Moparts

Ramcharger with front sway bar

Posted By: toplescuda

Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/14/23 05:21 PM

Friend has a 2 wheel drive 90 ramcharger
Pretty cool rust free truck. Has 318 over drive. But. It is not very fun to drive. Has a hiway gear in rear. Low power 318
And when go around a corner you will think that the door Handles are going to rub the pavement
Did any 2 wheel drive truck in 90 come with a front sway bar? This one did not
Any year dodge truck that will fit/bolt in?
If....done a van control arm swap. Did any vans come with a sway bar? If so. Any that are better then other years?
Prefer something that is a bolt in swap
On the rear end. Any vehicle that has a bolt in swap that may be 1 or 2 more narrow on each side?(9 1/4 rearend)
Maybe something with better brakes then what the 90 ramcharger has from factory
Hopefully can get some good answers. Tia
Posted By: 3hundred

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/14/23 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by toplescuda
Did any 2 wheel drive truck in 90 come with a front sway bar? This one did not
Any year dodge truck that will fit/bolt in?


IIRC, the front sway bar was a stand alone option. It may have also come with the trail towing package? I suspect strongly any you can find from '72 to '93 Ramcharger or D150 will be a straight bolt on. I had a pretty well loaded '82 Royal SE, no trailer tow, no bar. We also had an '84 with trailer tow and a front bar. If you find an ADDCO front unit, walk right by. The rear unit is fine.
Posted By: toplescuda

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/14/23 10:07 PM

What 2 wheel drive pick up trucks or vans would have one so know what to search
And im.assuming the lower control arm have to be changed?
Posted By: 3hundred

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/14/23 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by toplescuda
What 2 wheel drive pick up trucks or vans would have one so know what to search
And im.assuming the lower control arm have to be changed?


Vans, I've no idea, doubt it. Sway bar is straight bolt on, nothing needs to be changed.
Posted By: SattyNoCar

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/15/23 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by toplescuda
What 2 wheel drive pick up trucks or vans would have one so know what to search
And im.assuming the lower control arm have to be changed?



Keep in mind I'm going on memories 20+ years old..........

The sway bar ends 'strap' to the strut rods, much like a C-body.

The frame mount end had two stands the bar mounts to. The bar lands at the crossmember under the radiator which is U shaped. The stands fill in the recess from the U to give the bar a big enough area to mount to. The actual sway bar mounts are nothing fancy, just your typical mounts.

With a sway bar in hand, the need for stands becomes apparent. If you're handy with metal fab, you could probably make your own.

I had a '76 Club Cab that had no bar. Bought a factory big block '77 truck for parts and it had no bar, but a '79 with a slant 6 had a bar. confused The '79 truck was too rusty to think about using anything off the frame.

Just a WAG, you could probably look at trucks all the way up to '93? (last year before redesign). Swapping to van LCA shouldn't make a difference as the bar mounts to the strut rods. I have no clue if van bars would work, but I'd take a look if I had one handy.

EDIT: I forgot the van strut rods come from the back, not the front, so I doubt they'll work.....

Also, found a not so good image of what I am trying to describe at www.moparpartsgiant.com



Attached picture sway.JPG
Posted By: toplescuda

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/15/23 07:25 PM

So the sway bar does not mount like a normal mooar. And connect to the lower control arm its self? Hmmmm.im gonna have to see if can find some pics online
Thanks
Posted By: W.I.N. Racing

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/15/23 10:01 PM

I used to run a dual (Stacked) sway bar set up on the front of my '83 - D350
There is an add on bracket that mounts to the frame, and the ends clamp to the strut rods, pretty simple. As I recall they came on Camper specials
Posted By: 5thAve

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/15/23 10:02 PM

My lil red express has one.I don't know if my 80s truck has one but I thought it was pretty common on most of the 80s trucks that ive seen in yards. Of course now that I need stuff those trucks are nowhere to be found.
Posted By: Charger69RT8

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/19/23 04:13 PM

I took some pictures on the one on my 76 D100. I believe it to be a factory set up. Others more knowledgeable than me can view and verify if it is ma Mopar or aftermarket.

Attached picture 76D100 SB End Clamp.jpg
Attached picture 76D100 SB Frame Clamp-1.jpg
Attached picture 76D100 SB Frame Clamp-2.jpg
Attached picture 76D100 SB Frame Clamp-3.jpg
Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/19/23 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Charger69RT8
I took some pictures on the one on my 76 D100. I believe it to be a factory set up. Others more knowledgeable than me can view and verify if it is ma Mopar or aftermarket.


Factory. I always thought the sway bar was stock on the Ramchargers/Traildusters? Maybe it was just 4wd?
Posted By: ruderunner

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/19/23 04:48 PM

4wd bars are way different than 2wd. But either way, they seem to be optional. My 92 D250 Cummins has no bars.

The hard part to find is the end links. Bushing kits for those are easy, the actual link, not so much.
Posted By: 3hundred

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/20/23 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Charger69RT8
I took some pictures on the one on my 76 D100. I believe it to be a factory set up. Others more knowledgeable than me can view and verify if it is ma Mopar or aftermarket.


That is OEM. A very easy bolt on. Doesn't even require drilling holes. Attaches to the strut rod at the rear with a very well designed bracket, unlike the ADDCO junk.
Posted By: poorboy

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/21/23 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by ruderunner
4wd bars are way different than 2wd. But either way, they seem to be optional. My 92 D250 Cummins has no bars.

The hard part to find is the end links. Bushing kits for those are easy, the actual link, not so much.


Its far easier to make your own bar end attaching piece then it is to find OEM replacements. Pretty simple if you have any welding skills, or know someone that does.
Posted By: toplescuda

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/24/23 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by poorboy
Originally Posted by ruderunner
4wd bars are way different than 2wd. But either way, they seem to be optional. My 92 D250 Cummins has no bars.

The hard part to find is the end links. Bushing kits for those are easy, the actual link, not so much.


Its far easier to make your own bar end attaching piece then it is to find OEM replacements. Pretty simple if you have any welding skills, or know someone that does.

Do you have any close up pics of the bar ends?
Posted By: Charger69RT8

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/26/23 02:42 PM

So I go out to snap some pictures for you and discover I have a little welding job I need to do. See first pic from the passenger side. The post is broken off the clamp. The next two pictures are of the driver side. Hopefully these are good enough for everyone to see how they are constructed. In doing this, those bushings came to mind. Are they available still? Is it best to replace with poly versus rubber?

Attached picture 76D100 SB End Clamp-R.jpg
Attached picture 76D100 SB End Clamp-L1.jpg
Attached picture 76D100 SB End Clamp-L2.jpg
Posted By: toplescuda

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/26/23 10:44 PM

Thank you for the pictures
Posted By: ruderunner

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/27/23 09:58 AM

Yes the bushings are available, it's the links and clamps that are hard to find.

I'd really like a set myself, for a 69 b body that got a disc brake swap.
Posted By: moparmarks

Re: Ramcharger with front sway bar - 05/27/23 12:25 PM

The factory sway bars aren't that hard to find. I've had several and just got another parts truck with one. I put one on my 78 D100 last year.
Who has the bushings that go on the strut rods?

Attached picture 20211113_131929.jpg
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