Full Floater 10.25/Dana 50 TTB
265/75R16's on Whitespokes
78 F150, 351M/C6, eventually to have something done with it...
Evan
86 F250 HD XLT Lariat Explorer 4x4 ex. Extended Cab: 8800LB GVWR 460/Edelbrock 1411
T19/BW 1345/3.55 geared Full Floater 10.25/Dana 50 TTB
265/75R16's on Whitespokes
78 F150, 351M/C6, eventually to have something done with it...
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 329
Likes: 0
Taking off sway-bars
I never built my truck to go fast off-road. That wasn't my intent. I built it to do some hard-core off-roading. Still, when I go off-roading there is this long stretch of gravel road. It's about 10-15 miles long. I love just to hit the gas and haul some ***!!!
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 482
Likes: 1
From: Connecticut
Taking off sway-bars
Mustang
It is a Helwig 1 1/8" sway bar that I purchased from JC Whitney about 6-7 years ago. It was around $100. It came with a bracket that mounts between the frame rails, to this you attach the sway bar through polyurethane bushings. The bar end links I had to fabricate since the ones that came with the kit were not long enough due to my lift. I used 1/2" ID stainless steel pipe cut to the appropriate length for the outer sleeve, I used some 7/16" u-bolt stock for the inner threaded rod. Brackets that mount to each axle halve using u-bolts were provided with the kit to attach the other end of the end link. Like I said, I prefer not to have it when driving off road. On road it helps but not a huge amount since these trucks do not lean much in corners without a sway bar.
Mark
It is a Helwig 1 1/8" sway bar that I purchased from JC Whitney about 6-7 years ago. It was around $100. It came with a bracket that mounts between the frame rails, to this you attach the sway bar through polyurethane bushings. The bar end links I had to fabricate since the ones that came with the kit were not long enough due to my lift. I used 1/2" ID stainless steel pipe cut to the appropriate length for the outer sleeve, I used some 7/16" u-bolt stock for the inner threaded rod. Brackets that mount to each axle halve using u-bolts were provided with the kit to attach the other end of the end link. Like I said, I prefer not to have it when driving off road. On road it helps but not a huge amount since these trucks do not lean much in corners without a sway bar.
Mark
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: CT
Taking off sway-bars
i dont have a front sway bar on my 95 250 but thats cause i had a plow put on it that was on my 85 250 and the plow frame wouldnt fit so they took it off.but in the srping its going back on.let me tell you if you go over 55 the front end will be all over the road like mine and will cause your tires to go bad alot faster so if your only going to offroad with it it may be ok but if your going to use it every day dont do it trust me i know.:-X23
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 14,947
Likes: 6
From: Topsfield, MA
Taking off sway-bars
Thats weird, I dont have any sway bars at all and I have no problems whatsoever. I tow snowmobiles and a 4000lbs boat just fine. The only time I can really tell that there arn't sway bars there are highway off ramps. I had a 95 F-150 before this one with front/rear sway bars and it wasn't a whole lot different until higher speeds (like the off ramps) but I have driven my truck up to 102mph and it handled just fine no problems.
Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .
Check out my Gallery for a look-see.
Justin - One Happy FTE Member
Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds
.Check out my Gallery for a look-see.
Justin - One Happy FTE Member