Has this happened to you?

[SDMike]

Has this happened to anyone? Looks like I lost something (pic on left) on the road after I torsion twisted...any relation? Driver's side is okay..

Dead Link Removed

What is that part called...I could probably guess, but I'm not mechanically inclined.
Probably a good time to buy a Haines/Chilton Manual to find out what it is or if anyone knows?

SDMike
'95 sport
3 inch body lift +2 inch torsion twist

 

[Tom Wilk]

more importantly, where are your CV joints and axle shafts?? OK, so you're 2wd. Seriously, it looks like the sway bar link is missing, though it's hard to tell. Actually, the more I look at it, the more it looks like nothing at all is gone. Different lighting or something.

If the sway bar link is gone, I doubt if doing the torsion bar lift caused it. The thing is bolted on at both ends; even if one end came loose, the other would still be attached. How's it handle around corners? Does it lean much?

 

[Guerilla Biscuits]

A while back the car was acting funny and it turns out I was missing the sway bar. I am a 2wd but a 98 and no twist.....I'll check my car just in case I have somehting you don't.

 

[Tate Myrick]

SDMike, as Tom noticed, you don't have a 4x4. That is good to see. I would love to see more Explorers set up in a desert pre-runner style. Back to your topic...the white line you drew in is the sway bar end link. Ford does specifically call it this and when you go to pick it up ask for a "sway bar end link kit". Check it and if it does not come with the bolt, pick that up also, but I think it does. I have not had the time nor money, but this might be a good time to check into a JKS sway bar quick disconnect. I have replaced this before...not on my Explorer, but fortunately this was not caused by a torsion bar twist. This leads me to my next question...what are the disadvantages of a torsion bar twist? Hope this info. helped.

 

[Tom Wilk]

I hadn't even noticed that the white line was drawn in. I kept looking at it and thinking that the lighting was different on the left side and that that was the reason for the "bright" appearance of the link. You drew it in so perfectly that I thought it was really there.

The disadvantages of the torsion twist are that if you are 4wd, you will be putting some extra strain on your CV joints, since they will be working at an angle all the time. This is dependent on how high you lift the front. The other disadvantage is you will have less droop available in the front end, so that if a wheel drops into a hole, it cannot travel as far down as it would otherwise be able to.

 

[jwrezz]

End links

I put on a new sway bar from Addco, and since then have chewed thru 3 endlink bushings (this is w/ the torsion bar adjustment). When I got the 31's on yesterday the guy at the shop said it looked like I need an alignment because of the wear on one tire. I bearly got the word "sway" out of my mouth and he said "Endlinks or bushings?" He said he's seen a lot of Explorers go thru endlink bushings quickly. If you wanna keep your stock sway bar Addco makes replacemnt endlinks (of various lengths) and poly bushings. You can pick them up cheap at Pep Boys. I just got 8 poly bushings for $7 and change. After going thru 3 (or was it 4) rubber bushings, I made sure I found these poly ones. They better last!!

Oh, BTW, don't over tighten the end links. I think this is how I went thru my last 2 bushings. Just enough to barely compress the rubber ones, and I figure just enough so that you can't spin the poly ones by hand. Sorry I don't have an actual torque measurement! Good luck!!

 

[roadkill]

SDMike,
What is the verticle white line in the left hand pic? Is the sway bar connection the same on the left and right? Looks like the left sway bar link is at an angle, and not straight like the right pic.

 

[rock883]

Hey Mike, while you are taking pics, can you get a pic, or pics, of your explorer?? I would liek to see it. Thanks

 

[01EB5.0]

SDmike,
Yes, that is whre the sway bar end link is supposed to be. ford wanted $60 for both and I dunno how much labor..for both a upper ball joint and the 2 end links it was $215 labor

 

[SDMike]

Rock883
Dead Link RemovedDead Link Removed


Roadkill,
The white line is what's left of the swaybar link. I lost everything except for that which is the metal inside of the link.

95XLT,
So it was 60 for both, but I think I only need one, or maybe it's just a good idea to replace them both? They just bolt on don't they? I really don't want to pay ford for something I can do myself..or maybe i'll go with the endlinks from Pep Boys that jwrezz suggested.
thanks for the input guys...