Yes, my Dak did come with the factory swaybar in the rear (which was the
size of a coat-hanger) and was promptly replaced about 4 months later. I
had originally put Rancho RS5000's (now replaced by ProComp) all the way
around along with the swaybar and the handling was noticeably improved. (The
mushy ride was still there, but cornering was improved and most of the
"floating" was gone.)
Subject: Re: DML: Dakota HANDLING
Attn Bernd,
Did your Dak come from the factory with a Rear Sway Bar? If so how much
better was your handeling after installing an aftermarket one?
Jason
>The "float" is most likely a function of the shocks. I've heard a lot of
>mixed reviews on the Edelbrock IAS, some love 'em, more seem to think they
>are not worth the price. If you're going off-road, get good Ranchos or
>ProComps, if you're staying on the street and you wanna spend extra $$,
>Bilsteins are good shocks. If you're on a budget, I've heard Monroe
>Sensa-Tracs are decent.
>
>You can improve handling in the rear if you go with SOFTER springs (but
only
>if you don't haul heavy loads). Conventional wisdom tells us that stiffer
>springs should improve handling (and they do, on perfectly smooth roads);
>however, in the real world of bumps, potholes, railroad tracks, etc., the
>best-handling vehicles are the ones that have the softest suspensions to do
>the job. Trucks are over-sprung by nature, thus have "loose" rear-ends -
>a softer suspension will help keep the tires on the pavement when the roads
>are less than perfect.
>
>Handling improvements are best made by lowering the center of gravity and
>putting (as much as practical) equal weight on all four corners of the
>vehicle. Make sure you have a rear anti-sway bar. Tires will also make a
>VERY BIG difference. Look for soft-rubber performance compounds, not
those
>60k+-mile jobbies (you'll also stop quicker). Again, if you don't do a lot
>of hauling or off-roading, go with a short-sidewall tire. If you're
worried
>about your speedo being inaccurate, you may want to go to a larger-diameter
>wheel, but you will pay $$ - there are cheap ways to get an accurate
>speedo......
>
>Lowering the truck (properly!) should improve handling immensely, but
again,
>you may not want to do this if you go off-road much. Lowering should also
>improve your MPG as you will have less air rushing underneath that very
>non-aerodynamic underside.
>
>'92 Dak CC 2wd 318 3.55
>'84 GoldWing Interstate
>
>
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