Sway Bar Again

[Kevin Lang]

Alright, so I started to play with that front sway bar again.



3 of the 4 bolts are in, and that's all that is going to go. I've bent the God-forsaken "brass" brackets like crazy, and it was only by using a 4" C-clamp that I was able to laboriously get the first set of bolts on.



The other bracket, though, does not line up under as much clampage as I can clamp on the drivers' side, with the splash guard and rad hose restricting the clamp turning

(and I really don't want/shouldn't have to take that guy off again)



This in no way should be this time-consuming, it should just go on like the rear bar did--effortlessly.



As for the bushings, which were pre-cut, whomever cut those suckers had issues, as one bushing has a chunk gouged out of it, which means that it will sit different from the other, even if they could both be put on.



Seriously, Addco has some logic issues to deal with--if the 737 bar is ONLY for the ST and vehicles with a matching frame setup, then why on earth doesn't the sucker come pre-fitted?



Time to write off the bar and just buy the (expletive) endlinks.



No wonder no one does this one.

 

[gary s]

:smile0015:

 

[Kevin Lang]

ROFL gary s.



Well, I'd be rolling on the floor, but I've been recumbent so long I'm "won" with it.



Though Mister S, if you haven't installed this sway bar, you can't really bring anything to the discussion :smile0017:

 

[gary s]

oh sorry,



used the wrong icon (still have to get used to the new ones).



best of luck with your front sway bar install.

sorry to hear you are having frustrations with the install.

best of luck and hopefully you will have her in soon. :smile0001:

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

I just used a OEM 4x4 front sway bar on my 4x2, and has worked fine for me. No real issues replacing it either.

 

[Kevin Lang]

The 4x4 bar comes prefit tho, lucky...and didn't come cut when it wasn't supposed to ??



Oh well, frustration vented.



:smile0006:

 

[A K]

@ KL:



Your mention of installing the brackets brings back terrible memories of adding the Addco to mine. And of when I removed it to add Energy Suspension F5 lubricant to everything. The second time, I managed to get all four bolts started. I then used an air ratchet to drive them into the frame, not giving a damn if I cross-threaded anything.



Never again. I'll wear the bushings to dust before I take it off and reinstall it.

 

[swshawaii]

Kevin- Energy Suspension has a good selection of greasable sway bar brackets w/ bushings for under $25 pr.

I am sure they offer the correct size for the Addco 737. You must find the O.D. diameter in MM, however. Good Luck.

 

[Don Pertz]

I thought that bar was for a Dodge, but just happened to be a close fit for a ST.

 

[Todd Z]

The Addco bar is NOT a direct manufacturer for the ST.... it bolts on to the earlier explorer with zero issue...



Addco refuses to make new bushings and brackets for the ST for that bar. They don't want to add another number to inventory..



Trust ME I went round and round with them.....



So the install instructions on our site say to drill the holes larger to allow for the play needed to get the bar installed with little effort...



Todd Z

 

[Kevin Lang]

I have a few choice words for Addco



Every time I try the install I end up having to drive with no bar, for some reason or another. It's kinda fun, having "Independent Front Suspension"...brings back the memories of the OEM shocks.



If I had a drill manlier than the Ryobi 3/8" drill that I scrounged up, and a bit that would bore out the hole, I could do that, but I was really hoping that, like the rear bar, I wouldn't have to.



Proper tools = too easy, right? :banana:

 

[Tom Schindler]

It can fit. Trust me, when you get it installed a drive it, you will forget about how big of a PIA it was to install.





Tom

 

[swshawaii]

TOTALLY agree, Tom. I gave blood installing mine. Worth every drop. :banana:

 

[David Ponder]

Agree with Tom and Steve...

I replaced reont and rear on mine at the same time. Well worth it.

I did enlarge the holes on mine, but I used a round metal file and it fairly worked well.



(and I gave my share of O+ also) :banana:

 

[Kevin Lang]

These Moog endlinks are amazing, the difference is incredible. Took 30 minutes to install, including going to Advance and buying them from the Advance Auto Parts matron.



I'm more impressed with this upgrade than I was with the Rear sway bar itself



Going through turns, the ST no longer massively dips to one side, I now have to go through turns differently as if not I end up turning the wheel too much.



Maybe I could make the end links tighter, I got 'em to where it was a bit difficult to turn the brass bar by hand, which showed 4 threads after the nut on each.



Fast Eddie's suggestion to put the bolt at the bottom is definitely easier. The nut itself is 11/16", while the bolt is 5/6". I have a 5/6" box wrench, I do not have an 11/16" wrench, so that would have had me ratcheting up in confined quarters, and having to find something to hold the wrench against. The ST frame is so convenient for wedging the wrenches.



Though the end links improvement was WAY more than I expected--I can't imagine what the sway bar will be? God's Gift to ST handling



Time to get me a real drill.



:smile0006:

 

[Todd Z]

The Addco bar comes with new endlinks.... why did you spend more money on other end links ???



The Addco ones are Polly and full metal construction..



Todd Z

 

[Kevin Lang]

Mr Z, because the Addco endlinks were, ahh, ravaged by other ppl and stuff when I left them in the garage that is not mine



:smile0001:

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Aren't the MOOG front end links fully metal? Agreed, they do not come with poly bushings though.

 

[Kevin Lang]

The Moog things were metal, and maybe even metal :smile0017:



but those bushings did come with them, and they were some petroleum concoction, if they weren't polyurethane, I don't know. They didn't feel like the ones on the Moog, though they were isometric, though anisochromatic.



I'm not a Plastic expert...that doesn't even sound cool, like Metallurgist.



Whatever the suckers are made out of, they work

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

The blue MOOG end link bushings are Not poly. You can go to AutoZone or your local 4x4 store and get Energy Suspension poly bushing for your front end links for about $10. When putting the bolt down with the nut on the bottom I recommend putting some "blue" locktight on to keep the nut from vibrating off.