Rear stabilizer/sway bar, 06 ranger

[jpsaxnc]

Hi All, My 06 Ranger needs a rear stabilizer bar, does anyone know what years will fit? It's the stock 8.8" rear end, with 10" brakes. Thanks James

 

[Earl43P]

Hi James, welcome to The Ranger Station!

I'll let JoshT answer your question in post #7 of this link:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116109





I put one from a 90 4x4 onto my 2000 2wd.
It was a good upgrade for that truck, but one bolt was really tough to get at and hold, working alone.
I also played around with the preload until I was happy with it.
Basically push the "pumpkin hoop" up or down until it handles to your liking.
Mine ended up with quite a lot of spring tension preloaded, then tightened it all up.
Again, tricky to do working alone, but worth the result.

Great upgrade for a street-driven truck.
Wouldn't bother if you mostly trail or off-road it.

 

[jpsaxnc]

Thanks for the link Earl. I'll be using the truck mostly on the road, but I noticed trying to back out of a shallow dry ditch, that my rear axle was hopping, and I was hoping that the stabilizer bar would eliminate or reduce the axle hop?

 

[JoshT]

I would like to add that explorer bars might not be a good fittment. Explorers use a different shock setup with the shocks mounted to the spring plates instead of the axle. As a result the Explorer sway bars don't have to be bent to clear a shock like a Ranger needs. Not saying an Explorer bar can't be used, but a Ranger bar will be easier.

but I noticed trying to back out of a shallow dry ditch, that my rear axle was hopping, and I was hoping that the stabilizer bar would eliminate or reduce the axle hop?

Really? Were you on dirt or paved surface?

A sway bar isn't really going to help with axle wrap or wheel hop, it just helps with body roll. A lot of that axle wrap is probably coming from the lift blocks these things have in the rear. Best fix for that is get rid of the blocks and get the lift back another way, like shackles or taller spring pack, maybe even an add-a-leaf. Other way to stop it is some sort of anti-wrap bar, but they may limit suspension travel.

 

[jpsaxnc]

Hi Josh, I had backed into a shallow dirt ditch crossways and the back side was a little steep for the tires to climb, so the tires would get a bite then lose it, causing the wheel hop. I was backing up very slowly, and just thought that the hop was a bit excessive for the conditions, my shocks are new and the suspension is still tight.

 

[JoshT]

Yeah, that'll do it. About the only thing that would help there is more weight in the bed.