Smaller Swaybars
Smaller Swaybars
I'm wondering if anyone is aware of a company that makes smaller front swaybars for our trucks, I've looked around but I've only seen companies offering larger, stiffer bars. With my Fox shocks the need for a swaybar is greatly diminished compared to what was needed with the stock shocks and I'd like to gain some additional flex, but running my truck without any front swaybar installed is giving me a little more body roll than I'd like and transferring slightly more weight to the rear tires than I'd like in fast turns.
If no such bar is available I'm thinking of trying out a hollow 36mm swaybar from a 2015 to replace my 34mm solid swaybar. Hellwig lists their front swaybars as fitting 2009-2020 F150s, so fitment shouldn't be an issue, but I'm unsure of whether or not the hollow 36mm bar will actually be softer as Ford doesn't specify the wall thickness of the swaybar and just mentions that a hollow variant exists in some models, whiles others get a solid 36mm bar. If the wall thickness exceeds 0.232", which is possible, the hollow swaybar will actually be stiffer than the swaybar I already have so buying one is a bit of a gamble.
On a side note, the solid 36mm swaybar from a 2015 should be roughly 25% stiffer than our solid 34mm swaybars and is substantially cheaper than the aftermarket swaybars that are offered for our trucks.
If no such bar is available I'm thinking of trying out a hollow 36mm swaybar from a 2015 to replace my 34mm solid swaybar. Hellwig lists their front swaybars as fitting 2009-2020 F150s, so fitment shouldn't be an issue, but I'm unsure of whether or not the hollow 36mm bar will actually be softer as Ford doesn't specify the wall thickness of the swaybar and just mentions that a hollow variant exists in some models, whiles others get a solid 36mm bar. If the wall thickness exceeds 0.232", which is possible, the hollow swaybar will actually be stiffer than the swaybar I already have so buying one is a bit of a gamble.
On a side note, the solid 36mm swaybar from a 2015 should be roughly 25% stiffer than our solid 34mm swaybars and is substantially cheaper than the aftermarket swaybars that are offered for our trucks.
After waiting a little while and getting no responses I decided to order a hollow 1.41" swaybar for a 2015 F150. All in all the new swaybar and bushings only cost me $137.41 shipped from Ford, so the price was very reasonable.
After taking some quick measurements I've established that the wall thickness of the new swaybar is roughly 0.22" making the ID of the swaybar 0.97" and the OD 1.41". Just to reiterate the stock swaybar used on 2009-2014 F150s is a solid 1.34" bar.
To compare swaybars of the same design, shape, and material you only need to know the relative stiffness which can be calculated using the following equation where R = relative stiffness, OD = outside diameter in inches, and ID = inside diameter in inches.
R = OD⁴ - ID⁴
Using this formula I've listed the relative stiffness of the solid 1.34", hollow 1.41", and solid 1.41" swaybars used on 2009-2014 and 2015+ F150s
1. Ford Solid 1.34" (34mm) (9L3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.224
2. Ford Solid 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-B)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.953
3. Ford Hollow 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: 0.220" (5.6mm)
Relative Stiffness: 3.067
Unfortunately for me, what I've found is that the hollow 1.41" swaybar while much lighter than my solid 1.34" swaybar, is only 4.8% softer, making the difference between the two imperceptible while driving. The biggest difference between the bars is weight, my solid 1.34" swaybar weighed roughly 25lbs while the hollow 1.41" swaybar weighed only 15lbs. That being said, those looking for a stiffer swaybar might be happy to learn that the solid 1.41" swaybar is 25.6% stiffer than the solid 1.34" swaybar and is very affordable at only $88.10 from Tasca
After taking some quick measurements I've established that the wall thickness of the new swaybar is roughly 0.22" making the ID of the swaybar 0.97" and the OD 1.41". Just to reiterate the stock swaybar used on 2009-2014 F150s is a solid 1.34" bar.
To compare swaybars of the same design, shape, and material you only need to know the relative stiffness which can be calculated using the following equation where R = relative stiffness, OD = outside diameter in inches, and ID = inside diameter in inches.
R = OD⁴ - ID⁴
Using this formula I've listed the relative stiffness of the solid 1.34", hollow 1.41", and solid 1.41" swaybars used on 2009-2014 and 2015+ F150s
1. Ford Solid 1.34" (34mm) (9L3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.224
2. Ford Solid 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-B)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.953
3. Ford Hollow 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: 0.220" (5.6mm)
Relative Stiffness: 3.067
Unfortunately for me, what I've found is that the hollow 1.41" swaybar while much lighter than my solid 1.34" swaybar, is only 4.8% softer, making the difference between the two imperceptible while driving. The biggest difference between the bars is weight, my solid 1.34" swaybar weighed roughly 25lbs while the hollow 1.41" swaybar weighed only 15lbs. That being said, those looking for a stiffer swaybar might be happy to learn that the solid 1.41" swaybar is 25.6% stiffer than the solid 1.34" swaybar and is very affordable at only $88.10 from Tasca
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Joined: Apr 2018
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Thank you!
After waiting a little while and getting no responses I decided to order a hollow 1.41" swaybar for a 2015 F150. All in all the new swaybar and bushings only cost me $137.41 shipped from Ford, so the price was very reasonable.
After taking some quick measurements I've established that the wall thickness of the new swaybar is roughly 0.22" making the ID of the swaybar 0.97" and the OD 1.41". Just to reiterate the stock swaybar used on 2009-2014 F150s is a solid 1.34" bar.
To compare swaybars of the same design, shape, and material you only need to know the relative stiffness which can be calculated using the following equation where R = relative stiffness, OD = outside diameter in inches, and ID = inside diameter in inches.
R = OD⁴ - ID⁴
Using this formula I've listed the relative stiffness of the solid 1.34", hollow 1.41", and solid 1.41" swaybars used on 2009-2014 and 2015+ F150s
1. Ford Solid 1.34" (34mm) (9L3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.224
2. Ford Solid 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-B)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.953
3. Ford Hollow 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: 0.220" (5.6mm)
Relative Stiffness: 3.067
Unfortunately for me, what I've found is that the hollow 1.41" swaybar while much lighter than my solid 1.34" swaybar, is only 4.8% softer, making the difference between the two imperceptible while driving. The biggest difference between the bars is weight, my solid 1.34" swaybar weighed roughly 25lbs while the hollow 1.41" swaybar weighed only 15lbs. That being said, those looking for a stiffer swaybar might be happy to learn that the solid 1.41" swaybar is 25.6% stiffer than the solid 1.34" swaybar and is very affordable at only $88.10 from Tasca
After taking some quick measurements I've established that the wall thickness of the new swaybar is roughly 0.22" making the ID of the swaybar 0.97" and the OD 1.41". Just to reiterate the stock swaybar used on 2009-2014 F150s is a solid 1.34" bar.
To compare swaybars of the same design, shape, and material you only need to know the relative stiffness which can be calculated using the following equation where R = relative stiffness, OD = outside diameter in inches, and ID = inside diameter in inches.
R = OD⁴ - ID⁴
Using this formula I've listed the relative stiffness of the solid 1.34", hollow 1.41", and solid 1.41" swaybars used on 2009-2014 and 2015+ F150s
1. Ford Solid 1.34" (34mm) (9L3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.224
2. Ford Solid 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-B)
Wall thickness: Solid
Relative Stiffness: 3.953
3. Ford Hollow 1.41" (36mm) (FL3Z-5482-C)
Wall thickness: 0.220" (5.6mm)
Relative Stiffness: 3.067
Unfortunately for me, what I've found is that the hollow 1.41" swaybar while much lighter than my solid 1.34" swaybar, is only 4.8% softer, making the difference between the two imperceptible while driving. The biggest difference between the bars is weight, my solid 1.34" swaybar weighed roughly 25lbs while the hollow 1.41" swaybar weighed only 15lbs. That being said, those looking for a stiffer swaybar might be happy to learn that the solid 1.41" swaybar is 25.6% stiffer than the solid 1.34" swaybar and is very affordable at only $88.10 from Tasca
