I have been looking for a heavy duty rear sway bar. I have checked with what I believe to be all the usual suspects and the heaviest I have found is a 7/8 bar. I am trying to find 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 so I can eliminate the front sway bar I am now running. I have a front bar from Southwest Thunderbirds which is very effective but it mounts very low in the front, is very visible and not very attractive. I may be trying to overkill the issue by going bigger than I need. Hopefully someone has some good experience that they are willing to share.
Front - Addco 2151 - 7/8" in the OEM location...I made poly bushing for a little extra control
Rear - Addco 650 - 1" 91-09 Crown Vic ...I made all brackets and links
The Raunch Wagon corners pretty flat!
Concourse and Southwest Tbird have 1" rear bars
Quote from: hiball3985 on 2018-07-02 16:08
Concourse and Southwest Tbird have 1" rear bars
Thanks, I ordered one from Concourse. Hopefully, I will be able to get fid of the front, but we'll see.
I've used the rear sway bar from Concour's and Southwest and I think they are the same. I've used the sedan version and the wagon versions and they really reduce body roll. It even keeps wide tires from rubbing when cornering. The down fall is that you do loose some rear end travel, especially on a lowered car if you mount the bar on top of the rear rear end so it doesn't show. Don't get your exhaust over the rear end done until the rear bar is installed, as you want a s much clearance as possible.
I feel the same way about the Southwest Front Bar. Really hags down low and is very noticable. I've been using the larger factory wagon/ranchero front sway bars on some of my cars. Combined with the rear sway bar they work well. I too noticed Addco has the larger diameter front bar available to go in the factory location. I may try that on my next one. I like the idea of making new bushings for the larger bar out of urethane.
Doug, not to change the subject, but did you still want that dash bezel? I replied to your 3 posts but no response unless I missed a pm
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2018-07-02 19:28
Doug, not to change the subject, but did you still want that dash bezel? I replied to your 3 posts but no response unless I missed a pm
Rich........I got one and sent you a message but it probably shot off into the great interweb graveyard. Hopefully it all goes in tomorrow with new Autometer gauges and new indicator lights
Quote from: suede57ford on 2018-07-02 18:43
I've used the rear sway bar from Concour's and Southwest and I think they are the same. I've used the sedan version and the wagon versions and they really reduce body roll. It even keeps wide tires from rubbing when cornering. The down fall is that you do loose some rear end travel, especially on a lowered car if you mount the bar on top of the rear rear end so it doesn't show. Don't get your exhaust over the rear end done until the rear bar is installed, as you want a s much clearance as possible.
I feel the same way about the Southwest Front Bar. Really hags down low and is very noticable. I've been using the larger factory wagon/ranchero front sway bars on some of my cars. Combined with the rear sway bar they work well. I too noticed Addco has the larger diameter front bar available to go in the factory location. I may try that on my next one. I like the idea of making new bushings for the larger bar out of urethane.
I got my rear sway bar from Concourse this week and will try installing it in the next couple days. I too was interested in the Addco front bar but I am concerned about the two solid mounting points on each lower control arm with the much larger diameter bar. I wonder if the big bar will effect individual control arm movement and if so it might explain the much smaller, less effective stock bars.I sure would like to hear from someone who had tried the Addco bar. One way or another, that ugly Southwest front bar has got to go!
I would advise against eliminating the front bar and going with a rear only. This will give you a large amount of "push" buy hindering the outside front tire from firmly planting while cornering. Sway bars, front and rear, should be "coordinated" for the best and safest handling. I used a 58 Edsel Ranger (Pacer is the same as well) front bar. It mounts high, holes for the links are already in the lower control arms and only a simple bracket is required to mount to the chassis. Might be this is the same bar used on 58 - 59 Fords?
Yes. agreed with Bill.. use a factory front sway bar if eliminating the HD front and using a HD Rear bar....
Here is a good article on the 57 rear sway bar set up... a little more on a full suspension upgrade.but useful.
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/bolt-on-lowering-the-1957-ford-ranch-wagon/
Quote from: Jeff Norwell on 2018-07-24 15:49
Yes. agreed with Bill.. use a factory front sway bar if eliminating the HD front and using a HD Rear bar....
I have always thought the same but a friend of mine called Fatman to get a front bar and talked to the fatman himself. He said to install a rear bar on a 50 Ford coupe and forgo the front. My friend did that and was very happy with the results. So I don't know, If I keep the front, I don't need as rear as it corners like a go cart now. If I can get the rear bar in, which will be no mean feat, I think I will give it a try without the front and see how it works. I won't be throwing anything away so I can always put it back on.
I got my Concourse rear bar. I put the car on the hoist, should have done that before I spent the money on the new bar, and found that it will be almost impossible to install. That is not the fault of the bar design but rather the location of my fuel injection lines and the routing of my exhaust. Virtually everything in the rear of the car will have to be relocated to get the bar to fit. I am not sure I have either the energy or the interest to do that and may just make the bar another piece of garage art.
It might be able to mount underneath the rear end. I've seen that done before. I usually try to have the bar installed before doing any exhaust work or running any lines as it does take up a bunch of room above the rear end. The rear bar really adds to the stability if you can get it in place.
Bummer, thats too bad. I guess I just lucked out and mine fit, I didn't even think about the modified exhaust location before I ordered mine
I think I will look at mounting it under the axle. Lost the rear end on my way home from Bend Oregon on Sunday so it will be on the hoist for some time and I can play around with it and see if there is a reasonable way to get it mounted.
Finally got around to taking a serious look at mounting the Concourse rear sway bar. Long story short it looks like it will take a major exhaust system re-design to have any chance of making it fit and after that there may be a clearance issue with the stock shock mounting posission as well as axle vent and brake line T fitting location, [ which they did mention in the instructions.] All things considered, it may be more effort than it's worth. If you are thinking about one of these, it should be one of the first things you buy and mount as that will allow you to design other components around it. I have it crammed up where think it should go and my rebuilt third member isn't back so i'll mess around with it some more before completely giving up.
I guess I was lucky and it cleared the exhaust that was already in the car, no issue clearing shocks and I did have to make the little bracket to move the brake line T.