Power Wagon Disengaging Anti-Sway Bar into Cummins Ram

[chris_the_wrench]

Howdy all,

Ever since I got my 06 cummins ram over ten years ago I've been lusting after a anti-sway bar that could be set free. I'm currently running a Carli/Thuren/King love fest of suspension goodness. When I put my thuren coils on it(probably 8 years ago) I made my own end links that had removable pins that allowed it to flex like I wanted, but that was kind of a pain. I have to climb around in the dirt and secure the sway bar to the frame, and it's still always flopping around making a bunch of noise plus they sometimes need some extra help getting realigned. Everyone, probably, knows the power wagon has a OEM anti-sway bar that can be electronically disconnected. Dodge sells it for around $1200'ish. I've been searching junkyards for years looking for one to adapt to my truck, and well a couple weeks ago I finally found one and got it for a crazy good price.

The OEM unit in the power wagon relies on alot of electronic/computer thinking to limit when people can engage and disengage the anti-sway bar. This is the OEM plug that connects to the motor on the unit.

I drilled out the rivets and removed the plate and connected circuit board and found four wires controlling the actual motor and was hoping I could figure out a simple way to control the unit.

After abit of experimenting I found the red and white wires powered a motor that pushed a pin to activate the disengagement, great news!, however when power was removed the motor automatically retracted the pin and locked the sway bar. Also the motor would continue to run when power was applied pushing against the pin, and would burn itself out if power was not removed. Then I spent sometime surfing the jeep forums and found a mention that the two black wires are a magnetic lock on the pin.

In attempt to clarify the operation, power is applied to the red and white wires to extend the pin, power is then applied to the black wires to hold the position and power is cut to the red and white wires. This allows the sway bar to be disconnected. When locking is required, power is cut to the black wires and the pin re-engages.

So now that I have an idea of how it works on the bench, I need to make it work in my truck. I just ordered a rocker switch from rockerswitchpros.com that is a off-on-momentarily on switch. My plan is to wire it up so the magnetic lock is powered in the ON position, the motor is power in the MOMENTARILY ON position. That way I can activate the motor for the second it needs and releasing the switch will power the magnetic magnet so it catches the pin in the proper location.

I should have the switch in a couple days to try my theory. I'm also wondering that when the motor is powering the pin and it reaches the farthest point the pin can travel and starts to bind, I'm imagining the amperage will spike abit higher. So I'm thinking some kind of auto-reset fuse to the power line may be useful.


And if this whole electrical system ends up being a total nightmare, I'll just install and EVO MFG manual pin.

Any thoughts or ideas, would be great. I'll try to attach a movie clip of the motor running out of the assembly, I ran it too long in the video.

-Chris

 

[DaveInDenver]

As I understand it the operation is to power the motor to wind up a spring on the plunger. That plunger is held unlocked with an electromagnet that remains powered holding it. When power is cut to the electromagnet the plunger is forced to lock the two halves back together with the spring, which is obviously fairly sizable based on the motor size.

So you're only seeing wires to power the motor and the magnetic lock? I would have thought there would be a limit switch to sense when the plunger is fully retracted and it was OK to cut the power to the motor. Also sort of would expect another sensor to verify the plunger released and the sway actually reconnected.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

As I understand it the operation is to power the motor to wind up a spring on the plunger. That plunger is held unlocked with an electromagnet that remains powered holding it. When power is cut to the electromagnet the plunger is forced to lock the two halves back together with the spring, which is obviously fairly sizable based on the motor size.

So you're only seeing wires to power the motor and the magnetic lock? I would have thought there would be a limit switch to sense when the plunger is fully retracted and it was OK to cut the power to the motor. Also sort of would expect another sensor to verify the plunger released and the sway actually reconnected.

The motor has a threaded shaft which pushes an assembly up and presses the pin out. The electro-magnet then powers up and keeps the threaded portion extended.
There isn’t any limit switch or sensor inside the swaybar body, I believe the time/distance the motor travels is dictated by the circuit board and I think it relies on amperage measurements.

Someone alot smarter than I in electronics could probably say for certain whats going on.

-Chris

 

[DaveInDenver]

I have zero familiarity with these FCA sway bars so I'm going by your description. Perhaps they are measuring current to know when the motor has traveled enough but that would require a sensor, too. That could be on the board itself. Unless they really do just run it for a fixed length of time but then how do they prevent burning the motor up or prevent a partial disengagement if the plunger hangs up? Happy to help (I'm an electrical engineer) but haven't access to any of these things to mess with them first hand.

 

[JPR4LFE]

I have the EVO manual disconnect on my PW and it works well. Simple to install and super simple operation.

EVO does make an 'On Demand' sway bar disconnect that would require on board air from an ARB compressor or similar to actuate, but I do not have any experience with that one.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I have the EVO manual disconnect on my PW and it works well. Simple to install and super simple operation.

EVO does make an 'On Demand' sway bar disconnect that would require on board air from an ARB compressor or similar to actuate, but I do not have any experience with that one.

Did your oem motor die or did you just want more control of when it was locked? How often do you disconnect it? I live out in the country and there will be weeks that I don’t drive on a freeway, so if I’m not hauling heavy loads I leave it disconnected. That air actuator looks slick, I already have the arb compressor so that’s appealing!

Thanks
Chris

 

[JPR4LFE]

Did your oem motor die or did you just want more control of when it was locked? How often do you disconnect it? I live out in the country and there will be weeks that I don’t drive on a freeway, so if I’m not hauling heavy loads I leave it disconnected. That air actuator looks slick, I already have the arb compressor so that’s appealing!

Thanks
Chris

The sway bar disconnect function quit working on my sway bar. I pulled apart the housing and the internals were all properly lubed, so I assumed it to be the circuit board. I was not a fan of how the locker wiring ran through smart bar due to the added complexity and time it took to actuate, so I hard wired the lockers to a bluesea fuse box and dedicated switches. I like having the sway bar disconnect, but for my use simplicity and reliability trumped convenience, so I did not attempt to trouble shoot beyond that and I considered the manual sway bar disconnect an upgrade for my use. I only disengage it when I am on a trail. It stays locked in until I get to the trail head, then I unlock it when I am airing down my tires. When I exit the trail and make it back to the highway, I re-engage it while I am airing tires back up. Being that I air tires down nearly every time I go on a trail, it does not add much if any time to the process.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

The sway bar disconnect function quit working on my sway bar. I pulled apart the housing and the internals were all properly lubed, so I assumed it to be the circuit board. I was not a fan of how the locker wiring ran through smart bar due to the added complexity and time it took to actuate, so I hard wired the lockers to a bluesea fuse box and dedicated switches. I like having the sway bar disconnect, but for my use simplicity and reliability trumped convenience, so I did not attempt to trouble shoot beyond that and I considered the manual sway bar disconnect an upgrade for my use. I only disengage it when I am on a trail. It stays locked in until I get to the trail head, then I unlock it when I am airing down my tires. When I exit the trail and make it back to the highway, I re-engage it while I am airing tires back up. Being that I air tires down nearly every time I go on a trail, it does not add much if any time to the process.

Did the EVO bolt straight in? I got the switch I ordered by I’m leaning towards the keep it simple method of just using that evo settup.

Thanks
Chris

 

[JPR4LFE]

Did the EVO bolt straight in? I got the switch I ordered by I’m leaning towards the keep it simple method of just using that evo settup.

Thanks
Chris

It did bolt right in with zero drama. It is tucked under the truck a bit, it would be handy if you could get to it without crawling under the truck. But otherwise no complaints.

 

[Darwin]

Out of curiosity, why not just keep running the Thuren bar?, It's a pretty soft rate. Or just run no sway bar all the time? I have heard a few people do that, and I would be curious if overall how much of a difference between no sway bar and Thurens. It seems like just ditching the sway bar all together would be fine as long as you are not top heavy.

Sorry for the derail, I have been contemplating the thuren bar.

 

[Explorerinil]

Out of curiosity, why not just keep running the Thuren bar?, It's a pretty soft rate. Or just run no sway bar all the time? I have heard a few people do that, and I would be curious if overall how much of a difference between no sway bar and Thurens. It seems like just ditching the sway bar all together would be fine as long as you are not top heavy.

Sorry for the derail, I have been contemplating the thuren bar.

I ran 4 years on my 01 ram 2500 with the front and rear sway bars removed... the 01 came with a rear bar. I never had any issues, I even ran a ******** Cepek long arm kit towards the end of the time I had the truck.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Out of curiosity, why not just keep running the Thuren bar?, It's a pretty soft rate. Or just run no sway bar all the time? I have heard a few people do that, and I would be curious if overall how much of a difference between no sway bar and Thurens. It seems like just ditching the sway bar all together would be fine as long as you are not top heavy.

Sorry for the derail, I have been contemplating the thuren bar.

I don’t have the thuren swaybar, Im still running the oem swaybar with some end links I built that have removable pins. I disconnect it most of the time but when I have several thousand pounds in the bed I like it hooked up. Thats also part of the reason I didnt do the thuren bar.

-Chris

 

[silvrzuki77]

Have you tested fitted it yet? I was under the assumption that it interfered with the intercooler?


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[nater]

Have you tested fitted it yet? I was under the assumption that it interfered with the intercooler?


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I think the winch interferes (from the pw), the sway bar should clear.

 

[silvrzuki77]

I was wondering about doing the same on my 18. Looking forward to what you come up with.


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