Steeda Mach-E Adjustable Rear Sway Bar

[markboris]

I've had my Steeda rear sway bar on a couple of days now and have been testing it out. I will get to the bottom line first, it really helps the handling!

I'll start out by saying I have purchased many Steeda suspension parts for several of my cars (Escape, Focus RS, GT500) in the past and they are all top rate. I didn't follow the installation instructions that came with the kit. I had earlier looked at the Ford repair manual and it was very simple. Lift car up off the ground, remove the rear underbody shield, remove the two nuts on the end links that are attached to the sway bar, remove the two brackets holding the sway bar on to the body and slide the bar out. I did this and the bar came right out.

The Steeda instructions were to remove the right rear wheel, remove knuckle side bolt to right control arm, loosen chassis side bolt and lower right side control arm down, release the lithium-ion battery service connector and the two nuts on the cable bracket and position cable out of the way. I didn't want to mess with disconnecting the battery cable nor the control arm if I didn't have to and I didn't.

The Steeda sway bar is a slightly different shape than the OEM bar and it didn't want to go in as easy as the OEM bar came out. It was getting held up on the tire. Not sure if it was because I have wider wheels and tires but I removed the right rear tire and the bar went in. Still didn't have to remove the battery cable, bracket or lower the right control arm. I think the reason Steeda wants you to take the extra steps is to make it very easy to just drop down the bar and pop the new one in but I didn't find it difficult to maneuver it out with out doing this. The OEM bar is 27mm, hollow and weighs 7.6 lbs. Steeda bar is 32mm, solid and weighs 13.7 lbs.

Steeda provides silicone grease to use for their provided polyurethane bushings. I used my own grease as I have had issues using silicone grease on these bushings in the past. After a year or two the silicone grease disappears and you are left with a noisy bushing. For about 15 years, I've used this very sticky (like honey) silicone grease from www.polybushings.com and it is awesome. I had close to 300,000 miles on the sway bar bushings on my F-150 when I sold it and still greased with no noise.

I painted the bright blue Steeda bar hammered black. I am not into colored suspension parts. Yes, I have bright red brake calipers and still haven't decided if I will be painting them black or not.

There are three settings on the Steeda rear sway bar. They recommend the softest setting even though in their instructions they show the end link attached to the middle setting. I started with the middle setting (never tried the softest) and drove the car around quite a bit for an entire day. This thing really flattens out the handling. I've driven over 4000 miles prior to adding the bar so I‘m familiar with how it handles. With the OEM bar, the rear end always felt like it is lifting up a bit when cornering hard. While I definitely push the car, I don't push it real hard. I am not tracking or auto crossing it. I am driving spiritedly on the mountain roads we have around here. Yesterday I changed to the stiffest setting and I like it even better but haven't driven it a lot.

I think with the narrower 245/45/20 OEM tires on the car, Steeda is right in saying they recommend the softest setting as you might get the back end to come loose. However in the rear, I have 20”x10.5” wheels and wide 295/40/20 high performance all season SUV tires and it takes a lot to get that back end to move out. I will be keeping it in the stiffest setting and see how it goes in the wet as it might be too much. If it is, I will put it back to the middle setting but I know it will be one of the two settings I will end up with.

Edit:
It has been a couple of months now that I've been driving with the Steeda rear sway bar on the stiffest setting and I really like the way the car steers and handles. The ride is firmer in the rear especially when going over uneven surfaces. I have some uneven bumps on the road coming up to my home and that back end bounces a bit more since the left and right side don't flex as much and are not as independent as they were. This doesn't bother me at all as there are very few areas like this and would rather have the upgraded handling it provides. Also changed my tires to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 NO Acoustic HP summer tires 275/40/20 front and 315/35/20 rear.

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[derelict]

Thanks for the write up! I also read the installation instructions when this first came out (downloaded from their website) and was thinking it seemed way too complicated for replacing something like a sway bar... I was thinking why in the world would Ford make it that complicated? Nice to hear that it can be done much simpler.

 

[markboris]

I think Steeda wanted to make sure of two things. One, take off the right wheel and lower the right lower control arm down to make it easier to install their sway bar and two, remove the HVB connector and brakes so as not to damage it if you are rough with the installation.

As long as you remove the two bushing brackets BEFORE you try to take the sway bar out, it will come out just fine and wont damage the HVB connection or cable. As I said, I did end up removing the right rear wheel because their bar is a slightly different shape and wouldn't go in as easy as the OEM bar came out.

I've had the bar on now for a couple of more days and I'm going to keep it on the stiffest setting until we get some rain (if that ever happens again before summer). I really like how flat the back end stays now but need to check it out when it's wet as it may be too much. I'll report back after we get some weather.

 

[leeman]

Well I'm glad I'll never have to take my GT on the track. But if I could figure out a way for the suspension to function better when it hits a bump and not having it stay on the ground would be great as it tends to hop up and caused the car to get slightly off balance. this happens mostly on the right rear .

 

[Anton]

Steeda Before/After video of the sway bar -

 

[derelict]

Has anyone put one of these on a Premium or Select? I keep wondering if I should get this every time I go around an aggressive corner

 

[rodhx]

Has anyone put one of these on a Premium or Select? I keep wondering if I should get this every time I go around an aggressive corner

Save the money until you need tires. The skinny gripless tires on our premium/select cars give up long before the sway bar would be useful. ?

 

[derelict]

Save the money until you need tires. The skinny gripless tires on our premium/select cars give up long before the sway bar would be useful. ?

I am already running 255/45R20 tires and have been very happy with the improvement, but still feel like there is a little too much body lean around the corners...

 

[rodhx]

I am already running 255/45R20 tires and have been very happy with the improvement, but still feel like there is a little too much body lean around the corners...

Well then you're a great candidate for the rear sway. we're waiting... ?

 

[kennethjk]

Has anyone put one of these on a Premium or Select? I keep wondering if I should get this every time I go around an aggressive corner

I am putting it on my premium to hopefully reduce bounce of the car.

question is what setting?

 

[kennethjk]

I've had my Steeda rear sway bar on a couple of days now and have been testing it out. I will get to the bottom line first, it really helps the handling!

I'll start out by saying I have purchased many Steeda suspension parts for several of my cars (Escape, Focus RS, GT500) in the past and they are all top rate. I didn't follow the installation instructions that came with the kit. I had earlier looked at the Ford repair manual and it was very simple. Lift car up off the ground, remove the rear underbody shield, remove the two nuts on the end links that are attached to the sway bar, remove the two brackets holding the sway bar on to the body and slide the bar out. I did this and the bar came right out.

The Steeda instructions were to remove the right rear wheel, remove knuckle side bolt to right control arm, loosen chassis side bolt and lower right side control arm down, release the lithium-ion battery service connector and the two nuts on the cable bracket and position cable out of the way. I didn't want to mess with disconnecting the battery cable nor the control arm if I didn't have to and I didn't.

The Steeda sway bar is a slightly different shape than the OEM bar and it didn't want to go in as easy as the OEM bar came out. It was getting held up on the tire. Not sure if it was because I have wider wheels and tires but I removed the right rear tire and the bar went in. Still didn't have to remove the battery cable, bracket or lower the right control arm. I think the reason Steeda wants you to take the extra steps is to make it very easy to just drop down the bar and pop the new one in but I didn't find it difficult to maneuver it out with out doing this. The OEM bar is 27mm, hollow and weighs 7.6 lbs. Steeda bar is 32mm, solid and weighs 13.7 lbs.

Steeda provides silicone grease to use for their provided polyurethane bushings. I used my own grease as I have had issues using silicone grease on these bushings in the past. After a year or two the silicone grease disappears and you are left with a noisy bushing. For about 15 years, I've used this very sticky (like honey) silicone grease from www.polybushings.com and it is awesome. I had close to 300,000 miles on the sway bar bushings on my F-150 when I sold it and still greased with no noise.

I painted the bright blue Steeda bar hammered black. I am not into colored suspension parts. Yes, I have bright red brake calipers and still haven't decided if I will be painting them black or not.

There are three settings on the Steeda rear sway bar. They recommend the softest setting even though in their instructions they show the end link attached to the middle setting. I started with the middle setting (never tried the softest) and drove the car around quite a bit for an entire day. This thing really flattens out the handling. I've driven over 4000 miles prior to adding the bar so I‘m familiar with how it handles. With the OEM bar, the rear end always felt like it is lifting up a bit when cornering hard. While I definitely push the car, I don't push it real hard. I am not tracking or auto crossing it. I am driving spiritedly on the mountain roads we have around here. Yesterday I changed to the stiffest setting and I like it even better but haven't driven it a lot.

I think with the narrower 245/45/20 OEM tires on the car, Steeda is right in saying they recommend the softest setting as you might get the back end to come loose. However in the rear, I have 20”x10.5” wheels and wide 295/40/20 high performance all season SUV tires and it takes a lot to get that back end to move out. I will be keeping it in the stiffest setting and see how it goes in the wet as it might be too much. If it is, I will put it back to the middle setting but I know it will be one of the two settings I will end up with.

Edit:
It has been a couple of months now that I've been driving with the Steeda rear sway bar on the stiffest setting and I really like the way the car steers and handles. The ride is firmer in the rear especially when going over uneven surfaces. I have some uneven bumps on the road coming up to my home and that back end bounces a bit more since the left and right side don't flex as much and are not as independent as they were. This doesn't bother me at all as there are very few areas like this and would rather have the upgraded handling it provides. Also changed my tires to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 NO Acoustic HP summer tires 275/40/20 front and 315/35/20 rear.

Great write up.

curious your thoughts on the setting for a premium ext battery. I ordered and really want this to reduce the bounciness of the car. Much cheaper option than coilovers.

thanks for any feedback.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

when I changed out the springs and shocks on my Premium with the GT versions.

Do you mind sharing how much this cost?

 

[Guss-E 2021]

Great write up.

Agreed. @markboris you didn't happen to shoot a video as well? ?

 

[mkhuffman]

Agreed. @markboris you didn't happen to shoot a video as well? ?

Have you checked out the infamous bouncy ride thread? If not, you can learn all about what Mark did. He can repost, but it might be better just to go through that thread. It will be painful, but worth it.

Have at it!
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...-two-weeks-with-the-mach-e-what-do-i-do.4642/

 

[Guss-E 2021]

Have you checked out the infamous bouncy ride thread?

Hey @mkhuffman, yah I've been in that thread a lot. I also read all of @markboris' excellent step by step on swapping out the bar which is why I'd love to see a video accompaniment.

They've been paving all the roads around my work and play area, so Premium bounce has been less of an issue for me. Even so I like the idea of making a good car better. I'm not much of a mechanic but I still find all of this stuff fascinating.

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