Where can I buy a 2wd front sway bar bracket?!

[Nickster8074]

Hello all! I’ve got a 1990 Ford Ranger w/ 351W and T5. I’ve bought all new components to freshen and lower my truck’s suspension. I also wanted to make it handle better, so I purchased a front and rear sway bar kit from Belltech. Trouble is, this kit assumes that I’ve already got a sway bar up front. My truck never had one and is missing the bracket required for mounting. The bracket in question mounts to the I-beam and can be seen in the attached picture. Anyone know where I can find one of these new/used? LMC Truck offers the one for 4wd, but nothing for 2wd. Any help would be much appreciated. -Nick

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

No ideas for purchasing here, sorry. How about making a pair? Looks like pretty simple fab work.

 

[Nickster8074]

That will be the alternative, just trying off the shelf options first. I've made a bit of progress by finding the part number, it's F0TZ-5486-A. The hunt is on!

 

[AllanD]

Considering you have a V8 it might be worth considering a Buying a pair on 1995-1997 beams with steering knuckles and giving your truck a brake upgrade to the superior two piston brake calipers.

 

[Nickster8074]

Could you explain the difference between the I-beams I have and the 95-97 version with the steering knuckles? I didn't know what options were available to my '90. And I agree completely about upgrading the calipers.

 

[adsm08]

Could you explain the difference between the I-beams I have and the 95-97 version with the steering knuckles? I didn't know what options were available to my '90. And I agree completely about upgrading the calipers.

The early knuckles used slider pins, basically two pieces of metal with a poured rubber bit in between them, to hold the caliper in. These are single piston calipers, and the design makes both the caliper casing and the knuckle wear items.

The 95-97 knuckles used dual piston bolt-on calipers with replaceable brackets.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

As I understand it, the 95 to 97 have a different system of holding the calipers because ford upgraded the calipers for those years. That means you need the knuckles for those years so the calipers can fit. Maybe that the balljoints are different so you need the beams so the knuckles fit. I've never worked on the 95-7 so that's why I'm a little iffy on details.

Edit; ADSM beat me.

 

[adsm08]

Maybe that the balljoints are different so you need the beams so the knuckles fit. I've never worked on the 95-7 so that's why I'm a little iffy on details.

Edit; ADSM beat me.

I have never done a conversion, the only time I put this setup on an older truck I was replacing a D-28 and 1BadExplorer hooked me up with a whole axle.

As I understand it though, the knuckle swap is a pretty bolt on affair. You need the knuckles and calipers/brackets obviously, but I don't think anything else has to be replaced.