howdy, just picked up a 95 xl with the 4.9. going to be carrying a slide camper to music festivals . so after fixing the fuel pump issue want to upgrade the front end and rear suspension. truck has a 134k. just suspension and pst have a complete poly front end kit for $299 , i have installed similar kits on a 64 f100 and a 64 dodge polara, never a "new" vehicle. removed all slop on the steering on the dodge , still need a steering box for the f100... Also on the dodge I went with front and rear sway bars . huge difference in the turns. guessing this would be a good thing with a camper on back.anyone using them and what brand? have used monroe coil overs on the f100 till i find some new leaf springs(adds about 500 lbs to to the payload before sag on the f100). . would adding another leaf be better on the rear. are the shock towers on this truck built strong enough to handle coil overs? nuff rambling looking for advise on making the truck to "handle" a slide in camper . oh and i already understand payloads and center of load....

 

I put a set of Addco bars on my '96. I bought them from www.shox.com (along with a set of Bilstein shocks.)

One thing you need to be aware of: on a '95 the front sway bar is not going to be a simple bolt on. On trucks with a sway bar Ford used a different front spring perch which had a clevis for the sway bar end link forged into it. You will have to source a pair of those front spring perches and the sway bar end links from a junkyard

 

got the coil overs installed front and back . way happy with the ride. little stiffer then the shagged shocks that were on the truck. rear may be sitting a bit higher . did not measure before the exchange. still thinking of a extra spring on the rear leafs. bags are on the reserve list. ordering the rear sway bar. need to talk to some techs. of some of the aftermarket front bars. need to drop the truck off at the brake shop soon too.

 

Do NOT install the rear sway bar without installing a front. The truck's handling will become extremely unpredictable and have a tendency to switch ends without warning.

 

yep thanks for bringing that, learned that with my dodge 440. just need to speak w/ addco and the other(brain fart at 3am) to see how they address mounting fronts sway bars that they offer for my truck.

 

Addco will tell you that you need to replace the spring perches.
It's really not that tough of a job. The hardest part by far is finding a donor truck. Make sure you get the end links too.

 

yep that's the info i got . going to put in a call to hellwig, see if same is true with theirs. http://www.truckspring.com/products/...r__HW7550.aspx wanted to talk to one of their tech's about the pro series springs http://www.truckspring.com/products/...__HEW1905.aspx

 

ok got the coil overs shocks installed , air bag for the front springs and hellwigs pro helper springs for the rear, putting in new pads on the brakes front and back, will do wheel bearings at same time as brakes. besides the sway bars anything else anyone can think of before i load up the slide in camper for a ride to tenn. ?

 

Biggest stacked plate trans cooler and a temp gauge if you are running an E4OD.

Adrianspeeder

 

trans cooler ! good call ,will be at the bone-yard this weekend. oh wait its a manual 5 speed... will change the oil in it and the differential though yeah i always add temp. oil pressure and tach. even on automatics (got the stock tach /speedo off ebay ).

 

just ordered front and back . talked at length with their tech guy. direct bolt up even though my truck did not come with sway bars .