FORD 30MM REAR SWAY BAR INSTALLED

[Bruce1954]

Sorry for the long delay in getting info posted but like many others this time of year outdoor work and activities cut down on the availabe PC time. By the low number of posts lately I may not be the only one, but i prommised the info so here it is.

Pictures are posted in the link in my bio for the Ford 30mm sway bar installation on my X PSD.
It seemed to be a tougher install than the Helwig but I like it since it uses fewer connection parts and should be more acceptable to Ford if a warranty question should ever come up. Cost was about the same. There were two modifications required, first I had to remove the top and inboard side of the plate on the right shock mount. Does anyone know what this plat is for? Also the link bars for the 4x4 pickup had to be shortened from 14" to 8" center of bolt to center of bolt while maintaining the same offset. Other than these two things and relocating the parking brake cable that is mounted to close to the link bar hole on the left the sway bar bolts right in. If anyone reading this is going to get a 2003 I would assume that the X comes will come with the smaller 18mm bar you could just swap it out for the 30mm for about $50.00, since the rubber mounts come with the bar I think it should bolt right in in less than a hour. I have added a new section to my pictures for the sway bar. Also can anyone tell us how long the link bars are on a 4x2? the dealer did not have any 4x2s the day I went to see about shorter link bars so I just cut them and welded them back together to shorten them, while maintaing the same offset.

The Parts I Bought Were.

1) F81Z-5A772-AA Sway Bar 30mm List $55.35
2) F81Z-5K484-DA Link assembly that is 14" long for the X I shortened it to 8" long. List $20.13 Each
2) E5TZ-5486-B Listed as Ret. RR These were the U shaped mount covers for the sway bar mounting rubbers. $14.62 Each
2) E5TZ-5B498-KK Bracket, This is the flat on one side and curved on the other to fit the diff housing bracket. $13.80 Each
2) N803758-S56 U Bolt that goes around the diff housing to hold the above on. List $4.32 Each

Now I know this adds up to about $161.00 but with the discount I get it cost me about $10.00 less than a good price on the Helwig.

BTW it handles very differently, kind of like it should!

Click on "Bruce's X" for pictures

Happy Mods
Bruce

[monsta]

Bruce,

A few question...

Do you have to do that to the end links? I mean, do they have to look so "jimmied"?

Why does it seem that, if the orginal links were 8" instead of 14", the bar wouldn't fit because it wouldn't be wide enough?

Why didn't you just remove the plate from the right side? All it does is give a place to bolt the e-brake cable holder.

Thanks.

ken

[Bruce1954]

Ken
On my X the plate is WELDED to the right shock mount bracket and cutting it the way I did kept the hole for the E-brake cable. The bar fits perfectly, just vertical link bars had to be shortened to 8" long to keep the bar up high enough and almost level with the frame, same as other Ford bars. I see what you are looking at though, it looks like I moved the bottom part of the link in for a bar that is to short. Not at all, the 14" has a double bend offset in it, I maintained this exact same offset when I welded the links back together so it all fit the same just higher up. I still think that the 4x2 bars may fit but I have no way of knowing short of buying a set to look at. When parts are available for the 2003 you can just use the links from it. Also I think my welded links look no more "jimmied" than the extra link brackets and adjusto bolts that come with the Helwig bar. I tried to remove the rubber isolator and bolt from one end so I could just remake the center round stock bar shorter but it is all bonded together and since I could not weld next to the rubber I just cut and welded it near the center.

Bruce

[monsta]

Sorry, I hope my "jimmied" remark didn't come across that wrong way. I was at a lack of goods words at the moment I wrote it. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

I now understand why it looks the way it does though. The offset.

I will pose the question over at my site (www.ford-trucks.com) to all the 2WD folks with the camper package to see if they can measure their end links.

Do you think that the links are the same for both size bars? Meaning, if a 2WD F250 guy responds to my post saying his links are 8", do you think that they would work for a 30MM bar (F350).

I did not realize that the plate is welded. I've been wanting to put one on the left side just so it will look balanced from the rear. But maybe I won't if I decide to go with the OE bar.

And you are correct about the Hellwig end links. That is the very thing that has stopped me from buying one. The bar is nice but the links seem too "DollarStoreish"...

Thank you for your continued efforts & contributions in this endeavour.

[Bruce1954]

Monsta

No offence taken, I really do try not to alter the factory look of my vehicles either. I tried to make the links more "factory like" but the rubber being bonded in stopped that. I am fairly certain that the links are the same other than length but there is no way to know until you try. My parts guy Stan did not indicate any choices and since the 18 and 30mm bars fit some of the same applications. I would think you could mix and match and it should all fit. I do not know for sure if the 350 dual RR also known as "narrow frame" has a shorter bar. Also I am not sure if the 18mm is necessarily a 250 bar and the 30mm is a 350 bar the 18mm could be used on both I really never checked into it. if the 2x4 bars would work then I might just get a set since they are not to expensive if you can get a good discount.

I was surprised when I discovered that darn plate was welded on I did not expect that one, I started this project at home but when we discovered the links had to made shorter I just tied the bar up with a rope and did the links at the shop a few days latter. Also do you or anyone else know the function of that plate?

This bar seems to work very well, I question the need to replace the front bar with one that is only slightly larger as some have done. I would put that in the same category as shorter bump stops with V code springs but then wait! I was the one to do that.

Good luck
Bruce

[monsta]

I asked about the 2WD end links. A guy with an F250 and Casmper Package measured his and came up with...you guessed it...14".

I now wonder if the 2WD Dually's end links are shorter. They don't sit up new as high as the SRW, right?

I said the F250 bar was the 18 and the F350 bar was the 30 simply because every bar that I've seen on the F250's is small and the larger ones are on the F350.

In fact, now that I think about it, the larger bar is on the duallys and the smaller bar is the SRW Camper Package. I was looking at an F350 SRW, SC, LWB, PSd yesterday that had the Camper pkg. and the bar was the smaller bar.

Anyway...The plate...best guess is that it is there to simply give a place to put the Parking brake cable holder.

[BigNorth]

Bruce, The links i used were direct from Ford,perfect fit, They came from a Ranger pickup just bolted right on. I posted part numbers about 6 months ago.

[monsta]

Would you mind posting them again!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Bruce1954]

Sorry but I posted a wrong number the correct one is

2) E5TZ-5B498-AA (not-KK) [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] Bracket, This is the flat on one side and curved on the other to fit the diff housing bracket. $13.80 Each List