Steeda Rear Sway Bar
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Steeda Rear Sway Bar
Backordered. Waited over a month for it as well as the Energy Suspension's urethane front anti-sway bar bushings & end link bushings. Finally got the bar Friday, the day I was going out of town for 4 days. Steeda did not send the front bushings and have no record that I had even special ordered them (not something they normally carry but they told me they could get them). In the last five weeks I could have got the front bushings from other places... but anyways, it is the rear bar that really is pissing me off.
Just tried installing today - it will not fit without modification to either the bar mounting or to my Edelbrock shocks.
The instructions are unclear and poorly illustrated, but it is easy to figure out what is supposed to go where. The quality of the bar and the components looks good, but the mounting system doesn't fit!
Unlike the Helwig Bar, the Steeda attaches with plates and two bolts to the bottom rear shock mounts (you have to drill one 3/8" hole on each side and there is an existing slot for the other bolt).
Unfortunately, if you get the bottom bolt to clear the shock, the top bolt is too close to the axle, and if you make enough room at the top for the top bolt, there is not enough room between the bottom bolt and the end of the shock.
There is a chance the bar MAY fit with stock shocks, but it doesn't look like it to me.
After fighting it for 2.5 hours (the hole job should have taken less than an hour), my choices are:
a) Send the bar back to Steeda for a refund and get a different brand
b) Fabricate new mounting plates and bushing mounts and make it work
c) Grind a whole bunch of material off the bottom mount of my Edelbrock shocks - which is not really an option.
[This message has been edited by dirt bike dave (edited 06-08-2000).]
Just tried installing today - it will not fit without modification to either the bar mounting or to my Edelbrock shocks.
The instructions are unclear and poorly illustrated, but it is easy to figure out what is supposed to go where. The quality of the bar and the components looks good, but the mounting system doesn't fit!
Unlike the Helwig Bar, the Steeda attaches with plates and two bolts to the bottom rear shock mounts (you have to drill one 3/8" hole on each side and there is an existing slot for the other bolt).
Unfortunately, if you get the bottom bolt to clear the shock, the top bolt is too close to the axle, and if you make enough room at the top for the top bolt, there is not enough room between the bottom bolt and the end of the shock.
There is a chance the bar MAY fit with stock shocks, but it doesn't look like it to me.
After fighting it for 2.5 hours (the hole job should have taken less than an hour), my choices are:
a) Send the bar back to Steeda for a refund and get a different brand
b) Fabricate new mounting plates and bushing mounts and make it work
c) Grind a whole bunch of material off the bottom mount of my Edelbrock shocks - which is not really an option.
[This message has been edited by dirt bike dave (edited 06-08-2000).]
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Mountain´s everywhere
Dirtbike,
I am no mechanic and only do easy installs on my truck, on the antisway bar I went with Hellwig and found out the installation to be an easy one so with the help of a friend, I intalled it myself the only problem I faced was that the car was recently Ziebarted and I was a mess, no clink or clunk like I saw in other post, no body roll and on the curves the truck feels more secure, besides the instructions that were clear for me I also followed these instructions, https://www.f150online.com/reviews/hellwig.html, dont believe I want to wash things in your face but just to say how easy the installation went with mine.
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2000 F-150, S/C F/S 5.4lt Auto, 3.55 LS, M4x4, Capt. Chairs 6 way elec., 6 CD, etc,etc,.
Med Toreador Red
Born 03-27-00
Mods,
Superchip UAT2
Borla Anniversary Edition Split rear cat back
K&N Gen II or FIPK
Granattely Mass Air Flow
SVT Lightning 18" wheels
285/60/18 Pirelli scorpion Zero
Hellwig Sway bar
Dark Walnut dash kit
Muth signal mirrors
White face gauge
Bosch Plat. 4's
Retrax Rolltop
Outland sport bumper guard
Rancho rsx shocks
Lund Front Runner
Underhood sound insulation panel
Piaa Plat. super white Bulbs
Catch All floor mats
Lund Back Draft tailgate spoiler
I am no mechanic and only do easy installs on my truck, on the antisway bar I went with Hellwig and found out the installation to be an easy one so with the help of a friend, I intalled it myself the only problem I faced was that the car was recently Ziebarted and I was a mess, no clink or clunk like I saw in other post, no body roll and on the curves the truck feels more secure, besides the instructions that were clear for me I also followed these instructions, https://www.f150online.com/reviews/hellwig.html, dont believe I want to wash things in your face but just to say how easy the installation went with mine.
------------------
2000 F-150, S/C F/S 5.4lt Auto, 3.55 LS, M4x4, Capt. Chairs 6 way elec., 6 CD, etc,etc,.
Med Toreador Red
Born 03-27-00
Mods,
Superchip UAT2
Borla Anniversary Edition Split rear cat back
K&N Gen II or FIPK
Granattely Mass Air Flow
SVT Lightning 18" wheels
285/60/18 Pirelli scorpion Zero
Hellwig Sway bar
Dark Walnut dash kit
Muth signal mirrors
White face gauge
Bosch Plat. 4's
Retrax Rolltop
Outland sport bumper guard
Rancho rsx shocks
Lund Front Runner
Underhood sound insulation panel
Piaa Plat. super white Bulbs
Catch All floor mats
Lund Back Draft tailgate spoiler
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Got the Steeda installed. My improvised solution is not as beefy as what Steeda designed, but at least mine fits. Maybe Steeda sent me some incorrect parts, but the instructions are so weak its not possible to tell.
Another bad thing about the Steeda bar - it runs below the driveshaft and reduces your ground clearance.
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1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, bed liner, Clarion ARX8570z Head Unit, Sony 10 disc CD, Infinity 610cs components & JBL GTO7520 speakers, Edelbrock IAS, Steeda Rear Anti-sway bar, Superchip, Airaid FIPK.
Another bad thing about the Steeda bar - it runs below the driveshaft and reduces your ground clearance.
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1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, bed liner, Clarion ARX8570z Head Unit, Sony 10 disc CD, Infinity 610cs components & JBL GTO7520 speakers, Edelbrock IAS, Steeda Rear Anti-sway bar, Superchip, Airaid FIPK.
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Have had the Steeda on for a week or so. It does work after the pain in the rear install. I DO NOT recommend this bar - get another brand instead. If you are on a limited budget and want to improve your handling, get shocks or tires first - good shocks will reduce the body roll, and good tires will make a bigger difference than a rear bar.
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1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, Ford bed liner
Clarion ARX8570z Head Unit, Sony 10 disc CD, Infinity 610cs components & JBL GTO7520 speakers; adding an amp and Polk woofer
Edelbrock IAS, Steeda Rear Anti-sway bar,
Superchip, Airaid FIPK, Flex-a-Lite Black Magic electric fan
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1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, Ford bed liner
Clarion ARX8570z Head Unit, Sony 10 disc CD, Infinity 610cs components & JBL GTO7520 speakers; adding an amp and Polk woofer
Edelbrock IAS, Steeda Rear Anti-sway bar,
Superchip, Airaid FIPK, Flex-a-Lite Black Magic electric fan