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  •  » Rear sway bar

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    1/30/2014 9:52 AM  #1

    jerryF
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    From: Franklin, Tn.
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 196

    Rear sway bar

    Anyone running a rear sway bar on their 65/66?   Here's one on Craigslist... local to me. It sounds like he didn't like it.

    http://nashville.craigslist.org/pts/4311353634.html
     

    jerry
     

    1/30/2014 10:22 AM  #2

    Hornman
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    From: Mansfield, Texas
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,568

    Re: Rear sway bar

    A rear sway bar adds oversteer to the car. Lots of folks don't like the feel of that. Personally, I feel that the stock front suspension geometry has too much understeer, so I added a rear swaybar to try to even out the feel and turn in response.

     

    1/30/2014 10:47 AM  #3

    boomyal
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    From: Vancouver, Washington
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,295

    Re: Rear sway bar

    Ford built understeer into the early mustangs to keep the grannys and secretaries out of trouble.  You can significantly alter that by doing the Arning Drop and building in a ton more caster than found in factory specs.

    EDIT:  That was quick.  The poster already deleted the sway bar ad!

    Last edited by boomyal (1/30/2014 10:49 AM)

     

    1/30/2014 1:05 PM  #4

    MS
    Forum Originator

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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
    Posts: 12,472

    Re: Rear sway bar

    If you do install one, I suggest using one that mounts UNDER the axle.  There are some that mount atop the axle that are only good for ripping holes in your frame rails.

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
     

    1/30/2014 4:15 PM  #5

    Vkt-66
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    From: Bedford, Tx..
    Registered: 7/22/2013
    Posts: 143

    Re: Rear sway bar

    Yeah....Know what you mean,,,I fix mine by boxing the ends at the frame..I'll have to post a pitcure of how I address that isue...

    66 PonySilverBlue-289/gt40/roller/650cfm/ram air-T-5-cable-w4way.disc/4-245x50x16"
     

    1/31/2014 9:07 AM  #6

    JSHarvey
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    From: Sandy, UT
    Registered: 4/04/2013
    Posts: 39

    Re: Rear sway bar

    I like my car (1965 Convertible) with a rear anti-sway bar (3/4") it seems to balance out the front 1" anti-sway bar - both are aftermarket.

    But as was mentioned already the Arning Drop and a lot of caster did more to cure the handling problems than either anti-sway bar could ever do.  For the caster I moved the upper control arm shaft forward (moving the arm backwards), and shifted the mounting point of the lower control arm bushing housing forward an equal amount - that builds in a lot more caster as "standard" than was even possible to add with shims.

    65 convert "298" (.060), 4sp, disc, quick steer, roller perches, adj strut rods, sph bearing lower, F&R anti-roll bars.
     

    1/31/2014 9:23 AM  #7

    boomyal
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    From: Vancouver, Washington
    Registered: 4/01/2013
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    Re: Rear sway bar

    JSHarvey wrote:

      ....... and shifted the mounting point of the lower control arm bushing housing forward an equal amount - that builds in a lot more caster as "standard" than was even possible to add with shims.......

    That would certaily do it.  I've not heard of that being done before and without standing underneath one I can't picture how one would do that.

    I am still waiting to get underneath one, on a lift, so I can assess the ramifications of adding the manual steering quick steer pitman arm and idler arm to my factory power steered '65 convertible.

    Last edited by boomyal (1/31/2014 9:26 AM)

     

    2/04/2014 1:00 PM  #8

    Vkt-66
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    From: Bedford, Tx..
    Registered: 7/22/2013
    Posts: 143

    Re: Rear sway bar

    Vkt-66 wrote:

    Yeah....Know what you mean,,,I fix mine by boxing the ends at the frame..I'll have to post a pitcure of how I address that isue...

     pitcures of how I address that isue..

    Last edited by Vkt-66 (2/04/2014 1:04 PM)

    66 PonySilverBlue-289/gt40/roller/650cfm/ram air-T-5-cable-w4way.disc/4-245x50x16"
     

    2/04/2014 6:23 PM  #9

    MS
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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
    Posts: 12,472

    Re: Rear sway bar

    Vkt-66 wrote:

    Vkt-66 wrote:

    Yeah....Know what you mean,,,I fix mine by boxing the ends at the frame..I'll have to post a pitcure of how I address that isue...

     pitcures of how I address that isue..

    The problem with the bar being mounted on top is the end links are so short they limit the articulation of the rear end, and those forces trying to tear the links apart are alot more than if the links are longer so they can move about a bit.

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
     

    2/05/2014 12:57 AM  #10

    stanger53
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    Registered: 4/07/2013
    Posts: 6

    Re: Rear sway bar

    I would personally recommend a Stam-Bar -- http://www.suspension.com/stam-bar.htm

    Over-the-axle bars hit exhaust pipes, brake lines and chassis -- under-the-axle bars hit all kinds of stuff on the road.

    The Stam-Bar mounts across the car, near the top of the hump between the trunk and rear seat, and just forward of the gas tank. It has arms that trail backwatds and mount to brackets bolted to the rear frame rails off the sides of the tank. It should clear everything.

    Long, long ago I added a Shelby 1" front bar to my 1966 Coupe, which immediately made a big difference. I remember reading books about suspension that said a Mustang needed a rear bar more than a larger foront bar, so I added the small diameter Stam-Bar to the rear of the car, and again noticed the same level of improvement in cornering that I found with the front bar.
    The Stam-Bar they sell now has adjustable clamps to vary the torsion, which my early model (1984 vintage) didn't have.

     

    2/05/2014 11:11 AM  #11

    boomyal
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    From: Vancouver, Washington
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,295

    Re: Rear sway bar

    Stanger, your Stam-Bar link seems to be an isolated page.  The links to products inside your page go nowhere and if you google Stam-Bar, the only thing that pops up is the link you provided.

     

    2/05/2014 11:40 AM  #12

    stanger53
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    Registered: 4/07/2013
    Posts: 6

    Re: Rear sway bar

    Hmm, sorry about that. I just checked to see if the page still came up and didn't check any deeper. They used to have more information available, but I don't see it. Used to be able to buy direct, and all they sold was bars for early Mustangs and Cougars.

    Apparently they are still available, though -- http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=1SB+01

    I was a dealer for Stam-Bar from the mid 1980s to 1998 or so, and had them on my car and had no problems with any I sold or installed on customers cars.

     

    2/06/2014 11:24 PM  #13

    JSHarvey
    FYI FORD Member

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    From: Sandy, UT
    Registered: 4/04/2013
    Posts: 39

    Re: Rear sway bar

    boomyal wrote:

    JSHarvey wrote:

      ....... and shifted the mounting point of the lower control arm bushing housing forward an equal amount - that builds in a lot more caster as "standard" than was even possible to add with shims.......

    That would certaily do it.  I've not heard of that being done before and without standing underneath one I can't picture how one would do that.

    I am still waiting to get underneath one, on a lift, so I can assess the ramifications of adding the manual steering quick steer pitman arm and idler arm to my factory power steered '65 convertible.

    For the upper arm relocation see: http://www.mustangsteve.com/msFAQsuspension.html  Do all that BUT when you put it all back together offset the shaft by about 1/16 to 1/8".

    For the lower, the stock arms just pivot on a rubber bushing in a steel sleeve, just knock the sleeve over about 1/16 to 1/8" in the required direction and spot weld it in place.  Or get fancy and buy a set of these: http://www.opentrackerracingproducts.com/diylowerarm/

    65 convert "298" (.060), 4sp, disc, quick steer, roller perches, adj strut rods, sph bearing lower, F&R anti-roll bars.
     

     

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