Rear Sway Bar Upgrade

[superj]

if i buy a vehicle with no, or a small rear bar, i always upgrade that first. 100% different vehicle afterwards

 

[Lefty]

Bought my 98 back in 2002. Bigger anti-swaybars were the very first upgrade I did. Was getting ready to move from Commiefornia to Oklahoma. Was towing a rather large trailer with two big old motorcycles on it. Wanted the bigger bars to make the truck more stable while pulling that heavy trailer, especially when encountering cross winds on I-40.

Truck never had a stock rear bar. So yeah, the improvement was notable.

In 2015, I started hearing a clunk in the steering at full lock, or near it. Ended up that two of the end link bushings on each side were totally missing, even though they were new in 2002. So the end links were beating on the lower control arm, making the clunk. I checked the rear ones at the same time, and they were shot as well. Checked the front and rears on my 04 LIGHTNING, and they were all shot as well.

Moral of the story, Check the bushings frequently. They go bad all too soon.

The Energy Suspension replacements have zerk fittings. That's nice!

Good advice. I never tow a trailer, but I would imagine that sway bars are downright critical, especially in emergencies.

 

[Lefty]

if i buy a vehicle with no, or a small rear bar, i always upgrade that first. 100% different vehicle afterwards

And even if you never encounter a driving emergency, those upgraded sway bars will improve the handling and steering response.

 

[cbxer55]

I haven't towed a trailer in years. But yeah, I still enjoy the way the truck handles with those bars on it. It goes around corners swell. There's a road around a lake here, pretty much endless. If I'm not on one of my bikes, I'm in the Ranger, hauling azz around it.

 

[Lefty]

I haven't towed a trailer in years. But yeah, I still enjoy the way the truck handles with those bars on it. It goes around corners swell. There's a road around a lake here, pretty much endless. If I'm not on one of my bikes, I'm in the Ranger, hauling azz around it.

Exactly! Sports truck!

 

[Josh B]

Is there like a compilation of ones that fit particular vehicles that you can look at and find which ones fit yours?

I bilt my trailer using an old U-haul drop axle and a pile of angle iron from a job I'd been on, using a cheap HF welder which I wired for 220. I used to have photos of the building process but the fact is it was bilt like a brick outhouse while recovering, or trying to, from a shoulder injury. To this day when I need a heavy anvil to hammer on, I use the trailer tongue.
I hadn't had the 93 long when I began moving from TN to OK, but I had put new clutch and numerous other fixes on it, and it was not in bad shape, actually I was doing some speeds I shouldn't actually have been doing. I made 4 trips pulling that trailer, with a new (straight) axle, loaded to the hilt.

One time headed towards Nashville and getting into the home stretch, I was doggedaz tired and it was pouring rain, somewhere I think between Memphis and Jackson(TN)
I was hammer down and approaching this truck that just wouldn't let up but I went on by anyway, possibly 75mph?
I think the trailer tailgate was in the bed, but by the time I realized what I was doing it was too late to stop, and that trailer held true through the storm and fury, no wiggle no wobble no nothin, straight true all the way through it
I felt good about that, it might have saved my life

Not sure what that had to do with sway bars

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I mentioned a couple times before in other threads... I took a f-150 rear bar and bent it to fit. Used a 20 ton press at a friend's place. It bent easy.

 

[Lefty]

Is there like a compilation of ones that fit particular vehicles that you can look at and find which ones fit yours?

I bilt my trailer using an old U-haul drop axle and a pile of angle iron from a job I'd been on, using a cheap HF welder which I wired for 220. I used to have photos of the building process but the fact is it was bilt like a brick outhouse while recovering, or trying to, from a shoulder injury. To this day when I need a heavy anvil to hammer on, I use the trailer tongue.
I hadn't had the 93 long when I began moving from TN to OK, but I had put new clutch and numerous other fixes on it, and it was not in bad shape, actually I was doing some speeds I shouldn't actually have been doing. I made 4 trips pulling that trailer, with a new (straight) axle, loaded to the hilt.

One time headed towards Nashville and getting into the home stretch, I was doggedaz tired and it was pouring rain, somewhere I think between Memphis and Jackson(TN)
I was hammer down and approaching this truck that just wouldn't let up but I went on by anyway, possibly 75mph?
I think the trailer tailgate was in the bed, but by the time I realized what I was doing it was too late to stop, and that trailer held true through the storm and fury, no wiggle no wobble no nothin, straight true all the way through it
I felt good about that, it might have saved my life

Not sure what that had to do with sway bars

I'm not sure what sway bars have to do with your story either, but it was a good one!

And, yes. Sway bar info can be found in the Tech section on this site. https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/sway-bar-options-for-your-ford-ranger/
It will tell you which sway bars will fit your Ranger.

@alwaysFlOoReD need not worry about that. He just bent his to fit.

 

[cbxer55]

Is there like a compilation of ones that fit particular vehicles that you can look at and find which ones fit yours?

I bilt my trailer using an old U-haul drop axle and a pile of angle iron from a job I'd been on, using a cheap HF welder which I wired for 220. I used to have photos of the building process but the fact is it was bilt like a brick outhouse while recovering, or trying to, from a shoulder injury. To this day when I need a heavy anvil to hammer on, I use the trailer tongue.
I hadn't had the 93 long when I began moving from TN to OK, but I had put new clutch and numerous other fixes on it, and it was not in bad shape, actually I was doing some speeds I shouldn't actually have been doing. I made 4 trips pulling that trailer, with a new (straight) axle, loaded to the hilt.

One time headed towards Nashville and getting into the home stretch, I was doggedaz tired and it was pouring rain, somewhere I think between Memphis and Jackson(TN)
I was hammer down and approaching this truck that just wouldn't let up but I went on by anyway, possibly 75mph?
I think the trailer tailgate was in the bed, but by the time I realized what I was doing it was too late to stop, and that trailer held true through the storm and fury, no wiggle no wobble no nothin, straight true all the way through it
I felt good about that, it might have saved my life

Not sure what that had to do with sway bars

Alright. So, where in Oklahoma are you? I'm in Midwest City, just east of Oklahoma City.

 

[Lefty]

Alright. So, where in Oklahoma are you? I'm in Midwest City, just east of Oklahoma City.

I'm a bit further north, Saint Paul Minnesota. I've got my old 5/8 inch front bar if you want to come pick it up.

 

[Lefty]

Yes, I would most certainly consider sway bars as an upgrade, especially with any other modification that raises the center of gravity on the Ranger. Even without, I would look into it. In my opinion, the stock sway bars are good, but feel a little weak at higher speeds. They may not be necessary except in rare situations where the driver needs to swerve or brake hard. Sway bars are also useful in winter when traction is so important.

There are a number of companies which make upgraded sway bars. Hellwig is one. They are rather pricey, maybe $3-$4 hundred each.

Then again there are plenty of used bars from other vehicles which are dirt cheap. I got a junkyard one inch thick front bar from a '97 Explorer (2 WD V8). It was hollow but definitely better than the original. Some Bronco IIs will sometimes have one inch rear sway bars which will fit. The Tech section here suggests that maybe 1" rear sway bars can be swapped from Explorers... As long as the Explorer year matches the Ranger year. I haven't pulled one yet, but I will be out hunting soon.

And do also consider leaf spring clamps. They help reduce sway in the back end. One is pictured above.

The upgrade is more than a nicety. Ford actually posted a warning on the visor

about possible rollover accidents.

 

[Lefty]

What do you mean to consider the sway bars?
Like for an upgrade? I really have no clue exactly what to look for to upgrade mine

I would begin by checking to see if you have them. And if you do, look for an aftermarket bar or a junkyard swap that offers a bigger bar. If I remember correctly Ford Rangers have a 5/8 inch bar. I would look for a 7/8' or 1" replacement. Install the front end first. It is more important. A beefed up rear sway bar alone may pose problems.

 

[Lefty]

if i buy a vehicle with no, or a small rear bar, i always upgrade that first. 100% different vehicle afterwards

Install a front sway bar first. That is more important...and maybe safer that way.

 

[superj]

two weekends ago i finally got my order for larger sway bars for my mazda6. the front requires some work to install but the rear is very easy.

according to the mazda6 forum, the larger rear bar is all that needs to be done to make the car handle well for autocross and if i had done the front before the rear, i would regret it.

so i did the rear one day after work, really quickly, and still have to do the front since i was holding on the h&r race springs to show up.

the difference is amazing. just like when i put a rear bar on my 79 bmw 320i (which came with no stock rear bar). its a totally different car now, the mazda6. it had a small rear bar and the new bar i put on is huge so now the car feels dead flat through the turns and driving on the highway. no more sway from the 25-30mph cross winds were always have here.

i don't know how doing the front first would have affected the car but if i could have easily put it on, i would have done it at the same time, but just the rear makes me totally understand why some of those guys only bought rear bars.

here is from the site on the mazda6 bars.

Bar Sizes
Stock - 23mm Front, 19mm Rear
Racing Beat - 28.5mm (1.125") Front, 27mm (1.0625") Rear (Both bars feature solid tubing)

 

[superj]

and look up stuff on ebay before you buy it new. i found this guy selling the bars, mounts, and bushings i wanted for 90 bucks, still new in the package. no idea why he had them so cheap but he had three sets so i got one.

from the bar manufacturer, they were a hair under 450 for the set with mounts and bushings.