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Sway Bar Swap

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Rickm
Junior Member


Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 20
Sway Bar Swap

Can anybody tell me if there is a Mustang sway bar that is a direct swap for a 67 289 Fairlane? I want to call N.P.D. and order one . I'm going with a 1 inch, this 40 year old half inch one is junk. Thanks Rick Razz Razz Razz

Post Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:22 pm 
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fairjohn
Member


Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 82
Location: Molalla.Or

Summit has one from addco http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=ACO%2D537&N=700+4294925130+400048+4294923769+4294908331+4294907757+4294925084+115&autoview=sku

comes with bushings and end links and seems to be black powder coated wich is something they must have just started doing because when I bought mine last year they were gold.
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'68 Fairlane 500 sportroof, 428CJ, close ratio toploader, 9" detroit locker, 31 spline axles, 3.50 gears.

Post Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:48 pm 
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scotta66gt
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 396
Location: Arlington VA
Yep!

Yes, they are the same. Check out the listings on:

http://www.addco.net/AntiSwaybars_List.htm

and you'll see the same front bars listed for both 67-70 'stangs and 66-67 Fairlanes.

Good luck, Scot
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Post Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:19 pm 
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Rickm
Junior Member


Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 20

Thanks Scott, Great answer

Post Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:05 pm 
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johnc118
Member


Joined: 27 Jan 2007
Posts: 89
Location: Arkansas
Get a rear bar too.

To much front bar is bad too. You can get into an over steer situation with to big a front bar and no rear bar.

I went from a 11/16th fron to 1 inch front and put a 3/4 rear bar on along with KYB gas shocks!!!

Zoom Zoom.
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Post Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:51 pm 
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scotta66gt
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 396
Location: Arlington VA
1" Front and 3/4" rear

Howdy. I first moved to a 1" front bar on my 66 Fairlane GT with a 390 FE and no rear bar, and it helped a lot by itself. These are funky beasts with odd handling and weight distribution. Then I added a 3/4" rear bar and had too much rear roll stiffness, that is, it tended towards too much oversteer or loose. Then moved to the 1-1/4" front bar and things came back into balance.

Certainly I agree that usually you don't want to go up on a front bar without adding a rear bar. I think a 1" front bar needs a 5/8 or 11/16 rear bar but those are not available - I bought and tried an 11/16 bar from a Mustang but it would not fit. So with the 3/4" rear, and a big block, my experience is you need the 1-1/4" front bar. But then you run into the oil filter fitment problems.

One might try a 1" front bar then to stiffen the rear roll stiffness via heavy duty shackles and poly or del-alum (from Global West) REAR leaf spring bushings. That makes the leaf springs act with more roll stiffness themselves.

Next up for me is some stiffer front springs so I can go back to getting more rear roll stiffness. Right now I can't as it gets loose if I let the rear tire pressures drop more than a few pounds below the fronts.

Dunno 'bout a small block.

On my old Volvo 240, much better weight distribution, I ran a 1" bar front and rear and it was too loose so I dropped back to a 7/8" rear bar and it came back into balance. A whole 'nother chassis!

FWIW, Scott
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Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:24 am 
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SD44
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 562
Location: Mississippi

just curious, but what size is the factory GTA sway bar? My Z code car has the little sway bar, would it be a noticable difference if I put the GTA sized bar on it? I actually have one, but didn't think it would make enough difference to matter.
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Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:14 am 
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GerryProctor
Senior Member


Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 660
Location: San Antonio, Tx

The non-GT bar is 5/8" and the GT is 3/4" It does make a difference otherwise the factory wouldn't have done it. But remember that if you add more bar, spring, or shock to one end of the car, weight will transfer to the opposite end, which is what Scott is writing about. It doesn't seem to make sense, but adding more front bar, spring, or shock will make the front end slide. More of those on the rear, and the rear slides. It's very difficult and expensive to tune your suspension without the benefit of weight scales and either an engineering degree or a lot of experience.

Me? I'd be shooting in the dark. If the car was loose, I'd be inclined to add a rear bar or maybe a stiffer spring or heavier shock, but which one of those would get the job done the first time, I'd have no idea.

Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:41 am 
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wishbone
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Apr 2006
Posts: 359

What is my car going to feel like? I replaced my stock sway bar with a 1" bar on the front with new stock front springs, new disc brakes, all new tie rods and ball joints and all new front suspension bushings. New steering coupler. On the back I went to 2" over ride height leaf springs, rebuilt 8" rear with 3.80 gear and posi with all new drum brakes. KYB gas adjust shocks. 347 stroker motor (425hp) new 4 speed toploader. 16" wheels. Anything that could be replaced was with new parts. !963 Fairlane Sports Coupe.

Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:41 pm 
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fair67cp
Moderator


Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 189
Location: North West Maryland

Wishbone, drive it and see! LOL ... Sorry I couldn't help it!
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Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:49 pm 
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Rickm
Junior Member


Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 20

All I'm looking for is less sway when I go in corners. I had a Mustang and put a 1 inch bar on the front and the handling was 100% better. I don't run it hard so I don't care about being loose because it will never come to that, I just want a little better ride. Anything to get rid of that 60's feel.

Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:24 pm 
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scotta66gt
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 396
Location: Arlington VA
Best test...

is to take a corner, like a constant radius sweeper, at a set low speed. See where the steering wheel is, hopefully at about a constant turn of wheel. Then a little quicker, and see if the wheel is turned more or less. If turned more you're tight (undrersteer), if less you're loose (understeer).

You sound about OK, the front bar is a little more front roll stiffness and the rear springs are probably a little higher rate so that's more rear roll stiffness, so it sounds sorta close.

This all assumes same front and rear tire rim width and tire sizes.

You can easily tune with tire pressure. To make the car more tight make the front tire pressures 4 lbs lower than the rear to start, to make the car loosen up make the rear tires 4 psi lower than the fronts. That's a good starting point for tuning.

Good luck, Scott
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Daily Driver / Survivor

Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:31 pm 
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wishbone
Senior Member


Joined: 09 Apr 2006
Posts: 359

Sorry for the misleading information. I'm about 3/4 of the way thru with all those things. I still have to install the motor and trans. I was just wondering how much of a change is all that going to make in my car. I hope it is a super cruiser. Did you see anything you would have done differently? Thanks

Post Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:55 pm 
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