HOrnbrod Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 This is the parts list I used: Sway Bar: 99-04 Jeep WJ Rear Sway Bar, p/n 52088739AD (New, $40 from 4WD.com)Sway Bar Bushings: 9/16" MOOG K7410 (New, $9 from Ebay)Axle Brackets / Ubolts: Late 90's Camaro or Firebird (Used, Free from Ebay, long story)End Links: 99-04 Jeep WJ Front Sway Bar Links, p/n MOOG K3201 (New, $17 from Ebay) *EDIT*: I had to shorten the end links 1" later to avoid contact with the leaf spring when carrying heavy loads. No contact now under all conditions.Frame Brackets: 99 Dodge Ram 2500 Rear Sway Bar Brackets (Used, $19 from Ebay)Total Expense: $85 clams Full Length: Left Side: Right Side: End Link / Frame Bracket: The frame brackets came from a 99-00 Dodge Ram 2500. Since I didn't want to weld the frame brackets on, I used these rather than the XJ brackets because they came with reinforcement nutstrips that go inside the frame for added strength. There was just enough room to slide the nutstrips into the existing frame hole just forward of where I mounted them and slide them back into the new holes. The Jeep WJ front end links were the correct length to position the sway bar arms nearly parallel to the ground as they are supposed to be. The other various offset end links I tried were all too long. Right now I'm using the stock 9/16" dia. Jeep WJ bar. Even with this relatively puny bar, the difference is really amazing when cornering - nice and flat combined with the 28mm bar up front. Later on I might switch to a beefier aftermarket WJ rear bar, but for now I'm happy with this setup. It helps a lot with the camper shell up top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Nice, how does it handle now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Pretty good Jay, very noticeable difference. Of course, no MJ will ever be a sports car, but it's better than it was before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Very neat installation on the Ford 8.8 Different U bolts required for Dana 44 or stock D35? What happened to your spare tire winch? Replaced it with straps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Very neat installation on the Ford 8.8 Different U bolts required for Dana 44 or stock D35? What happened to your spare tire winch? Replaced it with straps? Thanks John. :cheers: But it's a D44. Spare tire winch is fine, but it still has the original 23 year old cable. The straps are just extra insurance for the hanging 31" tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dankicksass Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Very neat installation on the Ford 8.8 Different U bolts required for Dana 44 or stock D35? What happened to your spare tire winch? Replaced it with straps? Thanks John. :cheers: But it's a D44. Spare tire winch is fine, but it still has the original 23 year old cable. The straps are just extra insurance for the hanging 31" tire. Thought you went to a Ford Explorer 8.8 for the rear disk brakes when you last had a problem with the Dana 44. Did not bother to look at the picture! So you just just installed the Explorer rear disks?? Or do I have that wrong too?? Do like the straps for insurance on the spare. I lost my spare and never knew it. Fortunately for me, I lost it right in front of the garage and found it when I came home. Still have not fixed the winch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Very neat installation on the Ford 8.8 Different U bolts required for Dana 44 or stock D35? What happened to your spare tire winch? Replaced it with straps? Thanks John. :cheers: But it's a D44. Spare tire winch is fine, but it still has the original 23 year old cable. The straps are just extra insurance for the hanging 31" tire. Thought you went to a Ford Explorer 8.8 for the rear disk brakes when you last had a problem with the Dana 44. Did not bother to look at the picture! So you just just installed the Explorer rear disks?? Or do I have that wrong too?? Do like the straps for insurance on the spare. I lost my spare and never knew it. Fortunately for me, I lost it right in front of the garage and found it when I came home. Still have not fixed the winch. Correct, I transferred over the Ford Explorer rear disks when swapping the old D35 for the D44. I just had to use different backing plates because the axle flange configuration changed and new pre-load spacers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Added to my list of to-do's. I know I'm driving a jeep, but the amount of body roll in corners is a little ridiculous. I wouldn't say I have a particularly heavy foot, but I have been known to go around corners a little faster than most people normally would, and a little more stability would be nice. Couple questions, though. Do you know of any ubolt/bracket setup that would fit the smaller D35 tube? Also, is there any danger of the end links punching the leaf springs on compression? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Couple questions, though. Do you know of any ubolt/bracket setup that would fit the smaller D35 tube? Also, is there any danger of the end links punching the leaf springs on compression? The same leaf spring U-bolts are used for the D44 and D35 axle tubes (~3mm difference dia,), so no problem there. (XJ/MJ D35 = 2.62" dia.; XJ/MJ D44 = 2.75" dia.). When I first tested the new rear sway, I deliberately hit a speed bump hard and the links did touch the leaf springs enough so I could hear it. But that's easily fixed by loosening the sway bar axle brackets any rotating them upward to provide more clearance. I had to compromise between bar-to-aluminum cover clearance and link-to-leaf spring clearance, but if you use the stock diff cover no worries for clearance because there are no fins sticking out on it. I'll probably replace the finned aluminum cover with a stock Dana 44 steel cover with a drain plug later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexia Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Looks like the end links could just be flipped 180º so that they bolt to the inside of the sway bar and avoid the leaf springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Looks like the end links could just be flipped 180º so that they bolt to the inside of the sway bar and avoid the leaf springs. Did you ever get to the point that sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees? I think that's where I was on this. :yes: I just went down and flipped the links; much better. The end of the link bolt can still possibly contact the very edge of the leaf if the leaf can compress that much, but that simple move provided at least 3/4" more clearance. Good eye shipmate. :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Cool. This will definitely happen this summer, then! :banana: Pics of the new setup? Any way the studs could be shortened so they don't clip the leaf springs? Also, distorted thread nuts are far superior to nylocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 Pics mañana. Either way it wouldn't happen with the standard diff cover because you can adjust for plenty of clearance by rotating the axle brackets. The finned alloy covers are a clearance problem with the sway bar on the WJs too. And that's the best bar I could find to match up with the MJ longbed frame w/o welding special brackets. Agree, distorted thread nuts are much better than nylocks. But nothing beats double-nutting if you have the thread. I'm a big fan of double-nutting. :yes: EDIT: Much better now with the links mounted inboard to the bar. Used distorted thread nuts for fastening the link to the bar too. Miraculously my local Tractor Supply had them in 12mm size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMCJeepMJ Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Looks good, and to boot you're not using the top shock mount like I am with the Addco bar on mine. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Looks good, and to boot you're not using the top shock mount like I am with the Addco bar on mine. :thumbsup: Thanks for your pics Jeff. They were a great help. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepcoMJ Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Thanks for this, don. This will be useful on the rebirth of my own beloved mj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMCJeepMJ Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Looks good, and to boot you're not using the top shock mount like I am with the Addco bar on mine. :thumbsup: Thanks for your pics Jeff. They were a great help. :cheers: Glad I could assist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLAW Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Hmm my MJ already had a sway bar on the Rear, it doesn't look original though, but it seems to work fine.. I may remove it to improve off-road articulation, but who knows I'll worry about that later, but can anyone explain to me what are those Rods conecting from the "frame" to the axle??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Hmm my MJ already had a sway bar on the Rear, it doesn't look original though, but it seems to work fine.. I may remove it to improve off-road articulation, but who knows I'll worry about that later, but can anyone explain to me what are those Rods conecting from the "frame" to the axle??? Got a pic of your setup?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Scored a new Addco 634 rear WJ bar at over 50% off. Same dimensions exactly as the stock WJ bar, except for the diameter; 9/16" vs. 7/8". Got new busings for it and will slap it on tomorrow. The stock WJ bar was great; the thicker Addco bar should be even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Wow, that's a huge difference. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLAW Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Ill have to snap a few hornbrod, but I need to update my thread first. Ill try to do it in the next couple of days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 UPDATE: Got the new Addco bar on today - it's right now. While the stock WJ bar was a good handling improvement, the thicker WJ Addco bar went to the next level. Body roll is completely gone. You can even feel a bit of predictable understeer now, something I never had before with any MJ or XJ. Addco makes two rear stabilizer bars for the WJs in 1" and 7/8" diameters. Their biggest seller by far is the 1" bar for the heavy WJ, and they had plenty of unsold 7/8" bars laying around. The new 7/8" bar cost me $75, well worth the cost. It's just right for the long bed rear end. Anyone need an almost new stock WJ bar? You can have it free, just pay shipping. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Hmm my MJ already had a sway bar on the Rear, it doesn't look original though, but it seems to work fine.. I may remove it to improve off-road articulation, but who knows I'll worry about that later, but can anyone explain to me what are those Rods conecting from the "frame" to the axle??? Jessica's a short wheel base. Addco makes a kit, but since it uses the shock mounts, and the swb shocks don't mount the same as the lwb, it doesn't work for the long wheel base MJ's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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