2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Deleting rear swaybar to improve ride?

[SMolteberg]

I have searched the forum for people who have tried this, but found no one.

My truck is a 01,5 standard cab with the camper group. I seldom load it down and never tow heavy. No gooseneck of 5th wheel, just a bumperpull with small trailers. All the speed bumps and bad roads here in Norway are really bothering me, and getting a 1500 are not an option, I love my Cummins too much for that :-laf

I think it rides too rough in the rear and like to improve it a bit. Loading it down with sand bags and such I feel it's like putting on a band-aid, and I don't see any point dragging around with 500 pounds extra since the truck is heavy enough from before.

I have changed the shocks to Bilsteins and that improved the ride a lot, but I want even better

Will deleting the rear sway bar improve the ride quality any? Anyone done this? After I undercoated the truck the overloads have never touched their base so it cant be the oveloads that does this. Or should I get a new set of softer rear springs and keep the sway bar?



Advises please... .

 

[Joe Mc]

I think removing the "anti-sway" bar will not improve anything - in fact may make worse as it will then "sway" especially when you are loaded. Try backing out 10 psi on the back wheels when not loaded. I never pull anything and have load range E 305/70/16 and run 55 - 50 front and 40 - 45 rear, works for me. I like the Bilsteins too . . .

 

[SnoKing]

You can disconnect the end of one of the links between the frame and the sway bar to test it. I tried it a couple years ago and notice a slight improvement, but not enought to remove it completely, as we tow a 5th wheel. If you disconnect between the sway bar and link going up to the frame on just one side, then just tie the link back away from the sway bar, you can test. Also I believe that there are links availabe in the aftermarket that unlatch or latch together, to give you manual control over the sway bar.



Air pressure makes the biggest difference, along with adjustable rear shocks. I also have a STD CAB. I run as low as 42 lbs in the rear and set the Rancho 9000 to 1 when empty, "it helps alot"! I think you could go even lower in the rear, but I tend to haul things home for Lowes quite offen, so I stay at 42-44 lbs.



SNOKING

 

[jelag]

The sway bar is designed to apply pressure to one side of the axle or the other when you make a turn and the body sways... . the sway bar has no effect on ride or comfort... its there to help prevent body roll on turns... .

I see you have two choices..... leave it as it is, or go see a good spring shop and have them install some springs that will be softer... . Shocks do nothing more than stop the up and down movement of the body to the ground as you go over a bump or rut in the road... . firm shocks allow the truck to stop the up and down bounce of the bump quickly, softer shocks allow the bump to let the body move up and down a few times..... its the rate of the springs that effect how firm or hard the suspension is. .

 

[SnoKing]

The sway bar is designed to apply pressure to one side of the axle or the other when you make a turn and the body sways... . the sway bar has no effect on ride or comfort... its there to help prevent body roll on turns... .



I see you have two choices..... leave it as it is, or go see a good spring shop and have them install some springs that will be softer... . Shocks do nothing more than stop the up and down movement of the body to the ground as you go over a bump or rut in the road... . firm shocks allow the truck to stop the up and down bounce of the bump quickly, softer shocks allow the bump to let the body move up and down a few times..... its the rate of the springs that effect how firm or hard the suspension is. .

Jim, your advise is spot on normally. But two things here! If one rear tire hits a bump and the other one does not, then the sway bar is in play. Regarding shocks, until you have installed adjustable ones and played with the settings, you do not realize the effect they have on ride. As posted above, I tested the sway bar theory a few years ago and there was an improvement, and I have Rancho 9000, so I "know right away" if I do not turn them down when Bobtailing around.



SNOKING

 

[SnoKing]

I would also note that 3rd gen trucks do not have the sway bar, with DC claiming that the springs are closer to the tires and it is not required. Also note that 3rd gen's ride better.



SNOKING

 

[DonTX]

To swaybar or to not swaybar has been a long time automotive debate. As mentioned, the bump on one tire will certainly make the bump twice as harsh with a swaybar. I was impressed enough about the moving springs outboard (usually a very good and positive thing to do) to go measure my 2nd gen. There is 4 inches between the springs and the tire with stock size tires which if you leave SOME clearance means about 6 inches wider spring mounting could be the placement. Does anybody have the measurements for a third gen truck tire to rear springs? I would love to know just how much wider they decided to place the springs.

?

I would also note that 3rd gen trucks do not have the sway bar, with DC claiming that the springs are closer to the tires and it is not required. Also note that 3rd gen's ride better.



SNOKING

 

[Grizzly]

I had to question the lack of sway bars when I purchased my 05 DRW, more especially with the top end weight of the 11' 3" camper. Much to my surprise, I found that my 05 DRW handled the same camper better then the 95 DRW with sway bars. The 05 also had less squat then the 95. I also believe that having sway bars or not will not effect the ride. In addition I believe that reduced air pressure on the rear tires to about 45 psi when empty is the best solution.

 

[McCRam]

One thing to consider, if you pull the overloads off, you will pull about 100 lbs of unsprung weight from the rear axle. That is a lot of inertia that the shocks don't have to control. It isn't that hard to do, and you can easily reinstall them if it doesn't help.

 

[SMolteberg]

Thanks for the replys guys! I'm on the same page as Snoking thinking when only one wheel hit a bump or rut then the sway bar will force the other wheel follow the motion.

I can also mention I run 285/75-16 Dayton Timberline A/T loadrange D as my summertires @ 45psi in the rear and 55psi up front. In the winter I run with Cooper Discoverer M+S in 245/75-16 in loadrange E with same pressures as the Daytons, and they ride much rougher than my summertires. My bed will never see a camper either.



My friend had a 95 2500 exactly like mine, without helper springs or sway bar in the rear. That truck drove really smooth, and he pulled a 29' fiver and I never heard a complaint about a lack of sway bar or bodyroll.



I think I will try Snokings advice to pull one of the links to the sway bar and see how it works out. I was in the process pulling it off last fall, but I needed to cut one bolt off since it was mounted from the wrong side and the fueltank where in the way. So I decided to leave it alone back then, but now I really start to get annoyed by the rough ride.



I might drop by a local shop that makes springs from scratch, maybe they can make a set that drops the rear 2", delete the blocks and improve the ride quality. Hey, thats like a Kinder egg

 

[LarryWard]

Velvet Shackles was my attempt to soften the unladen rear from some harshness without carting extra weight around. Would like to hear from others on their opinion of their use. I like them. But once you load it down they are engineered to be locked out of the torsion rubber that is the key to softening the rear ride.

 

[MerkelG]

Rough Ride

The answer is Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks.

 

[Extreme1]

I've used Rancho 9000's (w/remote adjuster) and my truck never had a swaybar on the back. The biggest factor affecting ride quality is tire pressure. It's comforting to see that you all read your Owner's Manuals, mine give a rear tire pressure option of 40 psi. Since mine is rarely loaded I run them softer and it helps.

 

[SnoKing]

I've used Rancho 9000's (w/remote adjuster) and my truck never had a swaybar on the back. The biggest factor affecting ride quality is tire pressure. It's comforting to see that you all read your Owner's Manuals, mine give a rear tire pressure option of 40 psi. Since mine is rarely loaded I run them softer and it helps.

Owner's Manuals, yeah until you go over the www.rv.net and meet all the nuckleheads that say to run the max side wall pressure. SNOKING