Rear Sway Bar? Needed?

Grandmaster · Jun 2, 2004

I just installed the suspension components in my sig and while i was at it i removed my front and rear sway bars. The car drives fine in my oppinion. Does the rear sway bar really do much anyways? Seemed like a pretty wimpy piece, so i just took it off without much thought. Not much weight savings but every little bit counts. Unsprung to so...
What's everyone's oppionions on em? Needed? No? Purpose?
-GM

v8only · Jun 2, 2004

you're kidding right???

the sway bars....both of them are an integral component of the suspension for mustangs. Expect your car to corner like ass without them. Ford doesn't get into the habit of putting 20 pounds of useless junk on their cars....weight effects the cafe standards etc etc.

Sorry about the negative tone, the sway bar is definetly a piece you do not want to remove, unless of course you don't drive a lot on the street.

92Frankenstein · Jun 2, 2004

To get a better understanding, take the sway bars off of a minivan and go do some high speed cornering

Let us know how it goes! haha..

Just giving you **** man...

SlowGT · Jun 2, 2004

It's not a matter of whether it needs to be there or not. It's a matter of how well you can handle the car without it. I'd guess by your other suspension mods that you're not too interested in cornering capabilities. I haven't had mine on for quite some time. It's a different feel at first, but you'll get used to it. After you get used to it, then you'll start to figure out how hard you can push it through the corners.

Grandmaster · Jun 2, 2004

Hmm.... I drove it around a good bit already and it feels fine to me. I can see where it would be a problem if i was cutting donuts or trying to zoom around corners, but for ordinary driving...i dont see a problem. Thanks for the replies though. So cornering is the only thing it has much to do with?
-GM

drgn5.0 · Jun 2, 2004

my car feels better with the front off, transfers weight better when taking off/launching. the rear will probably come off when my jegster/southside bars go on.

JJM_Stanger · Jun 2, 2004

It matters what suspension mods you have, I have a MM kit and with the Panhard bar I have to have the rear sway bar removed, still corners great.

89MustangGX · Jun 2, 2004

The rear sway bar will help you. I questioned the need of having one when I decided I didn't want an aftermarket piece at this point and I was looking at control arms that didn't have the factory mounts. Doing alot of research set me straight on that one.

The rear sway bar will help keep the rear end square and planted on launches. It does make a difference.

90mustangGT · Jun 2, 2004

89MustangGX said:
The rear sway bar will help you. I questioned the need of having one when I decided I didn't want an aftermarket piece at this point and I was looking at control arms that didn't have the factory mounts. Doing alot of research set me straight on that one.

The rear sway bar will help keep the rear end square and planted on launches. It does make a difference.

A swaybar's purpose is to transfer load from one side of the suspension to the other.

89MustangGX has it right. That is why drag suspension setups carry a rear anti-roll bar, which does the same thing but is rigid and doesn't bent. A swaybar is like what comes on the car can bend, it's like a straight spring. You want the rear to plant straight to put the load equally on the two rear wheels. Removal of the front allows for better weight transfer, but the car will sway in the corners.

_jb_ · Jun 2, 2004

I was thinking about taking my front sway bar off because it rubs on the crossmember (I think that's what it's called). But I'll just keep it on I guess.

89MustangGX · Jun 2, 2004

90mustangGT said:
89MustangGX has it right. That is why drag suspension setups carry a rear anti-roll bar, which does the same thing but is rigid and doesn't bent. A swaybar is like what comes on the car can bend, it's like a straight spring. You want the rear to plant straight to put the load equally on the two rear wheels. Removal of the front allows for better weight transfer, but the car will sway in the corners.

Just want to add this little piece: I'm not sure how much different yours will be without the swaybar, but with my setup now (aftermarket upper and lower control arms, rear sway bar, chassis stiffening, no front sway bar), I can jack up the left front corner of the car -- like to simulate a launch, which takes quite a bit since there is no front sway bar. With the left front corner high in the air, the body is straight (thanks to stiffening), but is angled quite a bit -- low in back right, high in back left, however the rear end is squarely evenly planted and straight. It does not move up at all.

You can try that with your car before you put the bar back on -- see if it acts the same. I have a feeling without the bar you will see the left rear tire start to unload as you jack it up -- which would be losing traction.

That's basically what the theory would be, I never tried without the bar.

Just something to try...

90mustangGT · Jun 2, 2004

That was about the best explanation 89GX! There are other forces that go on durring a launch so I don't think a jack could simulate very accuratly, but it does explain what happens with the front sway bar.

89MustangGX · Jun 2, 2004

90mustangGT said:
That was about the best explanation 89GX! There are other forces that go on durring a launch so I don't think a jack could simulate very accuratly, but it does explain what happens with the front sway bar.

I agree -- but it's the best I could do in my garage.

Rear Sway Bar? Needed?

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