Is it better to have a smaller sway bar in back?

[Blmpkn]

..But then again we encounter emergencies in which we must make split second decisions. We slam on the brakes and swerve.

...But the question remains, what is the right balance between front and back?

There literally is no answer to your question.

Ambient temp, type of surface, type of tire, tire pressure, spring rates, damping rates.. all going to have effect on what the ideal bar balance is. In the case of a pickup which could be empty OR could have 1000lbs in the bed.. it's more complicated.. do you set things up for this 'max safety' with a load in the bed.. or unloaded? There will be a difference, and there must be a compromise.

Compounding the problem is the inherent subjectivity of what 'feels' best.. and the question of what kind of setup is the driver most proficient driving? you might HATE how a rear bar feels.. never know..

adding a rear bar or adding a bigger rear bar will reduce understeer....

....perhaps a little understeer is gonna be the safest option in your next 'slam on brakes and swerve' situation... you never know... sudden unexpected oversteer is literally just as dangerous.

Anecdotally... what's the class of rangers & s10s that run the smaller circle tracks called? Sport truck?

Man.... those trucks are set up to handle as best as they possibly can for the most part.... and every single one STILL manages to flip over 4x throughout the season

 

[Josh B]

Personally, I find this interesting. I like to learn. A quick check with a tape measure tells me that Ford, in its wisdom, put in 5/8" sway bars on both front and back on some models. A one inch bar on the front was an immediate improvement. Perhaps one inch on both front and back is the way to go.

Have you really thought about what that will do to your off roading?
From what I have read, if I understand it correctly, the more, should they not be called "ANTI-sway" bars instead? The more anti sway added, the more offroad shock absorbtion will be lost to the bars.
I do not know who engineered the suspension on my Ranger, but it almost seems to me it knew where it was going to wind up, because it already seems to have the perfect mix for what I want to do with it.
There has been nothing along the way where it was not already good to go

 

[Lefty]

Have you really thought about what that will do to your off roading?
From what I have read, if I understand it correctly, the more, should they not be called "ANTI-sway" bars instead? The more anti sway added, the more offroad shock absorbtion will be lost to the bars.
I do not know who engineered the suspension on my Ranger, but it almost seems to me it knew where it was going to wind up, because it already seems to have the perfect mix for what I want to do with it.
There has been nothing along the way where it was not already good to go

I believe that the Ranger was made to compete with all of the other little trucks in a crowded marketplace. I like the Ranger. They did a pretty good job on just about everything. Still, i know that it can be improved. That '97 Explorer sway bar in the front is a pretty good example.

To each his own, I guess. Mine is a street truck. It's two wheel drive. I don't do any serious off roading. Even on my son's farm, the ground just doesn't present extreme challenges. I suppose if it did, those sway bars could be disconnected.

 

[Lefty]

I don’t have anything to say about what rear sway bar is best… yet…

My green Ranger got the Explorer front sway bar. In the rear my goal is to use all the Explorer goodies (sway bar, traction bars, dampener shock, rear mounted shocks, spring under axle) plus pack clamps. We shall see how that goes. I’m hoping for a lowered monster in disguise.

My Choptop I did removeable links in the front, got Explorer front links and drilled the lower to take a 1/2” hitch pin and bam, removeable links. I’m not convinced it helps that much, it’s still a big spring toy. Even with new tires.

I’m ok with that though, I accepted it for what it is when I built it. The green Ranger was built as everything my Choptop wasn’t. Everything I build has a purpose. My F-150 is a fricking tank, because it’s my work truck. I have a plan for all of my fleet.

How does the dampener shock modification work? Can you take any one off any Explorer? Have you got a photo handy?

 

[Lefty]

Mine has one for each side and a sideways one in the middle

Have you got a photo?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

How does the dampener shock modification work? Can you take any one off any Explorer? Have you got a photo handy?

Well, the rear axle, at least in the V-8 Explorers is set up entirely different from a Ranger. Rangers were all spring over axle, and the 4x4s got a factory lift block between the axle and spring. Explorers were spring under axle. Because of the difference in leverage with each of those three options, spring under reduces axle wrap the most. Axle wrap is the rotational force on the axle and it tries to bend the leaf springs to an S shape. The leaf spring clamps and traction bars help fight that too. Both of those the Explorer used and the Ranger didn’t. The Explorer had both rear shocks mounted behind the axle instead of the one back, one forward in the Ranger. Because of all the anti-axle wrap stuff, it makes sense they did that. Throw in a sway bar and then the dampener shock goes from the front of the differential (if you look at yours, on the passenger side there’s a flat spot with three holes up by the pinion yoke, that’s where the bracket attaches), then the shock runs at an angle up to the inside of the passenger frame rail.

 

[Lefty]

Well, the rear axle, at least in the V-8 Explorers is set up entirely different from a Ranger. Rangers were all spring over axle, and the 4x4s got a factory lift block between the axle and spring. Explorers were spring under axle. Because of the difference in leverage with each of those three options, spring under reduces axle wrap the most. Axle wrap is the rotational force on the axle and it tries to bend the leaf springs to an S shape. The leaf spring clamps and traction bars help fight that too. Both of those the Explorer used and the Ranger didn’t. The Explorer had both rear shocks mounted behind the axle instead of the one back, one forward in the Ranger. Because of all the anti-axle wrap stuff, it makes sense they did that. Throw in a sway bar and then the dampener shock goes from the front of the differential (if you look at yours, on the passenger side there’s a flat spot with three holes up by the pinion yoke, that’s where the bracket attaches), then the shock runs at an angle up to the inside of the passenger frame rail.

Maybe then I won't need one. I've got traction bars

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Maybe then I won't need one. I've got traction bars

I dunno. I’m working on figuring out how to make all of the Explorer goodies fit and work in my green Ranger. Stay tuned. Got the bed stripped off today and got the bed off the wrecked Ranger that’s going to give me my frame repair piece. As soon as I get the frame repairs done, I’ll be diving into making all the Explorer stuff work. I haven’t fully ruled out rotating the spring plates on the axle tube, but I’m not really sure I want to go through that trouble and just shim it for pinion angle. Have to re-work my leaf spring packs. Going to cut off and shift in the traction bar mounts, I think centering them over the spring pack will be about right, in between the U-bolts. Have to figure out the sway bar, build a upper rear shock mount for the passenger side, and work out what I need for the dampener shock. Good luck to the exhaust shop for figuring out how to get a pair of 2-1/2” pipes through all of that. It’s lowered over stock. A good bit really. I need 08-11 Ranger torsion bar keys to make this right.

But, with a 5.0 AWD setup, I’m ok with being low. Someday it might be a 331 stroker with a supercharger or turbo and AWD, so I’m just preparing now…

 

[Lefty]

I dunno. I’m working on figuring out how to make all of the Explorer goodies fit and work in my green Ranger. Stay tuned. Got the bed stripped off today and got the bed off the wrecked Ranger that’s going to give me my frame repair piece. As soon as I get the frame repairs done, I’ll be diving into making all the Explorer stuff work. I haven’t fully ruled out rotating the spring plates on the axle tube, but I’m not really sure I want to go through that trouble and just shim it for pinion angle. Have to re-work my leaf spring packs. Going to cut off and shift in the traction bar mounts, I think centering them over the spring pack will be about right, in between the U-bolts. Have to figure out the sway bar, build a upper rear shock mount for the passenger side, and work out what I need for the dampener shock. Good luck to the exhaust shop for figuring out how to get a pair of 2-1/2” pipes through all of that. It’s lowered over stock. A good bit really. I need 08-11 Ranger torsion bar keys to make this right.

But, with a 5.0 AWD setup, I’m ok with being low. Someday it might be a 331 stroker with a supercharger or turbo and AWD, so I’m just preparing now…

Sounds like fun! No matter what I do, I'm never going to catch up with you...but I wish I could.

 

[rubydist]

Close but backwards, a bigger rear bar will increase understeer, a smaller bar increases oversteer and makes a vehicle feel loose.

The above statement is absolutely false. 100% wrong.

The most understeer you can get is with a large front bar and no rear bar.

 

[Josh B]

Have you got a photo?

The one on right is from just front of the Right Rear tire, that's my little flashlight in front of it

 

[Lefty]

The one on right is from just front of the Right Rear tire, that's my little flashlight in front of it

Thank you Josh

 

[Josh B]

No snakes were harmed or killed in the taking of these photos

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

It looks like you didn't disturb the birds nest either...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Sounds like fun! No matter what I do, I'm never going to catch up with you...but I wish I could.

Just keep plugging along, you’ll get there, lol. That’s all I do