Installation of HD Sway Bar from Thunderbirds Southwest Photos

[57AGIN]

Hi All:

Rick and I thought we could post a bunch (16) photos of the finished installation of the heavy duty Sway Bar from Thunderbirds Southwest.  Rick and I puzzled over the installation instructions provided in the kit and did a number of trials and errors in coming up with what we believe to be a very sanitary installation.  Note: One thing that we didn't do is jack up the front end and let the suspension swing free.  The instructions said to do this but, from past experience in working on trucks and motor homes, that hadn't been necessary.  Wrong, it proved to be very necessary.  Other than having no real photos or diagrams to work from the installation was pretty straight forward.  I'll be putting 4 of the 16 photos on each of the next 4 replies, but without explanations as the pictures are indeed worth 10,000 of my words.

Bob
57 AGIN

[57AGIN]

Photo set 2.

[57AGIN]

Photo set #3.

[57AGIN]

Photo set #4.

[gasman826]

Great upgrade!!!!  Nice pictures too.

[bossguy]

Thank you so much, I'm directing my son to this article!

[RICH MUISE]

Nice. I had no problems either installing the unit with the car sitting on the ground..in fact I must have completly missed their suggestion to jack the car up. Mine didn't even have the instructions with the kit..I had to have them email them to me.
They have a well designed and well manufactured kit...they just need to improve their paperwork a little... LOL
Did you get their rear sway bar as well?

[gasman826]

Come on!!!  Quit teasing and review the improvements on the G pad.  Compare cornering with the OEM sway bar with the Thunderbird setup.  Are these sway bars OEM replacement parts or are they performance enhanced bars?  Man...its past 70 degrees heading for 80 in MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!  Somebody has got to be driving!!!

[57AGIN]

Gasman:

It's been so long since my car has been out of the body & paint jail, I wouldn't know if it was better or not.   All I have to compare it to is my 08 Shelby GT or the wife's mini-van.  It really is he_ _ getting old with all the info stored in the head and no way to get it out.  lol

Anyway, the car won't drive the same, as the front suspension, shocks and all the tires will be new and I'll have another leaf in the rear suspension.  It will really be difficult to determine which of the changes have resulted in the most change.

Bob
57 AGIN

[gasman826]

That's the great thing about making a bunch of changes.  You know that it is better...but not really sure what did it.  It's really bad if a bunch of changes makes things worse.  You don't know what to undo.  My car has been down for two years and I have to live vicariously off the generosity of the members of this forum.  I'm pitiful!!!!!!!!!!  I enjoy seeing other members getting things done.  It's great.
Take care,

[RICH MUISE]

I'm in the same boat..the last time I drove mine, it was a 6 cyl 3 on the tree, 50 year old everything. Not going to be the same car, and will be hard to tell about specific items, like the sway bar, and LOL...all the roads where I live now in Texas are flat and straight...no more sqealing around mountain roads in 2nd gear..at least for a while.
Rich

[Ford Blue blood]

Ya Rich but you have the interstate ramps to play on!

[gasman826]

A few years ago, the wife and I did Hot Rod Power Tour and ended up in Bristol, TN.  When we left there, we thought we would do the Dragon's Tail.  Cornered good enough that I had to let Amy out of the car a couple of times.

[robhaerr]

Talked to Bobby Walden (www.waldenspeedshop.com) yesterday. He said my R&P steering has arrived and the front and rear sway bars should arrive in the next few days.

I hope to have some "Project 302" video of the install progress. Needless to say, can't wait to get this wagon driving under different power and suspension soon!