swaybars?

[FuzzFace2]

Rembrant wrote

This thread has me motivated to install my front swaybar...lol. I might tackle it Sunday morning.

Since I am changing my radius arms at the same time, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that I can pull the axle beams far enough ahead to get the end(s) of the arms out of the brackets on the frame...

If you have to undo the long bolt thru the spring to install the sway bar bracket I think the distance from the beam to end of arm is shorter than the threaded part of the arm into the frame bracket.

If so I think it would be easier to undo the long bolt and pull the beam forward a little then pull the arm from the frame bracket. Replace the arm bushings, arm back in the frame bracket and pull the beam forward to fit back into the arm so you can install the long bolt and parts for the sway bar.

Then again when I put the beam and arm back in the truck I did the arm to frame bracket first then the center beam pivot bolt.
So maybe just undo the pivot bolts to drop the assy.?
Dave ----

[Rembrant]

Rusty_S85 wrote

Your radius arm brackets haven't been removed before?  Mine had the rivets removed before we got the truck and is just simply held in by same sized bolts with a shank.  Makes changing the bushings easy if need to do it.

No they have not, they're still riveted to the frame. I bought the truck with only about 35k original miles on it, so nothing had been touched. I installed new 87-91 radius arms and bushings back when I had the axle beams out, but I have since gotten a nice set of southern 1984 radius arms (and new 83-86 bushings) so I plan to put those in it when I install the swaybar, to get it all done in one swoop.

I'll drill the rivets out of the brackets if I have to, but if I can pull the beams ahead and slide the arms out with the bolt out like Dave says, that will save me some effort.

[Rusty_S85]

Ah, I don't know how many miles was on our truck when we got her she wasn't that old but 10 years or so old at the time.  but they were removed for bushings.  Im going to pull them out again though when I do the sway bar and new coil springs as I want to put the same prothane brand poly bushings over the blue poly bushings I got from napa.  I also want to use the prothane lube as I didn't put lube on the poly bushings I have now and it was fine till around year 7 or 8 since I did it and now the bushing creaks and groans.

My temporary fix was to drill a small hole into the plastic spacer and installed a zerk fitting so I can pump grease into the plastic spacer which put grease directly on the poly bushing and helped keep it quiet.

[Rusty_S85]

Was doing some browsing just now.  Found a NOS swaybar part # E9TZ-5482-C for $140.  problem is though I question if that is the part number though cause on the site it lists it as being for 4x4 and the number I need which is E9TZ-5482-C is a 2wd swaybar.  Might have to call them up but I think I will go ahead and get this one as finding a used set might be a bit hard around here.

They also have the E0TZ-5486-H swaybar to crossmember mount brackets for $11.95 a pop.  But they most important part they don't have the E0TZ-5486-D and E0TZ-5486-E which is the end link ears that goes under the coil springs.

I guess that puts me closer with getting the bar and the mounts to the crossmember.  Just need to crawl under my truck tomorrow and see if my crossmember plate is one of the ones that has the mounting holes if so I will go ahead and pick the NOS swaybar and the swaybar to cross member mounts.  They also have the rear swaybar correct E7TZ-5A772-G part number for my '82 as well for $210 that is NOS as well.  But none of the mounting kits for the rear axle which is part number E0TZ-5C489-B.

This is why I cant get my engine finished on my truck, I keep finding parts for other parts of my project lol.

[Rembrant]

Rusty_S85 wrote

But they most important part they don't have the E0TZ-5486-D and E0TZ-5486-E which is the end link ears that goes under the coil springs.

Those ears/brackets that go under the coil springs are the hardest parts to find. Took me two years, and I ended up finding them locally. A friend of mine bought a southern '84 F150 2wd and converted it to 4x4, so the 2wd beams, springs, radius arms, etc were all just sitting there, with just some mild surface rust.

Rusty_S85 wrote

Just need to crawl under my truck tomorrow and see if my crossmember plate is one of the ones that has the mounting holes

My '84 F150 had the front crossmember with the holes for the swaybar brackets, but when I bought my front swaybar assembly, it came with the crossmember still attached lol, so now I have two.

My front bar is from an early 90's F150 4x4, and from what I've read and measured myself, it should fit my 2wd truck just fine. I read on FTE one time where a guy had removed and installed about 20 sets of these things over the years, and according to him, all of the F150 4x2 and 4x4 swaybars were the same, all that changed was the mounting points over the years (and the end links between 4x4 and 4x2).

[Rembrant]

Rusty_S85 wrote

Found a NOS swaybar part # E9TZ-5482-C for $140.  problem is though I question if that is the part number though cause on the site it lists it as being for 4x4 and the number I need which is E9TZ-5482-C is a 2wd swaybar.  

By the way, if you look at the part numbers on Gary's Swaybar page, you'll see that this is correct swaybar for both 2wd and 4x4 F150's, all the way up to at least 1989-1990, and from what I've been told, they were also the same right up until 1996. The differences were only in how they mount.

[Gary Lewis]

Rembrant wrote

By the way, if you look at the part numbers on Gary's Swaybar page, you'll see that this is one of the correct swaybars for both 2wd and 4x4 F150's, all the way up to at least 1989-1990, and from what I've been told, they were also the same right up until 1996. The differences were only in how they mount.

I just had to jump in. I've added "one of the" to your statement above, Cory, because since that part number is E9 there has to have been an E0-prefaced part number, and maybe even another one before 1989, meaning E9.

I don't know what it is, but can find out if anyone wants to know. And the reason for knowing is that you might run across one NOS and w/o that part number you won't know what the thing is or if it'll fit. (And if I go find it I should put it in my MPC and on that page so we will know next time.)

[Rembrant]

Gary,

Understood on the detail. I don't need any info, but maybe Rusty does. I was just pointing out that the most front swaybars you're going to find on F150's will be interchangeable...assuming one was "Junkyarding"...

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, that is true and a very good point if you are junk yarding.  However if one were searching there might be NOS E0's available.  And if having that number would help, I could get it.

[Rusty_S85]

I'm just surprised that I found what I did find in NOS.  Just struggling to decide if I want to spend the money now or wait and spend the money on finishing my truck.

Normally I jump on NOS parts as they are getting hard to find.

[Rusty_S85]

Which is good to know cause if most swaybar interchange then I shouldnt have to be too picky when I find the I beam ears.

[Rembrant]

This is what the 1980-1986 mounting brackets look like FYI. The later ones were cast iron and part of the coil spring seat.

[Rusty_S85]

Im going to have to check the year, the junk 84 F150 at work that we put the motor in it has no sway bars, but the other F150 it has some juicy parts I would love to rob off it but frenchy brought it to us to get it running again after sitting so many years.  I don't know if the swaybar end link mount is part of the perch or not I just looked under to see.

Truck also has the rod style tail pipe hanger bracket, I am very curious if it is backwards compatible with the 81-82 frames.  I rather just bolt in that hanger in place of my OE one so I wouldn't have to try and mock up the tail pipe to weld the proper hanger onto the tail pipe I got.

[Ray Cecil]

Dang cory, those are some rusty radius arms!!

Im waiting to add the front sway bar to my 82 Flareside also. The 87 bronco has front and rear sway bars. 8.8 rear, so I cant use it on my 9" rear.

Im waiting to get my garage done before I tear apart the front end. I want to clean up the frame, POR15, new everything, leveling springs, etc. Rather have my lift put back together on a concrete floor before I attempt it.

[Rembrant]

Ray Cecil wrote

Dang cory, those are some rusty radius arms!!

Ray, they are from North Carolina but had been sitting outdoors up here the past couple years. It's just surface rust...they cleaned up very nicely. Even rusty, they're "Mint" compared to what they look like up here. I have since painted them black, but they were like were like new under the brown scuzz...lol.

[FuzzFace2]

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?

I also then wonder if the front bolt in cross member the bar mounts to will also fit our trucks?
My 81's were not drilled for a sway bar mounting.
That would open a larger door to be looking for the parts.

For the rear bar it would still need to be for a 9" for us that run the 9" but I think after market would be easier to come by for the rear than the front.
Dave ----

[Rusty_S85]

I'm starting to re think the swaybar cause I forgot when I do my leaf springs I'm going to run the suspension assist kit that Eaton sells on the rear.  It's a block of collapsible rubber that replaces your axle bumpers and functions as a over load helper spring.  I forgot this also helps to control sway as well.  Will have to see but if I do this I might not need swaybar or at the very least just the front swaybars.

[Ray Cecil]

FuzzFace2 wrote

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?.......

The 87 bronco parts truck I have has sway bar brackets. They are cast steel, but they look like they are removable. They are certainly not part of the radius arm, or the I beam.

I am adding these to my 82 once I am ready. I have a brand new set of coil springs, factory height.

New springs + sway bar bracket + sway bar should give the front a slight lift if the factory springs are a bit saggy.

I had an 86 that I put a front sway bar on and it lifted the front end maybe .25"-.75" IIRC. I think someone argued with me that its impossible that it lifted it, but the difference was noticable..And the ride was stiffer.

[Rusty_S85]

Thing to remember is if the rear of your truck is low and you add new springs in the rear it will make your front sit lower.  right now my truck sits level due to worn out leaf springs so I have just enough clearance for a little scrub of my tires to my fender on the passengerside front with a passenger.  once I raise the back up to OE height with new springs the front will be dropped.  Question is how much of a drop so I am leaning towards a 1 1/2" lift for the front just to ensure no scrubbing.

[Rembrant]

FuzzFace2 wrote

So if the later years have the sway bar bracket cast as part of the spring mount wonder if they can be used in place of what came on our trucks?

Yes they can. I've read on FTE where guys have gone to the junkyard, and pulled both front and rear bars off a 1993, or 1995, whatever, and slapped the whole works on a Bullnose.

FuzzFace2 wrote

I also then wonder if the front bolt in cross member the bar mounts to will also fit our trucks?

As far as I know, yes, but you'd have to get Gary to confirm. I'd almost guarantee that they are the same up to 1991, but after that I am not sure. in 1992, the frames got the front crumble zones, so they may be different.

FuzzFace2 wrote

For the rear bar it would still need to be for a 9" for us that run the 9" but I think after market would be easier to come by for the rear than the front.
Dave ----

Keep in mind that all that is specific to the 9" rear end is the brackets that mount on the axle tubes. That is all that changed between the 9" and 8.8 rear ends swaybar assemblies...the swaybars stayed the same, as did the end links.

See, brackets for the 9" rear end were just little pieces of channel cut to fit only on the axle tubes. See snippet below from Gary's Swaybar page. That is what the bracket looks like.



When the 8.8 rear end showed up in 1983, Ford changed the brackets slightly and added an extension that fits on a little nub that is cast into the pumpkin. It's really just a anti-rotation protection, to keep the brackets from moving on the axle tubes.



What I'm getting at is, you can probably grab a rear swaybar assembly from a 1996 with an 8.8 rear diff, and make the brackets fit the 9" by just cutting part of the brackets off. Not sure if the axle tubes are the same diameter or not...but even still, you could make the bracket easy enough out of a piece of channel.