Thuren Rear Sway Bar Link Clearance Issue W/ Diff Guard

[Chromolykid]

Just a friendly notice for anyone who may be doing Thuren rear coils with extended links on a 2014+ Power Wagon:

IF you have a rear differential guard, be aware that the extended links can position the sway bar down too low and make contact with the guard during suspension travel. In my case, I have a Purple Cranium half spider and learned the hard way that the sway bar contacts the guard with only 1” of compression from ride height. The truck still has 2” of additional travel before contacting the bumpstop.

I tried using the factory links, but they allow the driver’s side of the sway bar to contact the Thuren rear track bar bracket at full droop. This is on the factory Bilsteins with limited travel, would be very bad on extended travel KINGs. Spacers could be placed under the sway bar mounts and Thuren’s links used, but they would have to be very thick. For now I’ve just removed the entire bar. It’s so thin I felt it hardly did anything back there anyways.

[Low_Sky]

I have half spiders, and a Thuren kit is coming. Thanks for the heads up.

[olyelr]

When you say you learned the hard way, what exactly happened?

I am surprised nobody else has noticed this. There must be a half dozen people just on this site with this setup.

[Low_Sky]

Sounds like the center of the sway bar would hit the diff cover, and if the truck needed to compress further it would just load up the sway bar on both sides (then it would be a compression bar?). Maybe damage the powder coat on the spider depending on where it hits? The sway bar is a spring, so I’m doubtful anything catastrophic would happen.

[Reloaderguy]

Can you post some pictures?

[Chromolykid]

Sounds like the center of the sway bar would hit the diff cover, and if the truck needed to compress further it would just load up the sway bar on both sides (then it would be a compression bar?). Maybe damage the powder coat on the spider depending on where it hits? The sway bar is a spring, so I’m doubtful anything catastrophic would happen.

Exactly right, it’s like having dual-rate springs. I noticed the rear of the truck getting very stiff in big rollers. I caught it before any permanent damage was done, I’d imagine it would eventually either permanently bend or break the sway bar before the diff guard was hurt. I might have left it if it barely touched at full bump, but 2” of travel left is too much.

Can’t take pics because the bar is off now, but it scraped the coating off of the diff guard and the sway bar, the plate on the diff guard is slightly bent also but it’s just cosmetic.

[Reloaderguy]

The diesel guys with high volume diff covers have this problem too. It sounds like an armored one piece cover instead of a bolt on guard is a better solution. You'd probably still need a spacer though.

[Chromolykid]

The diesel guys with high volume diff covers have this problem too. It sounds like an armored one piece cover instead of a bolt on guard is a better solution. You'd probably still need a spacer though.

The spacer would have to be very thick, at least an inch if not more. To be honest, I was never a fan of the way the extended links made the sway bar ends hang lower than the axle tube anyways. Made it vulnerable to straddled rocks, especially in reverse. I foresaw having to remove a bent bar out in the desert, better off without it in my opinion. Diff protection and Thuren rear track bar are more important to me than the minimal body roll reduction the thin PW bar provides.

[olyelr]

Maybe a thin spacer setup that raised it a bit too? Or would that put it into Thurens mount for the track bar?

[Reloaderguy]

I'd like to see some pictures. My sway bar is parallel to the ground and the same height as the axle. I think the diesel guys use a 3/4" spacer.

[TankerZak]

I have this exact setup. I haven't flexed it out yet though. Only had it installed a week or so.

[DamageWagon]

That’s interesting, a few guys running Thuren sway bar links and purple craniums in Moab didn’t have this issue if I remember right? They were very close but I believe they didn’t touch

[OffroadTreks]

No, we all have this problem. It makes full contact.

[DamageWagon]

No, we all have this problem. It makes full contact.

Good to know!!

[TankerZak]

No, we all have this problem. It makes full contact.

Good to know!!

More importantly is there anything that can or should be done?

[OffroadTreks]

All it's doing is wearing off paint. It seems to just rub.

I'm more concerned with the fact that the end links are so long they make contact with the ground every time I climb any obstacle.

[Chromolykid]

It wore off a cool sticker I had on my half-spider, now I’m down 5HP.

[Chromolykid]

All it's doing is wearing off paint. It seems to just rub.

I'm more concerned with the fact that the end links are so long they make contact with the ground every time I climb any obstacle.

Isn’t that with a 1” spacer on the coils? So you likely have an additional inch of up travel before it makes contact, as well as sway bar ends an inch higher off the ground compared to anyone running factory height or Thuren coils.

[TankerZak]

I honestly think the 1 inch spacer is a must anyway. I was nose high without it and there doesn't seem to be a downside.

[OffroadTreks]

The other two Chris & David with the links dragged theirs too.

Becuase of the increased length they are significantly lower. It's not a problem on the street which is probably all most people ever do. And not a problem if you boogie. But if you crawl, that difference equals impact. I don't think mine are straight the more I look at them. Powder coat is removed on bottoms of both sides. So they made contact many a time.

[TankerZak]

The other two Chris & David with the links dragged theirs too.

Becuase of the increased length they are significantly lower. It's not a problem on the street which is probably all most people ever do. And not a problem if you boogie. But if you crawl, that difference equals impact. I don't think mine are straight the more I look at them. Powder coat is removed on bottoms of both sides. So they made contact many a time.

I think Marcus installed mine upside down so the zerks were protected.

[DamageWagon]

The other two Chris & David with the links dragged theirs too.

Becuase of the increased length they are significantly lower. It's not a problem on the street which is probably all most people ever do. And not a problem if you boogie. But if you crawl, that difference equals impact. I don't think mine are straight the more I look at them. Powder coat is removed on bottoms of both sides. So they made contact many a time.

I think Marcus installed mine upside down so the zerks were protected.

Yes, exactly. And you can still grease the zerks at ride height

[Easttnrhino]

Or do the proper thing and take rear sway bar off and throw it in pile with front snow plow mounts or bumper lowers are what ever ram put them on there for. Seriously took my rear sway off some time back truck rides better. And even with boat behind it or load in back does not seem changed much.

[OffroadTreks]

Throw a tent on a rack on the back with a load and tell me about how useless the rear is.

[Easttnrhino]

I apologize if my view differs from yours. I know we all use our trucks differently also, so our choices will be different. If I came off as my way is the only way I am sorry.