Sway Bar?

[oystein]

Language difficulties makes it hard for me to understand what a (Hellwig?) anti sway bar is good for. It helps preventing "body roll"? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]
Is it connected to the frame in any way, helping to keep the axle in place or....?

Reason for q: is that it feels like the rear axle isn't attached to the rest of the wehicle at all [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img], when turning out to smoke another ricer or a GM (Gambia Motors) product [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/phoney.gif[/img] espesially when i floor it! NOT a good feeling - like i loose control for a sec. or two.

Anyone heard of "watt link" - a bar connected between one end of the rear axle and the opposite side body/frame for the E-series? Thought that might be something?

Thanks for input [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Larry S.]

The Hellwig, and others, swaybar does reduce body roll significantly. It is a "U" shaped bar that connects to the rear axle in rubber bushed pivots and attachs to the frame with vertical links. The bar is really a torsion spring and when the body starts to roll the spring is twisted thus holding the frame rails at a constant position in relation to the axle. A characteristic that seems quite bad in the 2wd van suspensions is body roll steering that causes the van to go where it isn't pointed when the body rolls. The effect you are feeling may be the roll steer effect. The Watt Link sounds similar to a Panhard Rod. One place where I've seen these is in coil spring suspended rears and the rod keeps the axle centered under the car. I've never seen one on a leaf spring rear but under some high powered situations I suppose the leafs could flex sideways or cross twist to rotate the axle. You might consider some good shocks for the rear to dampen the body motion when you put the pedal to the metal. The stock shocks are a POS.

[Mr_Roboto]

A sway bar only makes a difference when cornering. If you are having troubles just under hard, straight acceleration, your rear tires may indeed be breaking loose. I have no doubt a PowerStroke can break the rear wheels of about anything loose. Wider tires and/or a limited slip differential may be in order.

[dlblack]

My sway bar makes a lot of differance on the sway of my van. I got mine from JCWhitneys mail order.
Here are a couple pic of how it is installed on the van.

Rear view
http://photos.thedieselstop.com/data...Small_-med.jpg

Front view
http://photos.thedieselstop.com/data...Small_-med.jpg

A picture is better than words sometimes. Hope this helps.
Dwight