front swaybar
- Thread starter THX 138
- Start date
65 fastback
Founding Member
Cobra Automotive sells a 1-1/8" hollow front sway bar - http://www.cobraautomotive.com/ - That's the largest I'm aware of.
Tim
Tim
65 fastback
Founding Member
C0V3R said:
Yes, and CobraAutomotive specializes in vintage race set-ups. Their front sway bar is probably overkill for most cars, the standard 1" bar that most of the venders is probably the better bet for a street car.
Tim
I coudl pull out my Statics and Strengths of Materials book and find outC0V3R said:
I've calculated other diameters before and the differance between solid and hollow are negligable. Think of it this way. Torque = Force x distance. The distance of the matieral from the centerline is really small until you get to the outer edges of the diameter so the inner material doesn't exert as much torque as the other material. So with a little extra diatmeter you can be stiffer than a solid bar with a little smaller diameter.
70vert
New Member
actually, it's a hollow 1 1/4"
actually, it's a hollow 1 1/4" sway bar and supposedly feels like a solid 1 1/8". I have one on my '70 convertible with Unique Performance coilovers. I don't have any understeer problems, it's actually pretty neutral and nice and stiff up front. The guy I did the order with has a '69 fastback and uses the same front sway bar.
It's hard to find a consensus on swaybars, just what you can do to correct certain behaviors. The front sway certainly flattened out my ride and gave me less body roll up front, (it now feels like the rear is trying to twist the body out of plane, even with subframes
) but what exact behavior are you trying to correct?
I have a pet theory that convertibles need bigger sway bars to keep front and rear from body rolling relative to each other, and that they respond better to changes in sway bar because differences in body roll front and rear unsettle the convertible frame a little more . . . but you have a coupe, so not as big of an issue there . . .
65 fastback said:
actually, it's a hollow 1 1/4" sway bar and supposedly feels like a solid 1 1/8". I have one on my '70 convertible with Unique Performance coilovers. I don't have any understeer problems, it's actually pretty neutral and nice and stiff up front. The guy I did the order with has a '69 fastback and uses the same front sway bar.
It's hard to find a consensus on swaybars, just what you can do to correct certain behaviors. The front sway certainly flattened out my ride and gave me less body roll up front, (it now feels like the rear is trying to twist the body out of plane, even with subframes
) but what exact behavior are you trying to correct?I have a pet theory that convertibles need bigger sway bars to keep front and rear from body rolling relative to each other, and that they respond better to changes in sway bar because differences in body roll front and rear unsettle the convertible frame a little more . . . but you have a coupe, so not as big of an issue there . . .
well the whole car still feels a ittle squirly, and it follows the cracks on the ground a bit too much. I think that's called tracking? And it creaks and groans like crazy so maybe all the bushings are dried out or the shocks are dried out. I'm not sure. I was thinking of starting with new shocks then swaybar.70vert said:actually, it's a hollow 1 1/4" sway bar and supposedly feels like a solid 1 1/8". I have one on my '70 convertible with Unique Performance coilovers. I don't have any understeer problems, it's actually pretty neutral and nice and stiff up front. The guy I did the order with has a '69 fastback and uses the same front sway bar.
It's hard to find a consensus on swaybars, just what you can do to correct certain behaviors. The front sway certainly flattened out my ride and gave me less body roll up front, (it now feels like the rear is trying to twist the body out of plane, even with subframes
I have a pet theory that convertibles need bigger sway bars to keep front and rear from body rolling relative to each other, and that they respond better to changes in sway bar because differences in body roll front and rear unsettle the convertible frame a little more . . . but you have a coupe, so not as big of an issue there . . .
TOM B
20+ Year Stangneter 
70vert
New Member
new bushings, bump steer corrector, roller spring perch
From all the info I've seen here and on other forums, the best way to solve the tracking problem would be:
1) Baer Tracker or similar bump steer corrector
2) Roller spring perches to eliminate some of the bind in the front suspension
3) Alignment? but wait until you do the above mods.
Creaking and groaning:
1) Got an export brace or Monte Carlo bar? That should stiffen up the engine compartment and help cowl shake
2) Subframes. Will also help out the above, on a coupe I would go with the Maier Racing version, they connect at more points than competing designs but are also more spendy. If you're on the cheap, go Tin Man subframes.
3) Bushings might be causing creaking and groaning, or poly bushings that aren't lubed?
I generally feel that expensive suspension mods don't give you the full benefit unless you have a solid, stiff frame to go from. But the creaking and groaning is probably annoying you right now. I would do those 3 creaking and groaning mods in order before I spend money on the suspension, personally, unless it's just dangerous to drive.
And I definitely do NOT feel that a sway bar will help you at this point. Once things are solid and tracking right, if you have too much oversteer or understeer or the front end, rear, or both feels like there is too much bod roll, then go sway bar. Might also help to have a video of you doing something autocross-y in an empty parking lot so you can see how the car behaves when you throw it from side to side . . .
THX 138 said:
From all the info I've seen here and on other forums, the best way to solve the tracking problem would be:
1) Baer Tracker or similar bump steer corrector
2) Roller spring perches to eliminate some of the bind in the front suspension
3) Alignment? but wait until you do the above mods.
Creaking and groaning:
1) Got an export brace or Monte Carlo bar? That should stiffen up the engine compartment and help cowl shake
2) Subframes. Will also help out the above, on a coupe I would go with the Maier Racing version, they connect at more points than competing designs but are also more spendy. If you're on the cheap, go Tin Man subframes.
3) Bushings might be causing creaking and groaning, or poly bushings that aren't lubed?
I generally feel that expensive suspension mods don't give you the full benefit unless you have a solid, stiff frame to go from. But the creaking and groaning is probably annoying you right now. I would do those 3 creaking and groaning mods in order before I spend money on the suspension, personally, unless it's just dangerous to drive.
And I definitely do NOT feel that a sway bar will help you at this point. Once things are solid and tracking right, if you have too much oversteer or understeer or the front end, rear, or both feels like there is too much bod roll, then go sway bar. Might also help to have a video of you doing something autocross-y in an empty parking lot so you can see how the car behaves when you throw it from side to side . . .
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