Broken sway bar!

[fusseli]

I was rotating my tires today and discovered my rear sway bar was broken, the same corner as a broken spring I once had. I was having suspension symptoms but I didn't know what the problem was, going over bumps my rear end would pull out to the side. This was particularly nasty on and unsettling at highway speeds.

Anyone broken a sway bar? What's the best replacement, junkyard, OE, or aftermarket?

The OE rear bar is 13/16"

Edit: finished up, see posts #20 and #21.

 

[jghake]

I broke 2 in my 97 SVT Cobra Mustang. I would check your bushings to see if any of them are shot.

If it was me, I would probably just head to a junkyard or look on craigslist for a new one.

 

[zerodevil]

get eibach bars, my truck drives more like a sports car and less like a lumbering SUV. i think i spent 350 for front and rears.

 

[fusseli]

On Summit I see there are Addco bars for 3rd gens. There is a 7/8" for $130 and a 1" for $188, both come as a kit with new bushings.

Oh just found a Belltech 5543 1" for $133. Hmmmm. Just might pull the trigger.

 

[FordFool2]

Don't mess on CL or salvage yard. List price for a new one at the dealer is only $60. Bushings list for $15 a piece.

 

[fusseli]

I think I'm going to go for the 1" bar that comes with bushings. Seems like a fair price and if it's an upgrade over stock, why not?? I didn't measure the stock bar while I was out there but I'm guessing it's 7/8" or smaller...

edit" it's 13/16", so 7/8" is slightly bigger.

 

[AlexSport'00]

Oh just found a Belltech 5543 1" for $133. Hmmmm. Just might pull the trigger.

Just found the same one. I have a 2000. Do you think this is a good upgrade?

 

[zerodevil]

wow, its bigger around than my Eibach, and solid rather than hollow.. nice find! i will deffinately be swapping out my eibach rear for the beltech bar!

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

wow, its bigger around than my Eibach, and solid rather than hollow.. nice find! i will deffinately be swapping out my eibach rear for the beltech bar!

The solid bar will not provide much of any benefit (other than additional weight) over hollow, but an extra 12.5% diameter will be different. Are your front and rear bars currently unmatched for your driving preference?

 

[zerodevil]

unmatched? I am running the complete "Anti-roll kit" from Eibach. It seems to be a well made system and the difference has been night and day for me.

 

[fusseli]

If you already spent the cash on the Eibach set, I'd stick with it... that's just me. I also think that structurally, the hollow bars may be better (and lighter). There's definitely some engineering involved there.

Given my broken OE solid bar, I see no reason not to put on a (much thicker) 1" solid replacement and get an upgrade out of it. For the price it's a no-brainer!

 

[swshawaii]

ANYTHING is an improvement over the OEM rear bar.
The only regret you'll have is not replacing it earlier.

EDIT- Sorry wrong sub forum, I was referring to the Gen 1 & 2 without IRS.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

unmatched? I am running the complete "Anti-roll kit" from Eibach. It seems to be a well made system and the difference has been night and day for me.

You want your front and rear swaybars to "match" each other for your driving style. Too big of a rear bar will promote excessive oversteer. If you have more understeer than you would like with your current setup, the upgrade would be good. Otherwise you will only be making the vehicle less predictable and harder control. Remember that bigger does not simply mean better.

Given my broken OE solid bar, I see no reason not to put on a (much thicker) 1" solid replacement and get an upgrade out of it. For the price it's a no-brainer!

Keep in mind what I posted for the above quote. Going to the bigger rear bar without change to the front bar may create a less than enjoyable driving experience if it creates an oversteer condition.

 

[fusseli]

I really do appreciate your comments on the actual effect of the bars. I don't drive my SUV like a race car, so I've never had a problem with over- or under- steer. That being said, I don't know that the front and rear OE bars are the same size.

On top of that, I have aftermarket shocks in the back (Monroe Reflex) but still the originals up front as well. Those are on the list too, but pushed back since I discovered the broken bar.

 

[zerodevil]

i have never expierenced over or under steer either, i went to performance sway-bars to reduce body roll for my driving comfort. I can take some highway off ramps as flat as i would in a straight line.. to be honest you wont notice much of a difference from the rear bar as the front bar changes driving characteristics more drasticly..
I can tell you the front bar is FAR larger than the rear (2:1 or more) The eibach kit will change the way your truck drives and you will never look back, i absolutely recommend it for 3rd gens that dont get off the road much.

 

[fusseli]

So, do stiffer bars limit travel or something? I have heard of crazy rock crawlers disconnecting sway bars completely, I also know that some lifts need extended sway bar links. I won't ever be lifting, but I do run bigger tires and I get offroad occassionally... The way I use my mounty is as more of a truck and less of a street car.

Still considering the 1" solid bar.

 

[zerodevil]

if my understanding of the physics behind sway-bars is correct. by upgrading to "stiffer" sway bars you are making it apply more force to the suspension sooner, thus reducing chasis/body roll by making the suspension travel less given a set of circumstances. If you are going to be doing wheeling i would look into a stock-ish replacement, or endlinks you dont mind undoing and remounting. there was a guy who was making Quick detach sway-bar end-links so when he would go off road he could get that beautiful AWIS suspension flex.. and still safely drive the highway home.. honestly though bud, my stock sway-bar made it 10 years through everything from daily driving, drag runs, snow-off road, getting stuck in the mud.. The 1 inch bar may be stronger for sure, but you likely wont even notice a difference in how the truck drives. and if offroad is where you want to be, you dont want a stiffer sway-bar.

 

[fusseli]

So I ended up bailing on the 1" Belltech idea, I don't think it'd be worth it for me. I also don't see the stiffer bar being an upgrade for a truck that still goes offroad, however infrequent. I ordered an OEM Ford bar and bushings, $90 shipped to my door. Can't beat that price! www.silverstatefordparts.com The money saved over the bigger bar will go towards a pair of new struts in the near future.

 

[FordFool2]

Don't mess on CL or salvage yard. List price for a new one at the dealer is only $60. Bushings list for $15 a piece.

I'm glad you came around.

 

[fusseli]

Started today after work, got about halfway done today before the sun went down. I didn't realize that it was so involved for the rear bar. First off, the frame bushings are on the top side of the frame and leave little clearance, so they come off really slow without a ratcheting box-end wrench (need to get me some of those). Second off, I think I discovered why the Haynes manual says to undo the upper ball joint to get the bar in and out... I just don't see another way?? No matter how I tried to fish it through, it doesn't seem possible, but it would be really easy with the top balljoint undone. I didn't want to attempt it in a rush so I quit for the evening.

How is the rear upper balljoint disconnected? I see the single bolt, but I'm not sure of the suspension needs to be supported by a jack or not if that joint is to be undone. Once the bolt is removed, then what, pry the thing off? How does the balljoint re-attach to to the hub assembly?