Improving Handling
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 93
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From: montana
Improving Handling
I want to improve the handling on my pickup. It is a 1989 F150
2wd x-cab. I was thinking about changing to heavier rate springs, kyb shocks, energy poly bushings and adding sway bars. I want to keep the stock height, at least for the front, so what kind of springs(heavy duty replacement)? Any ideas or thoughts on my plan? Thanks.
2wd x-cab. I was thinking about changing to heavier rate springs, kyb shocks, energy poly bushings and adding sway bars. I want to keep the stock height, at least for the front, so what kind of springs(heavy duty replacement)? Any ideas or thoughts on my plan? Thanks.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 14,947
Likes: 6
From: Topsfield, MA
Improving Handling
well heavier springs will make you feel the bumps more so i don't know if that is what your looking for but it stiffens everything up. New shocks would be a good idea unless the ones you have on there are in good shape. Havn't had any experience with new sway bars.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,594
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From: Campbell River, BC Canada
Improving Handling
I just put heavy duty coils in my 86 F150 4x4 as well as ford gas shocks and the thing goes over bumps like you wouldn't believe, the ride is so much smoother. The only problem with this is, it raised the front end of my truck about 2.5 inches which looks great on it but for yours it might not. The heavy duty coils have two extra coils on them but they are made for the half tons. I am about to put a steering stabilizer on it as well. Hope this helps.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,903
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From: Copley, OH
Improving Handling
A set of 1" Addco sway bars and Bilstein shocks worked wonders on my 96 F150 2WD. But it's still a truck, it doesn't handle as well as a normal sedan much less a sports car.
BTW to fit the front bar on mine I needed the Ford spring perches and links for the stock sway bar. Don't know about the running gear on yours.
BTW to fit the front bar on mine I needed the Ford spring perches and links for the stock sway bar. Don't know about the running gear on yours.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,017
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From: Southeast FLA
Improving Handling
StrangeRanger, or anyone with a sway bar... do you have the Radius arms (I-beam suspension)?
I was recently told the radius arm type front end takes the place of a sway bar. In looking under the truck I couldn't see a place for the U-bushings even if I wanted to place a sway bar up under there.
I was recently told the radius arm type front end takes the place of a sway bar. In looking under the truck I couldn't see a place for the U-bushings even if I wanted to place a sway bar up under there.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,903
Likes: 2
From: Copley, OH
Improving Handling
Sway-bars were an option on your year truck.
To install a front sway bar on a twin-I beam suspension, you must have the Ford factory spring perches with the mounting lugs for the end links. If your truck did not have a factory bar you will need to junkyard them, you may also need, depending on swaybar brand, the Ford end links, also a junkyard item. The bar itself mounts to the top of the panel that angles down and back from the bottom rear of the core support. Changing the spring perches is a minor chore, that and refitting the links with urethane bushings took less than an hour a side after I figured out what tools I needed, installing the bar itself was a 20 minute job.
The Addco rear bar is a very simple bolt on, took about 40 minutes and I didn't even have to jack the truck up
To install a front sway bar on a twin-I beam suspension, you must have the Ford factory spring perches with the mounting lugs for the end links. If your truck did not have a factory bar you will need to junkyard them, you may also need, depending on swaybar brand, the Ford end links, also a junkyard item. The bar itself mounts to the top of the panel that angles down and back from the bottom rear of the core support. Changing the spring perches is a minor chore, that and refitting the links with urethane bushings took less than an hour a side after I figured out what tools I needed, installing the bar itself was a 20 minute job.
The Addco rear bar is a very simple bolt on, took about 40 minutes and I didn't even have to jack the truck up
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