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08:17:09 - 11/17/2024
Dakota Performance
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modain
GenIII
 
7/16/2006
18:51:44
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 Subject: R/T Rear Sway Bar
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Message:
I bought (a while back) an R/T sway bar set from someone on another board and I finally got around to putting the rear bar on today. (My QC)
Measuring the fronts, the R/T and my stock one are the same size. But the rears are way different. The stock, regular duty, bar is 15mm in diameter. The R/T bar, heavy duty, is 13/16" thick. That is a huge difference.
I took it for a quick spin, and I can tell it's giving my truck a flatter ride. Pretty cool for a small price and not much time underneath the truck.
Now I just need to get some mounting perches fabricated for the 1999's rear axle and it will get the hand-me-down 15mm sway bar. I might swap the front bar, also. The four bangers came with a 30mm bar, and the V6 and V8 trucks come with a 34mm bar. Might as well "mod" it. :-)
What's your left foot doing?
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2002 Graphite QC SLT Plus, 4.7L, NV3500, Superchips 3715, 3.92 LSD, loads o'fun...
2001 Patriot Blue Durango SLT, 4.7L, 45RFE, Superchips 3715, 3.55 Open (for now)
1999 Forest Green Dakota RC Sport, 2.5L, NV1500, 3.55 Open
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zzark
*GenII*
7/17/2006
06:52:04
|  RE: R/T Rear Sway Bar
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Message:
I ADDED a sway bar to the rear of my 1994.
What a difference!
Handles much better.
The sway bar had the best effect/price ratio of all the mods I've done.
zzark
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TexasTodd
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/17/2006
17:28:57
|  RE: R/T Rear Sway Bar
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Message:
modain, I believe you, but, why would they put a thicker bar on a smaller motor truck?
Also, the smaller motors don't have the 9.25 Rear end, like mine, or an R/t.
01, QC, 4.7, manual, tire and handling, etc. yadda, yadda, etc.
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modain
GenIII
8/02/2006
18:25:56
|  RE: R/T Rear Sway Bar
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Message:
I thought I'd post a little update regarding my R/T swaybar mod...
This past weekend was the first time since installation that I worked my truck hard. I drove it to/from work a couple of times, but no chance to push it...
I pulled my toyhauler Sunday afternoon to Santa Maria, CA. I noticed a much stiffer ride (good thing), but certain sections of CA126 (in the #1 lane) really sucked because of the wavy road surface. You know, the high frequency bounce/rock you get when the wheelbase and speed don't react well to the road surface's dips and crests. Funny thing was the #2 lane was smooth and flat... The trailer pulled much nicer because the truck's rear end was much firmer. (That sounds kinda out of place.)
I made the trip home without the trailer early Monday (12AM onward) south from there to Ventura, CA on the CA101 (and then on to home via CA126). Between Santa Maria and Santa Barbara the freeway/highway is very twisty in spots. I was not at all uneasy when taking most of those twists in the road at 75-80 MPH. Only a few times did I need to bleed off much speed to keep out of an understeer condition. I've done this run before and couldn't comfortably run these speeds with the wimpy 15mm swaybar.
I am well pleased with this simple mod. I was happy with the ability to hit corners harder, but I like the elimination of a lot of the high speed understeer much more.
Bottom line: It's a cheap price for such a big improvement. I you are at all serious about improving your truck's ride quality look into getting an R/T or even bigger aftermarket rear swaybar.
What's your left foot doing?
=========================================
2002 Graphite QC SLT Plus, 4.7L, NV3500, Superchips 3715, 3.92 LSD, loads o'fun...
2001 Patriot Blue Durango SLT, 4.7L, 45RFE, Superchips 3715, 3.55 Open (for now)
1999 Forest Green Dakota RC Sport, 2.5L, NV1500, 3.55 Open
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