SASd H3 Sway Bar Setup

[Korby7]

Has anyone with a solid axle conversion figured out a sway bar setup yet? I think I have one figured out but would like to hear what others have done. I have an Anti-rock that I'm thinking of routing through the frame just behind the front body mounts. I'm looking at installing a dedicated cooler for the trans and then a custom radiator that I can re-route the lower radiator hose to make a path for the sway bar. I still may have to modify the arms and disco when on the trail. Thoughts?

[4speedfunk]

I’ve tried & gave up at least four times (including a Currie anti-rock). I can’t get the DS arm past the steering box. The pitman arm swings into it.

[06 H3]

I had an FJ80 sway bar mounted on the back of the axle tube. It worked but ultimately took it off because you couldn’t use a quick disconnect. The bar got into the rocks and would get destroyed.

[Korby7]

[QUOTE=4speedfunk;238721]I’ve tried & gave up at least four times (including a Currie anti-rock). I can’t get the DS arm past the steering box. The pitman arm swings into it.[/QUOTE

I was afraid of that. I found a post of an FJ80 that hopefully has the answer. The front end looks pretty similar to me. He was able to fit an anti-rock sway bar. He’s got an FJ80 pitman arm (supposedly fits the FJ60 box as well) with a jog in it to the passenger side that allowed him to clock it a couple of splines and still clear the track bar mount. He then Z shaped the arms to clear what impact area on the pitman arm was left. The arms sit close to the tire at full clock but they do appear to fit.

Here’s the link with pictures.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/how...uiser.1024576/

Do you see this as being a possible option? If so, I’ll give this a go and see where that takes me. Having a hard time sourcing the pitman arm though. OP was no help at all.

[06 H3]

I know him! We chat pretty often. I can reach out to him if you want if you have more specific questions

[Korby7]

Thanks! If you can get more out of him, a part number would be great!. He let me know what the post already said, its off an FJ80, but all I can find based off that is drop or straight arms. I had one possibility out of Dubai for $400 plush freight but the pictures weren't great so I still wasn't sure it was what I'm looking for and that's a crap ton for a pitman arm. I'm sure there has to be one cheaper in the states.

[06 H3]

Your looking to know what pitman arm he is using?

[Korby7]

Correct. I have everything else.

[Jeepwalker]

You could consider custom-bending your own. Way back in the 80's when I was 17-18 years old I had a classic car as my first car. Back then there weren't the suspension companies there are now, and it was impossible to get a stout sway bar to fit my mid-size car application. I had a lot of tools at my disposal; I took a torsion bar (Torsion bar ...not, anti-sway bar), out of a full-sized GM car (Toronado), which were 1 1/8" diameter and pretty long, long enough for what I wanted to do. I heated er up and bent it accordingly to fit one bend at a time. After each bend I quenched the bend area in oil. I did an initial dip, removed for no more than a couple seconds, then diped/soaked it till cool. This was per a friend of the family at the time who worked at a foundry (I'm sure there are youtube videos on best quenching techniques). Then drilled the ends to suit. It performed flawlessly and never lost it's shape or form. Then I took the existing 5/8" sway bar (that was originally on the front of the car), made a few mods and installed it on the rear of the same car. Add some cast aluminum wheels, slightly heavier duty springs, and let me tell you, I had the best canyon-carving early 60's car in the COUNTY!!

I also did the same thing for another vehicle I bought a few years later that had the typical 60's terrible suspension. Again, never lost shape or rigidity, cornered flat as could be. GM trucks use torsion bars, should be plentiful. But might not be thick enough for what you want to do. Unless you can find one out of a HD or 3/4 ton/Dually (do they use torsion bars?).

I bet a guy can probably buy the right length and thickness sway bar stock (solid or hollow) from some of these sway bar companies and custom-make your own. Or, if you bent what you needed in, say, 3/4 or 1" EMT conduit or black pipe ...bend it up so it fits your custom H3 front suspension ....then send it to a sway bar company, you can probably work with them to duplicate the shape for you in whatever thickness you need (they can probably do the calcs and suggest a thickness). Or I wonder if it's possible to modify your H3's existing anti-sway bar?

Another option, if you off-road a lot and don't mind spending a few bucks, is to consider a remote anti-sway unlock/lock system like the Rubicon and Gladiator use (the Bronco will use one too they say). I forget the company name who makes them, but just do a google search. Should be able to come up with something.

Anyway, don't give up. Those are some ideas for ya....

Good luck.

[06 H3]

Thanks! If you can get more out of him, a part number would be great!. He let me know what the post already said, its off an FJ80, but all I can find based off that is drop or straight arms. I had one possibility out of Dubai for $400 plush freight but the pictures weren't great so I still wasn't sure it was what I'm looking for and that's a crap ton for a pitman arm. I'm sure there has to be one cheaper in the states.

Stock 80 series pitman arm

[Korby7]

Thanks for Taking the time to ask him. I get a few different part numbers when I search for that. I may have found one in United Arab Emirates. It’s priced way better than the one I looked at last time I searched. I’ll try my luck with that one I guess. Thanks again.

[4speedfunk]

I’ve made a few custom pitman arms. Start by cutting the splined end from a donor pitman arm. Machine it down to a small donut...with the Toyota splines intact. Cut your new arm from some billet stock and bore a hole in it for the donut. Drop it in and weld it up. Toyotas are easy because there are no master splines.

[4speedfunk]

Also...I just dug thru my pitman arm pile. Is this the one you are looking for?...


This has already been reamed for a 1-ton DRE (top down). Let me know...I can ship it out to you. $75 shipped.

[Korby7]

Also...I just dug thru my pitman arm pile. Is this the one you are looking for?...


This has already been reamed for a 1-ton DRE (top down). Let me know...I can ship it out to you. $75 shipped.

Sending you a PM.

[Korby7]

Unconventional looking but I modified a universal Currie sway bar kit with some 1/2” thick arms that should clear up travel to bottomed out bump stops and 6” droop for on-road use and swing out of the way for trails. Still have to fab up the disconnect link and axle side bracket for the passenger side before I’m able to test but I’m excited and hope this changes the road manners a bit. Next is a new drag link with the pitman arm from 4 Speed that could eliminate impact points completely. A work in progress.
.