Front stabilizer bar question.

So this morning I parked the Expy with the wheels turned to one side.

when I walked back to the truck, I noticed the stabilizer bar was no longer connected to the lower control arm, on further inspection, on either side.

My guess is that one bolt failed causing the other side to fail. I wondered why the ride got sloppy. I thought maybe I needed shocks.

Local Ford Dealer quoted me $150 for parts. My mechanic quoted me $150 for the whole job parts included.

Anyone have any insight or tribal wisdom to share on this?

Cheers,

Duke

You can buy a new kit for a lot less than $150 on your own.

Duke, sounds like you have a broken stabilizer bar link. They commonly break. The Ford OEM links are far superior to the aftermarket ones. Ford's are about $45, aftermarket about $12. They are very easy to install, though sometimes removing the old ones require a grinder or Sawzall.

Look for pictures on the Internet. The links are long bolts, or rods with nuts, bushings and washers on each end that connect the sway bar with the control arm.

Eddie, lo

Trainmaster said:

Duke, sounds like you have a broken stabilizer bar link. They commonly break. The Ford OEM links are far superior to the aftermarket ones. Ford's are about $45, aftermarket about $12. They are very easy to install, though sometimes removing the old ones require a grinder or Sawzall.

Look for pictures on the Internet. The links are long bolts, or rods with nuts, bushings and washers on each end that connect the sway bar with the control arm.

Click to expand...

Eddie, local Ford dealer quoted me $150 for replacements. Sounded high to me when my mechanic said he would do it all for $150. Not trying to cheap out by any means, more that I want to know how these links failed and just plain disappeared.

Trainmaster said:

Duke, sounds like you have a broken stabilizer bar link. They commonly break. The Ford OEM links are far superior to the aftermarket ones. Ford's are about $45, aftermarket about $12. They are very easy to install, though sometimes removing the old ones require a grinder or Sawzall.

Look for pictures on the Internet. The links are long bolts, or rods with nuts, bushings and washers on each end that connect the sway bar with the control arm.

Click to expand...

Thanks Trainmaster, no need for a saws all. Mine just plain disappeared. Local Ford dealer quoted me $150 for parts. Maybe I should call another one.

If it truly is your stabilizer link that's gone, well, they do that after10 or 20 years. They are not much more than a threaded rod with a rubber doughnut on each end and a nut. They're under tension when cornering. They rust away then snap and fall off in the street. Or the rubber rots out, they clank around until they wear thin and break and slip out and disappear. See if the one's left on the other side and you'll get an idea of what we're talking about.

Assuming the garage's paying $15 or $20 each for the part (or $40 for a better one), he's charging an hours' labor to put them in. He's probably changing both because the other side's waiting to break after you replace this one. I don't know how prices are there, but nobody does much for a hundred bucks around here. They gotta pay their taxes.

My shop did mine for $35/side. I could of done the whole job, for around $25. The hard part is, the bolts rust and can't be removed. They usually have to be cut. The install is, two rubber bushings, a bunch of washers and and two bolts. I personally don't see, what the difference is between Ford and aftermarket.

Is it this part ya talkin bout?
I've had several go over the years

Whelp, problem solved. Put new Moogs in myself to the tune of $24 a a half hour of my time. Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Just to me sure, Haynes says 16-21 ft/lbs of torque. I went with 18.5.

Any suggestions there? I plan on checking torque after about 50 miles or so.

The rule of thumb I've used when tightening bushings under washers is that you want the bushing crushed so it expands to the diameter of the washer. See if that seems to make sense in your case. All these things are made differently; if they give you a torque spec, I'd follow that.

I personally don't see, what the difference is between Ford and aftermarket.

Click to expand...

If I recall, the First Generation trucks had similar links from Ford as the aftermarket ones. Some of the later trucks are very different. My '10 Explorer had OEM links completely encased in molded plastic that looked far superior the the aftermarket rods, so I figured they were worth the extra bucks.

There's less to rattle around when they go bad, but I don't know if the metal's any better. Had to saw it apart when the bushing went missing.