Fj62 sway bar & LSPV spacer w/ lift

[lonelydriver]

For those 62 drivers with lifts, did you modify the rear sway bar by extending it? Or did you just leave it alone?

I only have a 2 inch lift, so is it necessary to extend the sways?

So far I've left mine alone, and I'm hearing squeaking/squaking noise when I hit bumps. Might be the bushings for the leafs.

[euclid]

It's best to modify it by cutting the bar in half and extending it. I used a piece of tube stock that I got from Home Depot. Stick the halves in, and tack weld it together.

Might also think about putting a spacer between your axle and the Load Sensing Proportioning Valve. Cut a 1" wide piece of 2" square stock. Drill some holes, and bolt it in there.

I'll try to get you some pictures this weekend.

[lonelydriver]

Hmm should I leave it disconnected for now then? until I can modify it?

[euclid]

Originally Posted by lonelydriver

Hmm should I leave it disconnected for now then? until I can modify it?

Nope, it's not harming anything. It's also not doing it's job. It should be parallel to the body, so that it stiffens body roll in turns. Right now it stiffens body roll way too early because of the lift. It won't hurt anything to leave it like it is for now.

[Moody]

I am running 4" of lift, and haven't modified my swaybars at all. Seems it limits things very little...? I haven't messed with the proportioning valves though, I didn't know they were there? (shows what I know)

[agent orange]

What kind of improvement can one expect from raising the mounting point of the arm on the LSPV? I have mine adjusted all the way up to try and get the rears to be willing to lock and i bet that would help.

[euclid]

Originally Posted by agent orange

What kind of improvement can one expect from raising the mounting point of the arm on the LSPV? I have mine adjusted all the way up to try and get the rears to be willing to lock and i bet that would help.

With 31's I had mine adjusted where it would come close to locking up. 33's woulnd't come close. My new rear brakes will lock them up just fine!

I'm just shooting from the hip, but I figgure with no spacer the valve is probably all the way closed all the time, unless you compleatly overload your truck.

Here are some pictures of my LSPV spacer. A buddy of mine made these a couple of years ago, but it would be pretty easy to do. Do note that the bracket where mine is bolted is home made. The full floater I just put in didn't have a bracket for the LSPV, so I made the one you see.

[euclid]

Here is the extended sway bar. I cut the stock one, sliped it into a piece of 1/2" tubing with a piece of round stock in the middle. Tack weld the tubeing to hold it together. You have to take a tiny bit of material off of the sway bar round stock to get it to slide inside the piece of 1/2" tubing.

[agent orange]

Thanks a lot for the pics euclid, so the long run of the lspv arm should ideally be paralell to the ground or even a bit elevated? Ive got to tear into the rear axle this coming weekend to re-shim my locker, so i should have access to a well stocked shop to do a little fabbing.

Do you really feel the rear bar helps your handling? I pulled mine when i did my locker install and left it off in case i needed to tear into it again (too bad i have too...) and havent really felt any difference at all. My rear springs are pretty stiff though.

[euclid]

Sway bar: I have tried it both ways on several different suspension set ups. I think on the OME orgionals with OME shocks I can tell some diffrence. Not a lot, but some. I do have a full length roof rack, which changes the center of gravity a good bit.

On the LSPV: the spacer keeps it at the stockish level. To adjust it I fiddle with mine till I like the feel brake proportioning front to back, then I figgure if it does it's job I'll have that kind of brakeing no matter what the load. I'm experimenting now to try to make the new rear disks lock up just right. The book has a bunch of tests to do if you want to get technical on it.

[lonelydriver]

Euclid,

Thanks for all the nice pictures and tips!

[euclid]

No big deal.

[chicago]

OK,
wait just a GOSH DARN SECOND...I ran a search on LSPV's, and could not find ANY of the information you just mentioned here.
What happens when the truck is lifted to the LSPV? How are you supposed to adjust it?
The reason I ask, is my rig is lifted 3 in, my brakes SUCK after numerous rounds of bleeding, adjusting, new shoes and new calipers etc, and I suspect the PO did nothing to the LSPV, and nor have I.
How does that work again.
Seriously...Ive searched this, and havent come up with anything like you mentioned above.
I know, I know, this is a high jack, and I apologize, but I really am interested in finding this out.

thanks,

Chicago

[euclid]

chi-town,

I don't know if the LSPV is the solution to your issues, but it can't hurt to try. Like I said above, I just adjust back and forth till I like how it brakes. The valve works by opening and closeing based on how much weight is in the back of the truck. As the springs compress, the valve is moved. Lifting the truck 3" basicaly means that the valve is so far open that you have to put a HUGE load in the truck to close it. The spacer emulates the stock OEM position of the valve by lifting it the same as the truck has been lifted.

Here's a question: do you wear front pads more quickly than you should, and see little wear on the rear shoes? If so, you may be stoping the truck more with front and less rear brakes than intended.

I can also tell a difference in how the truck tracks under a brakeing load based on how I adjust the LSPV.

When you bleed your brakes, do you follow the FSM and bleed the LSPV last? I have had air stuck in the valve itself before.

Right now I have the adjustment on the LSPV all the way out, at the end of the threads available for adjustment. Might not transfer to your truck because I have rear disks.

HTH

[chicago]

Euclid,
Yes, I did bleed per protocol including the LSPV, and yes, the fronts are stopping the rig more than the rears.
Im laid up for a while with the rig, but Im going to 86 the drums and put on rear discs. I getting pretty damn tired of F*&king with the breaks with no good result. I was hoping I was just missing something like the LSPV.

Thanks for the info, It helped a great deal. I hear A LOT about the LSPV, but no one really mentioned how and when you need to adjust it.
Ill give it a try down the road.

Chicago

[euclid]

You might want to toss a little 2" spacer in there and see what happens. My rear drums were stoping my rig OK with 31's before the RDB swap. 33's, not so much. But you can get a lot of change by monkeying with that LSPV. It's really easy to change.