Rear sway bar options

[Fabulous50s]

After reading the collective reviews on here about upgrading the front sway bars with Addco units....I went ahead and ordered one for my '59.

I've been curious as to how much improvement I'll see with just the front alone. The car handles like a rolling couch right now.

I have 14" radials new KYB shocks, and would like to lower the front over the winter.

I drive it a lot, and keeping it flatter around the corners would be a huge improvement. It is just a family cruiser, not looking for auto cross stuff.

Thank you!

[RICH MUISE]

I had planned to eventually add a rear sway bar to augment the front one I had done from the start of the rebuild. It didn't take long to cross that off the to-do list as totally unneeded. I will say I did change to new 6 leaf springs from the get-go and that may have a lot to do with eliminating the sway the car once had, but just about everyone has come to the same conclusion.........front 1 1/8 sway bar is all that's needed.
If your back springs are original, I'd spend the money there.
Rich

[gasman826]

I put front and rear ADDCO bars on the Raunch Wagon.  The springs were original and soft.  The front bar was a great improvement.  I installed a couple different sets of shocks without the control I wanted.  An adjustable set of QA1s gave great control.  I installed Traction Master style traction bars.  These really helped with weight transfer and wheel hop.  The bars also stiffened the rear and had a slight tendency to push the front on dippy, twisty roads...very slight and acceptable.  After installing the rear sway bar, the wagon cornered extremely flat (even while doing donuts).  The rear of the car now dominated the front on dippy roads.  Minor and acceptable...the Crown Vic PI Addco rear sway bar with the traction bars was a little too much for a 'family driver'.

[lalessi1]

Here is my 2 cents... The 59 bar is different than the 57 and I think it will work better. I would lower the front by cutting the stock springs. I would also buy the matching rear bar and use the rear stock springs. I think that will give you the best handling for the bucks.

In my case I used Aerostar springs in the front with the SW T-bird bar and Bilstein shocks. I used the 6 leaf springs in the rear with Traction Masters. I had to use spacers in the front to RAISE the car back up and lowering blocks in the rear. My car actually feels like it wants to oversteer on a sweeping corner. That is not the balance I am looking for. I don't think there is enough shock absorber control in the front.

At this point if money were no object and I was doing this again I would use dropped spindles, upper and lower fabricated control arms and a Quickor 60's Galaxie front bar. In back I would use 4 leaf springs with perches modified for Cal Tracs and a rear sway bar. Might even use lowering blocks or de-arch the springs.

Gary, which QA1 shocks are you using? Front and back? How do you have them adjusted?

[gasman826]

Single adjustable QA1 on the rear.  I set to the fourth click.
Double adjustable on the front.  Fourth click for up and eight clicks for down. 

All the other front shocks allowed the front to come down too hard and too low.  I finally got balanced control on front and rear. 

I just put QA1 double adjust on the front and single adjust on the rear with ADDCO bar on the front of the '65 Galaxie.  I like it!  It actually turns.  I think I'll stop there for now.

[Fabulous50s]

Thank you!

[Fabulous50s]