Decided I'm going with a dump on my truck. It is 450. I'm down to bare rails. There is a bar that is across the top of the rails. It has a pillar block on each side which is bolted through the rails and sits on the top leaf spring. Everyone who sees it, some who are very knowledgable on vehicles, ask what is it. I can't answer. I just know if it stays it will make my bed at least 2" higher and I want it as low as I can make it. Any suggestion as to what this is and does it have to stay? Thanks for any info you can provide!!
Any chance to see a picture of it ?
Could it be a rear torsion bar to help transfer the load on corners? :)
Possibly...it was used as a crane truck
Someone added it. Ford didn't put it there. My f550 has nothing above the frame
Not very good pics and should rotate once clockwise.....but I'm right proud I got a pic on ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/40297/IMG_0717.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1516418905)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/40297/IMG_0704.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1516418785)
Looks like a sway bar or anti roll bar.
Can I get rid of it without creating problems?
That's a sway bar and was probably added to help counter the high CG of the crane. My 450 pickup does not have one and you should be able to safely remove it, unless you plan on piling weight fairly high in your new dump bed.
What you have is something similar to this http://www.joplintech.com/levelride/products.html
They are a add on by the up fitter who built the truck as a crane truck. Yes, you can remove them a crane boom on a serviruck makes handling interesting sometimes. Most of them also have extra leaves in the spring pack on the crane side as well. This may have taken place of them.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/39553/sway.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1516427383)
any negatives to removing it to lower dump height or is it worth leaving and block up over it for dump rails?
can you relocate it to the bottom side of the frame? It is not necessary but very nice to have when you are loaded up high.
Everyone is correct it is just a torsion type sway bar for anti sway. They work very well.
You don't need it. Take it off it will be much easier to mount a body. One thing you will notice with a 450 or 550 with new tires like a bandad cap. Some styles have a deep tread almost 1 inch deep. The truck will handle a little strange like the rear squirms a bit. Once the tread depth lowers a bit all is good. My f550 weights 15000 with the plows on it. Loaded with winter sand it's around 25000. It handles it just fine. You didn't say what year the truck is. 04 and older only had 8 wheel studs it wasn't enough make sure to keep them tight
2001