Rear sway bar

[Deleted User]

Has anyone attempted to put an antisway bar into a stock rear suspension system of a stepdown. Not the panhard bar but an actual sway bar side to side.

Thanks

lsfirth

I guess this doesn't sound like a common thing to do :-)



I wish I could say I have, but I can't. I have installed a rear swaybar on my 65 mustang some time ago. It has leaf springs too, so I think it would be really easy actually. I would think if you measured the distance between the leaf springs and identified a location on the frame where you could mount the standoffs for the ends of the sway bar, you should be able to call Speedway or any number of hot rod supply houses and they could pull one off the shelf that would work. I think they're pretty generic in nature. Oh yeah....you would probably need to axle tube diameter since the swaybar attaches to the axle tube with a couple of u-bolts and poly bushings.



If you'd like me to take a picture of the general arrangement on my mustang, let me know.



Lee

Ol racer

FYI



I have installed small mid '80's Bronco anti - Sway Bars from Salvage Yards on the rear of my '37 and '47 Hudsons, one along with a Stepdown rear end. They handle like a Trans Am... It U- Bolts around the Housing then requires fabricating a mount on each side up on the crossmember forward of the Carrier. One Sway bar I had to heat and bend in one arm slightly while the other two required no adjustment. (Perhaps the one Bar was from a different Yr Bronco). Dont use a Bar from a Pickup though because its too wide and too large a Dia..

[Deleted User]

Ol racer wrote:

FYI



I have installed small mid '80's Bronco anti - Sway Bars from Salvage Yards on the rear of my '37 and '47 Hudsons, one along with a Stepdown rear end. They handle like a Trans Am... It U- Bolts around the Housing then requires fabricating a mount on each side up on the crossmember forward of the Carrier. One Sway bar I had to heat and bend in one arm slightly while the other two required no adjustment. (Perhaps the one Bar was from a different Yr Bronco). Dont use a Bar from a Pickup though because its too wide and too large a Dia..

Ol Racer



Is the anti sway bar from a Bronco II? Did you use the stock links?



Thanks

Kevin C.

Ol racer

Kevin,

I use the Bronco 11 rear sway Bar, Links, 2 connecting U Bolts, bushings, & brackets. I pay about $30 for each Assy. (I ask them to unscrew the U Bolts if poss)



I weld a pc of small channel from the crossmember (forward of the Axles) 6 - 10" forward on each side to bolt on each Link End. The last sway Bar required bending in one arm a little to clear because the Rear Axle Tubes were unequal length. The Links are offset so you can swivel them around to attach different spots.



Keep in mind I put these Bar's under '37 & '47 Hudson's using a Stepdown Spicer Rear in one Hudson, so It should work under a Stepdown (depending where the crossmember is located). I dont have a stepdown close tonite to look but at worse case, might only require a little different attachment brkt



Take some measurements then look at the Bronco 11 Bar. I find them under the XL Models.

[Deleted User]

Perfect that is exactly where I have ended up seeing this type of install on some old Dodges with exact same bar .Nice to here you have it perfected.

Do you have any pictures perhaps?

Thanks Ray

Ol racer

FYI



I looked under my Stepdown and the crossmember is ahead of the axle about the same location as the '37 -'47, but its a made a little different. Brackets could be made to fasten the Links but Im putting these Bars on '37 & '47's to enhance their cornering, but dont think a Stepdown can corner much better than they already do with their low center of gravity design. Perhaps just installing a little larger front Bar might improve cornering a bit......



Anyway, nothing fancy to look at, but I been lowering my full Frame Hudson's 2" in rear and 3" in front then adding a Bronco rear anti sway Bar.

lsfirth

Ol racer wrote:

FYI



I looked under my Stepdown and the crossmember is ahead of the axle about the same location as the '37 -'47, but its a made a little different. Brackets could be made to fasten the Links but Im putting these Bars on '37 & '47's to enhance their cornering, but dont think a Stepdown can corner much better than they already do with their low center of gravity design. Perhaps just installing a little larger front Bar might improve cornering a bit......



Anyway, nothing fancy to look at, but I been lowering my full Frame Hudson's 2" in rear and 3" in front then adding a Bronco rear anti sway Bar.

Great stuff....thank's for sharing Ol' racer!!!



Lee

Unknown

lsfirth wrote:

Great stuff....thank's for sharing Ol' racer!!!



Lee

Ive been wanting to add a rear sway bar to my Hornet, that looks like the setup- Thanks from me also , "Ol'racer" your sure are a great source of imformation and ideas !!!!

Unknown

I went salvage yard shopping today , got a rear sway bar off a Bronco II and one off a 90s Explorer , I mounted the Explorer bar on my Hornet, think it will fit pretty good. I used the Bronco II axle hardware, its welded on the Explorer. there will be minor modification to the shock area and I'm using older Ford PU shocks too

lsfirth

Looks good stateline!! Looks like some pretty tight clearance around the shock!!! Is the middle top of the bar higher than the rear-end? It also looks like you were able to use the upper shock mount bolt to mount the upper end of the "stand-offs". Nice work!!



Lee

Lee ODell

Ol racer made a good point about adding a larger front anti-sway bar.



Something that has not been addressed is: that the front anti-sway bar should be larger the rear bar.



Even though the stepdown Hudson has a lower center of gravity than cars of its day, the center of gravity is higher than todays cars. Todays cars have pretty large anti-sway bars compared to cars of the 50's. A larger bar on the front will make a very big improvement in handling.



Adding a rear anti-sway bar without increasing the front anti-sway bar unbalances the suspension. For example: When I added larger bars to one of my cars, I added the rear bar first and then road tested to feel what would happen. On hard cornerling the front suspension continued to lean. The result was that the front suspension allowed the whole car to lean which caused the inside tire to lift off the ground. The rear anti-sway bar was actually lifting the rear end up as the car leaned into the corner. After adding the larger front anti-sway bar the suspension system was now back in balance and the car cornered like a go cart and all four tires stayed on the ground.



The larger anti-sway bar should always be added to the front first. In many cases just adding a larger anti-sway bar to the front is all that is necessary. However, I believe the stepdown will benefit with larger front and rear anti-sway bars.



A friend of mine used to race an early Mustang GT 350. He actually went faster on the road course by removing the rear anti-sway bar he had installed. He told me the Mustangs a didn't need a rear ant-sway bar. Removing the rear anti-sway bar kept both rear tire on the track.



My son's 1989 Mustang handled awful. It drove like a boat on waves. I removed the front anti-sway bar and installed a larger bar from a salvaged highway patrol car. Almost twice the diameter. No other changes were made and the car handled great after that, even with worn out struts and shocks.



My point is:

1. Alway add a larger ant-sway bar to the front suspension first.

2. If adding front and rear bars, the front bar should be larger than the rear.



By the way what is the diameter of the bronco 11 rear anti-sway bar? And what is the diameter of a stepdown front anti-sway bar?



I hope this information is helpful.



Lee

[Deleted User]

Lee O'Dell wrote:

Ol racer made a good point about adding a larger front anti-sway bar.



My point is:

1. Alway add a larger ant-sway bar to the front suspension first.

2. If adding front and rear bars, the front bar should be larger than the rear.



By the way what is the diameter of the bronco 11 rear anti-sway bar? And what is the diameter of a stepdown front anti-sway bar?



I hope this information is helpful.



Lee

Excellent information! (Thanks for reminding me)



I had a '72 Nova that rocked and rolled around corners. Replaced the 3/4" stock front bar with a 1" bar and added a 3/4" rear bar and it went around corners like it was on rails! (the radials helped too...:D)



The front sway bar on my'39 112 appears to be 3/4" (it has 2 coats of paint, so it might be 11/16")



Ol Racer,



Do you have a front sway bar on the '37 and if so, what is the diameter?



Thanks



Kevin C.

lsfirth

I wonder if the stepdowns are a little more sensitive to rear sway bars since the rear is so narrow due to the perimeter frame?? It would be interesting to hear if you had a good-sized bar in the front if a rear bar made things better or worse?? Thanks for all the info guys!!



Lee

Ol racer

Kevin C. wrote:

Excellent information! (Thanks for reminding me)



I had a '72 Nova that rocked and rolled around corners. Replaced the 3/4" stock front bar with a 1" bar and added a 3/4" rear bar and it went around corners like it was on rails! (the radials helped too...:D)



The front sway bar on my'39 112 appears to be 3/4" (it has 2 coats of paint, so it might be 11/16")



Ol Racer,



Do you have a front sway bar on the '37 and if so, what is the diameter?



Thanks



Kevin C.

I have the stock '37 Straight Axle 7/8" Sway Bar (with modified 'Links'), and a 7/8" Bronco11 rear sway Bar and it handles well. I do agree with Lee to try a larger front Bar first, and ideally, the front should be the larger Bar.