Maybe I missed it in the suspension section, but I have'nt seen anything on what to use for sway bars on my stock axle 52-F-1 pickup. Mine leans quite aways over when you stand on the gas or take a corner. Every one around here has a different opinion. Any ideas?
Thanks Dan.

 

You should not use a rear anti-sway bar without a front but I don't know what to suggest for a stock front axle. For the rear axle I used a universal fit anti-sway bar from JPL Streetrods. I'm running a Chevy 10 bolt but it should work on your stock Ford rear just as well. It clamps to the axle and the end links attach to the outside frame rails. Here's a picture of the bar as advertised. It's reasonable at $149 and free shipping on Ebay...

 

Thank for the info, I was wanting one for the rear of my panel.

 

Here's the deal on swaybars on our trucks:
If you convert to IFS or IRS you will need a sway bar at that end of the truck for sure.
A solid front or rear axle with parallel leaf springs does not need a sway bar, the springs act like a swaybar.
The body rolling when entering a turn is the result of a narrow tread width, high center of gravity and top heaviness, tire size and construction, spring stiffness, and shock valving. You can control a lot of that roll with shocks having stiffer compression valving as well as not using too soft springs and/or worn out spring eye bushings.

Most have a misconception of the function of a swaybar (partially due to it's misnomer).
A swaybar has little to no affect when both wheels go over a bump at the same time, it just pivots in it's mounts.
When one wheel goes up and the other doesn't for an extended time (such as going around a long sweeping curve) then the sway bar tries to lift the other wheel an equal amount. The more and longer the vehicle is in this position the more affect the swaybar provides, limiting the roll. A vehicle with too stiff a swaybar will sometimes actually lift the inside wheel off the ground.
The shocks have the greatest affect when they compress or extend quickly such as when a wheel suddenly moves up when entering a turn, but then loses effectivness as the vehicle takes a set. (Think of sticking your fist into a bucket of thick pudding. If you push it in fast there is a lot of resistance, if you push slow but steady your fist penetrates with very little resistance. That's basically how a shock works.)

 

Mid fifty sells a sway bar kit for the original front axle and one for the rear as well.

 

Yes they do. Just because some sells something doesn't mean it is useful or worth the money, just turn on the TV late at night and watch the infomercials.

 

Thanks for the input,guys. I was hopeing that there was a junkyard one that was popular. anybody?

 

No junkyard anti sway bar that I know of. AX has got it right though. There is a kit sold by www.vintageford.com. which will fit the stock front end. How well it works? I don't know. I have an IFS.

 

Maybe I didn't explain it clearly enough?
Bottom line: Unless you are circle track racing or live where there are a lot of switchbacks (continuous turns >90*) swaybar(s) are going to have little to no affect on body lean when cornering with parallel leaf suspension.
To reduce body lean when cornering: reduce the center of gravity by lowering the truck, by using a dropped axle, using a shorter/stiffer walled wider tire, using stiffer springs, and/or use good shocks with the right compression and extension valving for your truck.

 

So you are saying that since I am using a M11 front susp and a solid rear with leafs I only need sway bar on the front. Thanks

 

I have the same IFS with strut rods. No need for "sway bars". Without the strut rods, Ax would know. I'm not sure if it matters

 

That is pretty much correct. The only reason for a rear bar in your case would be if you have used a heavy bar on the front that has made the truck very "loose" i.e. oversteering.

 

So you are saying if you have strut rods in the front you don,t need a sway bar. What if you have a sway bar in the rear would this still be the case?

 

Seems like an awful lot of sway bar kits on the market and "experts" advocating the use of them for them to be ineffective with leaves. The sway bar doesn't care whether the springs are leaf or coil. The vehicle doesn't care either. The spring supports the vehicle either way. The difference is a coil setup needs a track bar or panhard bar to keep the solid axle in place laterally, unless some other method is used. The sway bar is just a spring that tries to limit the difference in compression or extension from side to side, regardless of what type of suspension spring is used.

Dave

 

Then I should not waist my time puting a sway bar on the rear of my 51 panel truck? I have independent up front with a sway bar and leafs in the rear. I should be into looking for better shocks and wider tires. Correct?