Sway Bar Linkage Failure

[103]

So I have a 2.5 inch strut spacer leveling kit in the front. In January in the Ozarks I had a sway bar link on the front fail at the ball joint. I finally got around to replacing them with OEM links a couple months ago. I have done only normal driving since. Well one just failed today (or at least I noticed today).

I presume this is based on the changed geometry from the lift.Assuming I am correct, is there a solution to this? Maybe longer linkages?

Appreciate any ideas.

EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that I have described this wrong. I am saying "failed," but really what I am experiencing is the thunk-thunk sound that I had from January until I replaced the links in May. Replacing the links with new OEM links made the thunk-thunk go away until Saturday. I made the immediate connection that a link ball joint had failed again. I haven't taken anything apart yet to know that to be true. I am probably going to try some adjustable links to see if that helps.

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[103]

Anyone drive around without a sway bar up front? Any negative consequences?

 

[Dahveed]

Anyone drive around without a sway bar up front? Any negative consequences?

For regular, everyday driving it's going to have a lot of body roll.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Anyone drive around without a sway bar up front? Any negative consequences?

Hi David,

The sway bar as you call it...is a handling device to increase front roll stiffness and thus generate higher slip angles for the front tires...ie in NASCAR parlance, push, which we call understeer. Absence of this front bar working, you are upsetting the OEM vehicle dynamics and in an emergency situation you may find your truck swap ends when you do not want this result. Even for normal driving, you will likely find the truck presents a bit of an unstable feel in turns.

Your install did something wrong. There many that have done this install and no dire consequences like you have....Something is wrong. I implore you to find what is wrong and fix it!

It is my opinion that you have not provided the full story on your suspension mod. Hard to diagnose when only a partial story is presented. Maybe others can chime in here...How many broken stabilizer bar links have been broken...I recall none.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[103]

Um, what? I have a 2.5 inch spacer leveling kit. A sway bar link ball joint failed on the high water Mark trail in Arkansas in January. I recently replaced both links with OEM links. I know how to install sway bar links.

I went to the shop I worked for when I was in college so I could use a lift and their tools. The owner helped me out the whole time. He ended up doing about 90% of the install—I mostly just helped with the tools and being an extra set of hands.

The links were installed correctly. The only non-OEM aspect of my front suspension is the level kit.

That’s the entire story. What would I be missing? And should I have called it an anti-sway bar? Does Ford call it something else now?

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Um, what? I have a 2.5 inch spacer leveling kit. A sway bar link ball joint failed on the high water Mark trail in Arkansas in January. I recently replaced both links with OEM links. I know how to install sway bar links.

I went to the shop I worked for when I was in college so I could use a lift and their tools. The owner helped me out the whole time. He ended up doing about 90% of the install—I mostly just helped with the tools and being an extra set of hands.

The links were installed correctly. The only non-OEM aspect of my front suspension is the level kit.

That’s the entire story. What would I be missing? And should I have called it an anti-sway bar? Does Ford call it something else now?

Ford engineering never called it any thing but a stabilizer bar. I cannot tell what you did wrong, but clearly something wrong based on 10,000 other forum members and many mods that have been done and no OEM stabilizer failures as I recall. What were your alignment numbers after the install? Did you even align the Truck? If yes...you neglected to state this...if not this could be your problem. Something is wrong...this just flat does not add up...

And with this...I am out of this thread.... I cannot help...

 

[103]

Replacing sway bar links have no impact on alignment... Thanks for the help?

 

[103]

Also, bar didn’t fail. The ball joint in the linkage failed.

 

[Msfitoy]

Strange situation...
Could this just be a one off failed part?

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Strange situation...
Could this just be a one off failed part?

HI Sid,

He broke an aftermarket one and an OEM link..so more than just one link.....

 

[Markubis]

Replacing sway bar links have no impact on alignment... Thanks for the help?

Phil was asking if you had it aligned after the 2.5 inch lift.

 

[103]

I did the lift August of 2019. Had a ball joint fail during the install and couldn’t find OE links so I got some form of “OE type” from Rock Auto. Had it aligned afterwards. Got new tires in November 2020. Had it aligned afterwards. Did two Ozarks trips in 2020/2021. One was August 2020. Other was New Years weekend 20/21. First ball joint failed last day of that trip. Had some water crossings, but nothing technical and maybe one situation where I used 4L.

I did NOT get an alignment when I got back, but I also did not realize it was the link that failed. Truck’s movement was normal. Tire wear indicated (eventually) that camber might have been slightly out (had some excessive wear on the inside halves of the fronttire treads). Once we finally diagnosed the bad ball joint, we replaced both links with (now available) OEM links.

I have not yet pulled anything apart (will do that today after church), but yesterday I noticed the same exact sound returning under the same exact conditions (hitting a bump while driving). And now if I physically rock the truck side to side with my hands, the same exact clunking sound has returned. I did buy a set of space links, so I am just going to replace the one today.

I have done zero off-roading with these links installed. Just driving to and from work mostly highway.

Let’s just assume my links are installed properly and my alignment is still within spec (the slight wear I noticed would have had to occur over more than 12k miles if my January trip cause the loss of alignment). I believe the first failed was caused by the off roaring. I’m leaning towards a one off bad ball joint (which in my previous life as a mustang mechanic I saw plenty of). But I wanted to get the forum’s thoughts on other possibilities.

 

[Trigganometry]

Just a hunch here but if you started hosing ball joints your lift is most likely the cause. At some point in lift the UCA’s need to be upgraded to allow for the lift. Otherwise blown ball joints. That will also put additional stress on your sway bar links.

Like Phil mentioned, without all the information pretty hard to diagnose your issues.

If you haven’t thought about upgrading your UCA’s now might be a good time as it sounds like this is going to keep happening. The other thing to be mindful of is your CV angles.

 

[103]

To be clear I am talking about the ball joints in the sway bar links.

 

[bfastr]

I am going to throw out my random thinking after having just installed the Fox/Ford Perf coil overs.
Seems I read that the Ford variation is a 2" vs the std Fox is 2.5". having said that I just saw an episode of Truck U where they lifted a new ranger 3" . Anyway, in that episode they cut and modified front gearbox mounts to lessen the angle of the CV joints, they also replaced the UCA.

SO, my rambling curiousity is this, is 2" about the limit of lift without doing any other modifications? is that why the FORD branded Fox kit is only a 2" rise?

I dont know the answer to that and am open to thoughts. Mainly because this has me thinking maybe I should invest in better UCA's even at a 2" lift?

I will say that I had a bit of a struggle getting the stabilizer bar link back in the knuckle. maybe it was because both front wheels were hanging?

another funny thing on Truck U was they were commenting on how great the new UCA was because it had a grease nipple.. Every classic car I have owned I made a point to replace ball joints with sealed units, the OEM ball joint in the ranger is sealed. so why all the sudden is having to grease ball joints externally a good thing again?

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