I know that they have these for Jeeps and other small off-road vehicles, but does anybody know if they are available for the Super Duty?

My sway bar end link bushings are shot and a lot of that is due to all the articulation I do off-roading. Instead of having to unbolt the sway bars every time I leave the pavement, I would much prefer to have quick disconnect links that I could unpin/pin to allow the truck to maneuver off-road and not destroy my bushings.

Thanks for any info.

 

I'm kind of curious about that as well. I know some Jeepers make their own out of clevis pins, but I don't know about what it would take to make something that would hold up under an F250 4x4 with a 7.3L PSD...

 

That's my concern exactly. I'm sure I could get something done at a machine shop ($$$ would be the only setback there), but I don't know if it will put up with the stress of over 2 tons rolling back and forth over time.

The quick-disconnect link is popular among Jeep people. In fact the new Wrangler Unlimited has an electronic disconnect. Push a button on the dash and away you go.

Google hasn't surfaced any possibilities, so I am trying to see if anybody has seen or used something like this on our rigs and if it worked. I don't have the time to unbolt both units before the weekend and then re-installing after.

 

The Dodge Powerwagon has electronic disconnect sway bars wonder if you could find how they work and maybe get some and fit them to a super duty part would not be cheap I am sure unless you could find a donor vehicle

 

If they were straight links all I would have to do is find the same size, but for mine they both have unique bends to them to connect to the frame.

 

The Power Wagon disconnects (and JK Wrangler disconnects) are not sway bar end link disconnects. Instead, it's a two-piece swaybar, and disconnecting it actually just allows each piece to pivot independently. Connecting back up again just locks them back into a single unit. They're not quite as effective as true disconnects, but they get the job done apparently. I would venture to guess that it would be one helluva project to adapt a Power Wagon setup to an F250...

 

Any product development updates for this problem?

 

Product development updates from whom??

Nobody's making this. These trucks aren't rock crawlers. When they are, there's almost nothing left factory on them, much less sway bar end links...

 

From anyone. Lot's of super duty owners enjoy hitting the trail and the sway bars severely limit articulation (like they are supposed to do).

I took my Excursion on the White Rim Trail in Canyon Lands and the front sway bar bushings complained the whole time. Popping, creaking, groaning...

When on the dirt (yes, I don't rock crawl in my Excursion), I want the sway bars disconnected. Along with air downed tires, free moving axles makes for smooth running and excellent traction.

 

Time to get to work making your own I guess, assuming it's not worth it to you to just keep a couple wrenches around to undo the factory stuff on occasion.

 

Agreed. Hardcore off-roaders tend to favor shorter wheelbases (e.g. Jeeps) as they are more maneuverable as well as far less wide.

Unfortunately this is my everything vehicle so I spend a lot of time on the roads with it and the sway bars make a HUGE difference so I'm not going to scrap them. It's more time consuming and inconvenient than anything else for the front. The rear, though, is a different story. Instead of a few bolts holding a bracket like on the front axle with the bushing, the rear has u-bolts around the rear axle. I'm not too keen on keeping them after a few torque-to-yield re-installations (not to mention getting them to line up with the swaybar bracket).

I'm not too hardcore but I do exercise it off the pavement (dirt, rocks, sand) and, while it's not the most limiting to leave them on, it does shorten the bushing lives in the end links and the $$$ to keep replacing them adds up.

 

Do you have the factory rear sway bar? If so I wouldn't disconnect it. It does little to limit articulation and helps keep the tires planted in off-camber situations. The front? Well, you're on your own.

 

Here's what I came up with....

I took a couple 1/2" pins and welded some 't' handles on them.


For them to fit through the bottom of the Dorman end links, the lower bushings needed to be drilled out to 1/2". Very little material was removed to accomplish this.



Amazon.com supplied a two piece steel collar (size = 1 7/16") for $7. I welded a tab to this collar with a 1/2" hole. I then made a 'L' bracket that uses the top bolt of the axle/sway bar bushing retainer, again with a 1/2" hole.



The collar is tightened to the sway bar in a manner that rotates the sway bar up and out of the way (more ground clearance) when the pin is installed.



For now, I'll ziptie the end links up to the frame when disconnecting the front sway bar; I may make brackets for the end links that utilize the pins with 't' handles down the road. The sway bar can now be disconnected in seconds and rotated up and out of the way and securely pinned in place.

 

Nicely done! I'm still not convinced I see the need, but if you're going to do it, do it right. You've earned yourself a cold beer with that one!

 

Nicely done and a great write up.