sway bar problems

ttocs · Aug 12, 2018

I noticed the other day that when I air out the air ride that the rear sway bar is hitting the gas tank. I am glad I didn't mount my fuel pump there like I saw so many others have done, but after the time I spent on the cf diffuser I do not want that to be a problem. There isn't much more space to go down before the rear tires will rub but I would like to be able to bring it down and not hit the tank. Looking around at different designs they all seem to be about the same clearance from the tank so I don't think there is an aftermarket version that would allow it to work with out modification. I know I could just yank it off but I do have dreams of maybe an autocross here or there and would like to keep it. My only idea right now is to move the bar up an inch or two by drilling new holes in the bar a little further back and welding a piece of 1/4" thick steel on the back side to ensure that it is strong enough. Anyone had this problem before and got around it with out just pulling it off? Would moving the sway bar up that inch or two change the geometry of the whole system and cause problems?

SnakeBit! · Aug 12, 2018

are you talking about the stock rear sway bar? if so, what size bar is it..is your car a cobra with the stock bar on the back? how much does it hit? you can change size of bars to a smaller bar that may clear.

evilcw311 · Aug 12, 2018

Scott buy an irs!!!!

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ttocs · Aug 12, 2018

yes its the stock bar at the moment. Even with the smaller bars (thinner diameter) from what I could tell through pics they all look to get about the same distance from the tank.

SnakeBit! · Aug 13, 2018

distance may be the same but with the smaller diameter, depending on how much contact it is making, they may work. I had the problem with the stock size Cobra bar (27mm) on my car contacting the panhard bar, just barely. switched to a 25mm bar and it was just enough to clear.

ttocs · Aug 13, 2018

I am not so sure how much I need to move it but I was going to try and move the mounting holes an inch to move the bar forward an inch. With the way the back of the tank is shaped at a 45 hopefully it will be enough. I looked at the metal I need to add to it to make sure it will be strong enough and its only $20 for a 1/4" thick piece of steel which matches the original thickness so strength should not be an issue. If something goes wrong then I will try another brand

SnakeBit! · Aug 13, 2018

if you have aftermarket lower control arms, then that may have shifted it back more also.

ttocs · Aug 13, 2018

I do have ridetech lowers, not sure if that moved it or not but I had not thought about it. It would not be a problem on 98% of the mustangs out there and I am willing to bet the easy way to take it off was done more often then not when it was. When I was looking at putting an external fuel pump there the pics I saw didn't show the bar there.

white95 · Aug 13, 2018

What about MM’s adjustable bar?

SnakeBit! · Aug 13, 2018

ttocs said:
I do have ridetech lowers, not sure if that moved it or not but I had not thought about it. It would not be a problem on 98% of the mustangs out there and I am willing to bet the easy way to take it off was done more often then not when it was. When I was looking at putting an external fuel pump there the pics I saw didn't show the bar there.

yea, I suspect maybe that it mounts it abit more rearward. I had that with my steeda's I have on my car. the rear bar I had was a steeda rear 27mm and it is tapped for the mounting bolts. don't know if the steeda sway bar had the mounting points in a different relationship or not to the stock one but since it was tapped, I wasn't going to mess with it. I was trying to stay with the stock size of 27mm as mine, like many, had broken.

when the steeda bar was hitting my panhard bar, the only solutions I really had was to re-drill the mounting holes in the control arms or put on a smaller bar. for simplicity, I had a 25mm bar so just did that. it barely clears but does.

g36 monkey · Aug 14, 2018

I was thinking the MM weld in or just the regular adjustable one might be the real ticket here

ttocs · Aug 14, 2018

I think I found one or two aftermarket versions that would work but at the moment I am trying to make the combination I have now work. I got some 1/4" thick steel and cut it to size and did some minor bending on it so that it was flat against the stock bar and welded it on. Tomorrow I am going to drill the holes about an inch back to bring the bar forward a little bit. Its as far as I can move it before the bolt would go through the pipe part of the bar. Hopefully its enough and if not then I will look at other options.

SnakeBit! · Aug 16, 2018

did it work?

ttocs · Aug 17, 2018

I could not find any regular steel 1/4" thick locally so I had to go with 1/4" stainless. Thankfully I just got that big mofo vice as the former little one would not have put up with the beating this one got. You can hardly tell but to get the stainless to mate up with the mounting point nice took just a couple gentle bends but those gentle bends were me with a 15 lb sledge banging on it. So yesterday I was going to drill the holes, no big deal.... 4 hrs later after a trip to the hardware store for a new drill bit and I finally had the holes drilled. I put a coat of primer/paint on it to protect the welds and finally got it mounted today.

I am not a pro welder and this is the first time working with metal this thick. I had to get behind the compressor to get to the 220v outlet to plug the welder in for high power and the next day I realized I had a light flash burn on my left arm from it. I was only comfortable moving the holes back 1/2" or so because of the shape of the back of the passenger side bent away from the mounting point further then I liked. It still bumps the tank a bit but it did go down a little more. I think if I make the holes into slots I can gain another 1/8-1/4" but that will be for another day.

OLD H2S · Aug 17, 2018

The welds look good. Always heat the weld area with a propane torch before MIG welding, because it is a cold start system and your welds will come out perfect. Always cover up, you have a radiation burn on your arm and they do accumulate. I watch a lot of car shows and they all TIG and MIG in tee shirts??? I have permeant damage on my chest from looking up while welding and my helmets expose the top of my shirts.