Anti-sway bar
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Anti-sway Bar

So, you would like the road handling of an anti-sway bar but you don't want to all together give up your articulation and you don't want the clearance and bar/component contact problems that come with an anti-sway bar. You want your cake and to eat it too.

There is a way to have the best of both worlds. How? Mount the anti-sway bar to the radius arms. Addco is the only manufacturer I could find that makes one for the front end of an early Bronco so, that is what we installed. Unfortunately, they are not duplicates of the OEM front anti-sway bars. The OEM bar can be mounted in-between the radius arms with the cross member at the transfer case end, further extending your clearance and articulation.

The idea is to mount the anti-sway bar in-between the front radius arms rather than from the the front axle to the frame as the kit was intended. 

swaybar-23.jpg (55706 bytes)

Mounted this way, your truck will have more leverage on the bar to help you maintain some decent articulation while making a huge difference in you highway handling and safety.

Parts & Tools

Tools Needed

  1. Open-end wrenches

  2. Socket set or air ratchet

  3. Pipe cutters

  4. Hacksaw

  5. Center-punch and hammer

  6. Scribe or marker

  7. Bench vise

  8. Drill press or hand drill

  9. 13/32 or 3/8 drill bit

Parts

  1. 1x5 1/2x0.12 (10ga or 11ga) steel

  2. Rubber

  3. Rubber adhesive (Automotive GOOP)

  4. Sandable primer

  5. Paint

  6. Four 3/8-16x3 (grade 5 or better) Galvanized hex bolts

  7. Two 3/8-16x5 (grade 5 or better) Galvanized hex bolts

Installation:

  addco-drawing.jpg (36800 bytes) 

Addco installation drawing for parts reference. 

(Addco parts in bold)

  1. Cut four 3/4" pieces from one of the tubing supplied with the Addco anti-sway bar. Tip: Use a pipe cutter if you have one

  2. Cut two pieces of rubber 7"x1 1/2".x1/8".  Tip: I used an old bicycle inner tube 14x1 1/2 and glued them in folded half

swaybar-7.jpg (43656 bytes) swaybar-11.jpg (45972 bytes)

  1. For the front mounts you will need to glue the rubber on the inside of the Addco frame bracket.

  2. Put the two frame bracket over the top of the radius arms about 13 1/2" from the first washer on frame end of the arm with 2) 5/16x2" bolts & flat washers installed.

  3. Slide the 3/4" spacers you made over the bolts then the Addco backing plates and the axle brackets hold them in place with 2) flat washers and lock nuts. 

  4. Put the rubber Addco bushings on the bar near the bar corners using a very small amount of oil or grease so they don't squeak later.

swaybar-15a.jpg (87001 bytes) swaybar-21a.jpg (59453 bytes)

  1. Before tightening the mount bolts, make sure to check the radius arm nut torque are set between 80 - 120ft lbs but equal side-to-side

  2.  Next, it is time to make the eyelet mount brackets.

     

    1. Cut the remainder on the spacer tube into two 1 1/2" pieces.

    2. Cut the 0.12 steel to size (1"x5 1/2") with a hacksaw.

    3. Scribe a line at 1 15/16" from each end. This will leave a 1 5/8" space in the center of the steel strap.

    4. Scribe a mark at 3/8" from the each end and 1/2" (center) from the side.

    5. Center-punch and drill the steel straps at the 3/8 marks.

    6. Clamp the bars in a vise and use a hammer to bend them to just short of 90- degrees. (see pictures and drawings) 

    bracket-plan.jpg (13102 bytes) Bracket plans.pdf swaybar-8.jpg (23651 bytes) swaybar-9.jpg (21849 bytes)  

    1. Hang them using a piece of wire and prime and paint them. (I used some old touchup paint I had)

    2. Cut the shoulders off two of the Addco rubber bushings. The use of urethane bushings will limit articulation and require approximately a year for break-in. 

    swaybar-12.jpg (11371 bytes) swaybar-16.jpg (39349 bytes)

  3. The following picture shows the bracket and bushing assembly.. (Note: the bolt will have to go in with the nut on top opposite of shown) 

swaybar-18.jpg (91810 bytes)

  1. The assembly will use only one Addco "cupped" washer on the bottom. Place the bracket over the radius arm so that the holes line up with the eyelet on the end of the bar. Place a rubber bushing with a shoulder on the topside if the eyelet and one with the shoulder cut off on top of that with the cut off shoulder side toward the bottom of the bracket.

  2. Place a cupped washer and a rubber bushing (shoulder up) from the Addco kit on one of the 5" bolts. Slide the bolt up through the bar eyelet, bushings and bracket bottom. Place one of the 1 1/2" spacers in the bracket. Slide the bolt through the space and bracket top and install a lock nut. Do the same on the other side.

  3. Tighten all bolts front and back to about 20-30ft lbs.

  4. Enjoy...

swaybar-21.jpg (64555 bytes) swaybar-23.jpg (55706 bytes)

hbronco-1.jpg (33370 bytes) hbronco-4.jpg (59355 bytes)

hbronco-6.jpg (39379 bytes) hbronco-7.jpg (51633 bytes)

Keep in mind that these pictures a with only a Duff 2" lift including cab-control air shocks and full urethane bushings. It's articulation was not outstanding in the first place. If you have better articulation than this, you will see better results.

Keep the Addco Rubber bushings. If you use urethane it will inhibit articulation.

 

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mike@stratadrome.com

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