suspension question

[SIRIUS198]

hey there,

i have an '01 4.0 SOHC XLT. I am going to be doing a 2" suspension lift and 3" body lift in the nearer future but have a question regarding sway bar links. the roads around where i live are snow covered and brutal - city does not remove the snow and gets all packed and rutted and its just garbage - and i have broken 1 of my sway bar links. is this common for these parts to wear and need replacement? are there stronger more durable aftermarket links that are available that anyone knows of? will lifting the vehicle add or cause more strain on these parts?

thanks for any help you can pass along.

 

[glfredrick]

hey there,

i have an '01 4.0 SOHC XLT. I am going to be doing a 2" suspension lift and 3" body lift in the nearer future but have a question regarding sway bar links. the roads around where i live are snow covered and brutal - city does not remove the snow and gets all packed and rutted and its just garbage - and i have broken 1 of my sway bar links. is this common for these parts to wear and need replacement? are there stronger more durable aftermarket links that are available that anyone knows of? will lifting the vehicle add or cause more strain on these parts?

thanks for any help you can pass along.

I always use Moog replacement parts. They seem to be better built (and often greasable) than Ford stuff.

The body lift won't effect your suspension geometry, but it will cause more stress. The taller you get the more leverage the lean places on suspension parts. Any suspension lift that you get will either have a relocated sway bar, a longer link, or the stock bar will just swing up enough to allow for a modest (like 2") lift.

I ran my Explorer without swaybars most of the time, but I don't recommend that for most folks. I knew what I was driving and what it would do -- and it was LOOSE -- especially with the way soft front springs I also ran.

Sway bar links are not all that complicated for the most part. Just a link of some sort, with some amount of cushioning materal to absorb hard bumps. I've made them from long bolts and aftermarket poly bumpers.

To tighten up handling, make the links and sway bar mounts stiffer (use poly or even steel or aluminum) in place of rubber. To gain more suspension articulation and a softer ride (off-road) remove the bars and/or links. Works wonders for off-road ability. Which way you go -- tight or loose -- depends on where you drive. Make the links removable for best of both worlds.

 

[hunterdan]

The factory ones seem to break rather easily. Aftermarket ones are a little bit different of a design, but tend to be stronger, especially if you can find the HD ones. On my sport, I worked around with the idea of making extended links because of my front lift. With my lift, I broke my first set of stock links, and then after a year or so, was eating through the bushings because of the angle of the sway bar. I ended up getting a piece of all thread that was I think 5/16" and a bunch of lock nuts. I used the bushings from a kit that I recently purchased and made some extended links. Basically, my links were from the bottom up:
2 locknuts, metal washer for bushing, bushing, control arm, bushing, metal washer, 2 regular nuts, long gap, 2 regular nuts, metal washer, bushing, sway bar, bushing, metal washer, 2 lock nuts.
The reason I doubled up on the nuts was to keep things from coming loose. I ran these for a while and never had an issue, and they were easy to remove for off-roading. Like I said, my reasoning for doing it, was because I was eating through the bushings on the top.

Dan

 

[carlover]

i drive my ex daily with no sway bars front or rear. sometimes i wish i could put one back on, but to late now lol.

 

[glfredrick]

i drive my ex daily with no sway bars front or rear. sometimes i wish i could put one back on, but to late now lol.

Try the Currie bar. It is universal and allows for off-road flex.

http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/antirock.aspx