Swaybars

Betarocker

Adventurer
After giving my truck a spring powerwash, I stuck my head into the front right wheel well to see how good of a job I did. I noticed that the ball of the swaybar endlink had popped out of the socket. I never noticed any excessive body roll, but then again I haven't driven twisty roads at excessive speeds, and judging by the rust on the ball, it has been out for some time. Removed the bar and other endlink to figure out if I want to run it again.

Picture just to add some colour to the post. From 2 weeks ago.

1618972385133.png
 

skrypj

Well-known member
I ran my F150 a while with no front sway and it rode better. I would not wanna tow like that but it works well for smoothing out the pot holes in the grocery store parking lot.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
Saw the wheel both ways without the front swaybar at highway speed and you'll experience more body roll and a delayed response. Thuren and Carli sell reduced rate swaybars that might be a good compromise. You have a much higher center of gravity than stock with more leverage over the steering components and the laws of physics.
 
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MR. ED

Observer
Sweet house! I had a weird "popping" noise in the front of my super duty when I first got it. Turned out something was wonky with the swaybar. took it off years ago. Never a problem. I run some twisty mountain roads at speed and haven't noticed any extra roll or lean. Yours looks to be lifted a bit more than mine and I have the 6.2 gas so maybe lighter if yours is a diesel. I think you'll be fine.
 

1stDeuce

Explorer
I run one of our trucks without a sway bar. We used it around the property mostly, with the occasional drive to town for supplies or fuel. I also plow with it. The ride really is better without the bar, BUT the truck is a handful at speeds above 55 when loaded... It would be VERY easy to over-correct, swap ends, and roll if you were a typical driver.

As Shovel pointed out, the MAIN purpose of the font sway bar is to ensure understeer in limit handling maneuvers. Without the front sway bar, you'll find that it takes very little steering input to snap the rear of the truck around on the highway, especially when loaded. Some people are better drivers than others, and may be able to control a truck with no sway bars in an emergency, but I'll suggest that most people are NOT in this category...

It also makes a difference if we're talking solid axle or IFS... IFS has a higher roll stiffness without the sway bar, making the bar a little less critical. Solid axle vehicles have a lower roll stiffness, and so the sway bars they use are generally stiffer.

If you mostly drive back roads, and always empty, I'd say you won't miss the bar, and likely you'll find a somewhat better ride in the rough. If you load the truck, or drive highways more, I'd say you NEED it if you don't want to end up as a fatality. Remember, you don't have to screw up, all you have to do without a sway bar is try to avoid someone else who screwed up. If the speed is greater than 55 or so, my bet would be on you whipping the tail and heading off the road sideways, which is not a good plan in a higher CG vehicle...

Good Luck!!
 

billiebob

Well-known member
Sway bars were never a thing until the 1970s and then mostly for high performance cars.

A front link on my TJ broke just like yours, I never had a clue. That said after it was replaced the carving on mountain roads did change, likely improve. When broke I had to twitch the wheel to get set up for each curve, after the fix, it became more point and shoot, no need to set up early.

I'll say, either way was fine, the extra twitch was kinda fun, adding to the challenge of beating a BMW up the canyon. And I love to beat BMWs.
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
Its a high GVWR truck, designed to haul.
You wont notice the sway bars effectiveness unless you are well loaded.

A pickup with a truck camper is considerably safer with sway bars than without.
If you run empty or near empty all the time, all they are doing is limiting suspension travel.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
I prefer no sway bars on solid axle rigs unless wheelbase is really short like a jeep...
Throw a cabover on there. The swaybar will go back on shortly. It's not going to ride as well in the Home depot parking lot but driving on curves in the mts will be much safer. The engineers know their business.
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
I have one on the front and rear of my truck. The front is OEM and the rear is aftermarket... I noticed a big difference in body roll when I added the rear one.
 

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