Ford E350 Extended chassis - No rear sway bar

DaveBad · 05-18-2021, 03:34 PM

I have a 2007 Great West Van E350. There was no factory sway bar installed. It doesn't sway/roll to bad but I would like to improve the handling just a little bit.

I have been looking at adding a rear sway bar but I am not sure what size would be best. Hellwig has two that I think will fit my van. One is 1.125" dia. (30lbs) and the other is 1.25" dia. (38lbs).

https://www.suspensionconnection.com/7642fv.html

https://www.suspensionconnection.com/7183fv.html

I am concerned about getting one to stiff or getting one to weak.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, Dave

rowiebowie · 05-18-2021, 04:00 PM

Is this your model?

https://www.recreationalvehiclemarke...html#gallery-2

If so, it is nearly identical layout inside to my '2012 Airstream Avenue Suite, only mine is on the Chevy Express chassis. Also like mine, yours is a very unique model, not too many out there I'd quess.

If their smaller bar is for a "normal" 150 van, then you'd need the larger for your "loaded down" conversion. Their larger diameter is for 250/350, so it seems like that would be one for you.

But look underneath and make sure there is room for it. Many vans, like mine, have tanks or generators that make adding a rear sway bar impossible.

booster · 05-18-2021, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Is this your model?

https://www.recreationalvehiclemarke...html#gallery-2

If so, it is nearly identical layout inside to my '2012 Airstream Avenue Suite, only mine is on the Chevy Express chassis. Also like mine, yours is a very unique model, not too many out there I'd quess.

If their smaller bar is for a "normal" 150 van, then you'd need the larger for your "loaded down" conversion. Their larger diameter is for 250/350, so it seems like that would be one for you.

But look underneath and make sure there is room for it. Many vans, like mine, have tanks or generators that make adding a rear sway bar impossible.

There is another discussion going on about a Pleasure-way Excel without a rear bar and on that Ford it appears a Roadmaster 1139-178 would be the right one and it is very large at 1.5" so good for a heavy van.

DaveBad · 05-18-2021, 05:26 PM

rowiebowie - the pictures in the gallery look very similar to my van except the internal layout is different. And yes, I am trying to make sure no tanks and such would be in the way of a swaybar.

booster - I've seen the Roadmaster bar. Just trying to decide how much of a bar I need. It handles pretty good now. I just want to make it a little better.

booster · 05-18-2021, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveBad

rowiebowie - the pictures in the gallery look very similar to my van except the internal layout is different. And yes, I am trying to make sure no tanks and such would be in the way of a swaybar.

booster - I've seen the Roadmaster bar. Just trying to decide how much of a bar I need. It handles pretty good now. I just want to make it a little better.

How much bar will largely be determined by the axle weights with height also entering some.

What weights are you at front and rear?

DaveBad · 05-18-2021, 10:14 PM

Sorry booster. I've never had the opportunity to put the rig on a scale.

booster · 05-18-2021, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveBad

Sorry booster. I've never had the opportunity to put the rig on a scale.

That is a pretty common size compared to others, including the Chevies, so the typical weights likely apply.

Those would be 5000-5500 aprox for the rear, maybe a bit higher because of the short wheelbase. Front would be in 4000+/- range, I think.

With the short wheelbase and plenty of weight, the 1.5" bar that works in a similar weight Pleasure-way should be just fine and not to much bar. The front to rear balance is a combination of the front and rear bars so what size the front is could make a difference. I would expect the front is in the range of 1.25 and 1.375", but could be a bit smaller if it has short arms to the links (smaller and shorter will give same rate as bigger and longer arms). We have a 1.5" rear bar in our Roadtrek 190 at 5200#rear axle weight and it is very good.

Jbell · 05-23-2021, 05:17 PM

I would get the stiffest one (largest) one available. It won’t affect your straight line driving only a little stiffer in the corners . It will help a lot in side wind gust also.

booster · 05-23-2021, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jbell

I would get the stiffest one (largest) one available. It won’t affect your straight line driving only a little stiffer in the corners . It will help a lot in side wind gust also.

Mostly true except for the case of bumps on one side only of the rear. On them the spring rate of the swaybar adds to spring rate from the spring so single wheel bumps can get noticeably harsher.

Even so, few would find a 1.5" bar to not be too much for roughness, I think, and the benefits are quite large compared to no bar.

leva56 · 05-23-2021, 05:49 PM

I just ordered one am to get it today, for my E 350 Pleasureway Excel. I got one that is a Hellwig 7085 1.5" rear sway bar, ordered it thru Amazon. Hopefully it will do the trick for me.

leva56 · 05-24-2021, 03:25 AM

Well, it didn't get here it was said to be undeliverable? Think someone screwed up on the price and cancelled the order. The company changed their pricing on Amazon and added freight. A note can buy it cheaper thru eBay or some online companies with freight paid.

DaveBad · 06-01-2021, 03:24 PM

After looking under the rear end I realized that the area for a rear sway bar has possible interference issues. (without knowing the exact geometry of the bar)
I did up a little drawing showing the spacing between the rear end housing and the fresh water tank.

Here are my options as I see them:
1) install a larger sway bar up front (current is stock 1")
2) install SumoSprings Helper Springs in rear (not sure what size/type to get)
3) have custom sway bar fabricated ($$$)
4) fabricate some type custom mounting plates to help position an off the shelf sway bar in between rear end and water tank

Once again I am just looking for a little improvement with rock and sway on uneven surfaces and curves.

Thoughts?

leva56 · 06-01-2021, 04:31 PM

Just got mine, It at first didn't look like it was going to work but it did. Just need to tighten everything then test drive, maybe not today but soon. The only problem installing it was on the driver side getting the upper bolt in with all the lines there. My RV is a 2002 ford 350 Pleasureway Excel. I will try to take pic,s if I can.

booster · 06-01-2021, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveBad

After looking under the rear end I realized that the area for a rear sway bar has possible interference issues. (without knowing the exact geometry of the bar)
I did up a little drawing showing the spacing between the rear end housing and the fresh water tank.

Here are my options as I see them:
1) install a larger sway bar up front (current is stock 1")
2) install SumoSprings Helper Springs in rear (not sure what size/type to get)
3) have custom sway bar fabricated ($$$)
4) fabricate some type custom mounting plates to help position an off the shelf sway bar in between rear end and water tank

Once again I am just looking for a little improvement with rock and sway on uneven surfaces and curves.

Thoughts?

That is a bit tight, but you might get one to fit with the right mounts.

The mountings are normally to the tubes of the rear axle or on mounts on the tube rear. The bar itself sometimes arches up and over part of the rear of the differential center. A shop could weld up brackets pretty reasonably, I think, as they do it quite a bit in truck and rock crawler vehicles.

In ours I put in a custom bar that was put together from circle track race car parts. They used a straight bar that is splined on the ends to accept separate arms they you can get in a variety of lengths and style. They are also weldable so you can add whatever ends you want on them. The bars themselves mount with off the shelf aftermarket pivots and bushing and you make an adapter to get them in the right place.

For your options, 1.) I would not install a bigger front bar unless you add a rear bar that is bigger than the new front one or you could make the handling worse, not better.

2.)I would choose air bags over Sumo springs, but either is not a bad idea

3.) Best but might be expensive but maybe not

4.) Most cost effective most likely, if the parts don't need to much adaption

leva56 · 06-01-2021, 06:38 PM

Here are pictures I just took of mine.

leva56 · 06-01-2021, 06:51 PM

Guess I don"t know how to do this for this site>

leva56 · 06-01-2021, 06:53 PM

DaveBad If you would like to see my pic's you can text me at 970 215 6515 and I will send them.

DaveBad · 06-01-2021, 07:04 PM

leva56 - When creating a post scroll down and click on "Manage Attachments". Click on "Choose File", navigate to the photo you want to post, select it and then click on "Upload".

leva56 · 06-01-2021, 07:17 PM

See if this works.

graywolfkayak · 02-28-2022, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leva56

Just got mine, It at first didn't look like it was going to work but it did. Just need to tighten everything then test drive, maybe not today but soon. The only problem installing it was on the driver side getting the upper bolt in with all the lines there. My RV is a 2002 ford 350 Pleasureway Excel. I will try to take pic,s if I can.

Do you have a photo of the upper bolt installation with all the lines that are there (as mentioned above)?

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