F350 with wierd front swaybar, please help - Diesel Forum

mroconne · 07-03-2009, 12:52 AM

I have a new to me 2000 F350 DRW 4X4 with 166,000 and bone stock. It has a clunk in the left front that doesn't change from 2WD to 4WD. I've had it up on jacks and nothing has any play, even with a crowbar. Given the mileage and from being on the forum with my previous IDI, I already replaced shocks and will do sway bar bushings this week. Then I'll move to ball joints and then a left front hub. Anyways, I went to NAPA to get sway bar bushings, and they claim all the super duties have a 32mm bar (1.25 inch) . All the websites say the same thing. I measured mine and it's like 1.160. I called Ford and they said that my truck could have one of three front sway bar sizes ( one with a blue paint mark, one with a white paint mark, or one with a yellow paint mark). My truck has the white paint mark. Ford said trucks built prior to 3/99 have a different bar, my build is 6/2000? The bar looks 100% factory. Am I crazy or when they say 1 1/4 they just round up 1.160. It seems like these new bushings will be slightly loose. Any ideas or experiences.

nycpsd · 07-03-2009, 01:01 AM

I had the white paint mark on mine also and used the ES 32mm kit for the sway bar with no problems, it's a nice snug fit.

coplin · 07-03-2009, 06:49 PM

i just changed my bushings last night with MOOG (federal mogul) replacements and they were slightly smaller than Ford OE but they snugged up jus fine.

I did the anti-swaybar bushings and the end links also, here's the aprt numbers:

Moog bushings are: K80072

Raybestos/Spicer end links(complete links)

two different part numbers for right and left side are 545-1423

545-1422

Hubs are expensive I would jack that ***** up first and do a good inspection before chucking parts at it..
I believe you have a Dana 60 front end big plus over Dana 50

normanpaul · 07-04-2009, 02:43 PM

energy susp sells a kit for that thru summit racing I think it was like 54.00 I will tell you that the end links were a pain in the but to get out but it can be done. You will have a much quieter ride.

PowerstrokeConverters · 07-04-2009, 02:55 PM

I replaced all of those parts on mine and had it lifted Fabtech 6" and for some reason it still a little noisy on the left front,specially the spring when turning or going over speed bumps. Congrats on your dually, I have the same but "6x2"

**klhansen** · 07-04-2009, 06:48 PM

mroconne,

The earlier trucks had a different sway bar as Ford says.

I got the ES 5186 kit and it was for the later style sway bar and end links, but I called ES and they fixed me up with the right parts. My problem was that my end links had smaller eyes, and the sway bar bushing straps were too small to fit over the ES bushings.

I suggest you call ES and give them the dimensions for your sway bar and for the u-bracket bushing mounts as well as the eye diameters on your end links.

They do have a note on their website that notes the difference for the earlier trucks.

There's a possibliity your truck had some "carryover" parts installed, or the sway bar was swapped out at some point.