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Rear sway bar drop with aftermarket LCAs - anybody have an issue?

Discussion in 'Suspension and Brakes' started by PinkieT, Oct 21, 2016.

  1. Oct 21, 2016 #1
    PinkieT

    PinkieT Well-Known Member

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    My wife's GT's suspension bushings were all shot. I had a set of aftermarket lower control arms I was going to put on my car when I swapped in the Cobra axle, so gave them to the shop to put on instead of putting new bushings in the factory arms. The rear sway bar ended up a lot lower than stock by at least two inches - it bolts to a tab on the bottom of the tubular aftermarket arm instead of the middle of the factory stamped arm. The car isn't lowered. Anybody have issues with the rear sway bar being scraped over stuff in the road? My car is stock so once hers is back in the garage I'll take pics and post them if you think they would help. I hate to go with no rear sway bar. Any aftermarket bars designed to address this issue? Should I just not worry about it at all?

    Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom...
     
  2. Oct 21, 2016 #2
    g36 monkey

    g36 monkey Moderator Staff SN95 Supporter

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    I've never heard of this creating any sort of issue. MM does sell rear away bars that attach to the body instead of the LCA's if you're that concerned. This also takes a lot of stress off the LCAs
     
  3. Oct 21, 2016 #3
    thetrex

    thetrex New Member

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    My aftermarket LCA's have the same method of attachment as yours (tab on the bottom of a tubular arm). I've run my stock rear sway bar for a couple of years now with no problems and no scraping.
     
  4. Oct 21, 2016 #4
    ReplicaR

    ReplicaR Well-Known Member

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    I ran OEM style bar with MM lower control arms. I've never once had an issue scraping on anything. End of discussion.
     
  5. Oct 21, 2016 #5
    DKblue98GT

    DKblue98GT Well-Known Member

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    I have MM control arms and an Eibach sway bar. I have never scraped the bar. The K member brace yes, but not the rear bar...
     
  6. Oct 21, 2016 #6
    PinkieT

    PinkieT Well-Known Member

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    Comparing her car with the aftermarket LCAs to my stock car, her bar hangs well below the differential and is 5.5 inches above the pavement. Mine is 8 inches and tucks up above the bottom of the differential. Discussion not over.[​IMG][/URL][/IMG]
    Hers

    [​IMG][/URL][/IMG]
    Mine.
     
  7. Oct 21, 2016 #7
    ReplicaR

    ReplicaR Well-Known Member

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    You'll be fine. Mine looked the same. 0 issues. Unless you're going rock climbing any time soon.
     
  8. Oct 21, 2016 #8
    wmfateam

    wmfateam Active Member

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    Honestly it looks like the bar is upside down causing it to be too low, but I can't quite make it out on my crappy monitor. DO you have pictures of where both bars attach, like the bend point of the bar area?
     
  9. Oct 21, 2016 #9
    PinkieT

    PinkieT Well-Known Member

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    The bar on hers bolts to the control arm then bends down, exactly like on the factory control arm. We tried flipping the bar but it curved up and hit the spring mount.
     
  10. Oct 21, 2016 #10
    wmfateam

    wmfateam Active Member

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    Okay. I have no rear sway bar so I couldn't remember the orientation on any control arms. That is a little weird.

    Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
     
  11. Oct 21, 2016 #11
    DKblue98GT

    DKblue98GT Well-Known Member

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    I have tried it both ways too, same story But it's never been an issue.
     
  12. Oct 22, 2016 #12
    the5.ohh

    the5.ohh Legend

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    Its normal, both my J&M lowers made the swaybar sit lower. I'm slammed so I scrape the swaybar occasionally.
     
  13. Oct 22, 2016 #13
    Mustanger

    Mustanger Well-Known Member

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    Here is my Eibach Sway Bar bolted to the MM LCA's You can clearly see the bends that sweep it up close to the underbody....I don't think yours does that....???

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Oct 22, 2016 #14
    DKblue98GT

    DKblue98GT Well-Known Member

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    Mine is the same. After looking at Mustanger's car I need to paint my gas tank cover and straps...
     
  15. Oct 22, 2016 #15
    DKblue98GT

    DKblue98GT Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]
     
  16. Oct 22, 2016 #16
    PinkieT

    PinkieT Well-Known Member

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    BBK puts an angle on the mounting bolt pattern on theirs, according to the pics I've seen. From what I've read bending a solid sway bar isn't advisable - it would take heat and create a weak spot that would have to be heat treated.
     
  17. Oct 23, 2016 #17
    Mustanger

    Mustanger Well-Known Member

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    Get a new sway bar from Eibach....