Rear Sway Bar Question

mrsbojigger

I'm getting closer to getting some wheels under my stepdown and wondering if I should keep the original sway bar that is a one bar cross link or should I install a new C-shaped sway bar similar to what is on the front suspension.

I will be keeping the original rear springs and shock setup mated to a '78 Granada rear end with late model drive train and Camaro front clip.

Any experience or ideas in this area? I will not be using it in the Baja Road Races, just want a good comfortable and safe ride.

Peace,
Chaz

rambos_ride

Hi Chaz,

I'm not sure how an anti-sway bar would work with the splayed mounted rear springs. Mostly I've only seen anti-sway bars used with coil sping suspensions. Ladder bars used with springs - those springs are straight mounted though not splayed.

With the leaf springs in the rear the pan-hard bar would need to be replaced with an adjustable one or modified if you are lowering the car because it keeps the axle centered.

[Deleted User]

Goog question Chaz. I'm not sure you'll really need one. When you say "cross link" are you referring to the panhard bar? I agree with Dan. Also, if you're running a good sway bar on the front, I think you should be more than okay.

Unknown

Chaz, I am using a 9' ford with Poisey leaf springs, much like the original only a little softer. we used an after market panhard that is adjustable. The tires have very little clearance, maybe 1/2' before they touch the fender skirts. I have thrown it into some off ramps pretty hard and have yet to rub the tires.



The adjustable link is good, in that we have changed it a couple of times as we have changed the lowering blocks.



Some time ago someone posted on the front swaybar. The bar that comes with the fatman, Mustang II is not by any means a heavy duty looking bar, but it works great on my car. The car goes around a sharp corner like it is on rails.



I don't know whether the sway bar and panhard bar are mandatory, but I have them and like the way the car handles .

mrsbojigger

Ah yes, the panhard bar! I knew it was one of those technical names.
I saved the original panhard bar but the adjustable one sounds like a nice addition. Its better to attend to things like this now before everything is buttoned up with floors in place. I don't like welding in floors, cutting them out and then re-welding them back in place. Been there and done that!
Barry, do you remember which make of adjustable panhard bar you have?
Thanks guys and Peace,
Chaz
P.S. Got more work on the car today. I am trying to get the lower parts done before winter sets in.

Unknown

Chaz, I'm sorry, but I do not remember the manufacture of the Panhard bar.I believe we bought it from Parr in Oklahoma City. You really need to be able to adjust the link with the limited space in the back of these old stepdowns.

I don't know if i'll ever get the lowered stance I want. I am still bottoming out on the rubber stops when I encounter a big dip in the road, and I have raised it an inch. I went from 3' to 2' lowering blocks. I am afraid you all will experience the same problems.

Barry

rambos_ride

barry wrote:

Chaz, I'm sorry, but I do not remember the manufacture of the Panhard bar.I believe we bought it from Parr in Oklahoma City. You really need to be able to adjust the link with the limited space in the back of these old stepdowns.
I don't know if i'll ever get the lowered stance I want. I am still bottoming out on the rubber stops when I encounter a big dip in the road, and I have raised it an inch. I went from 3' to 2' lowering blocks. I am afraid you all will experience the same problems.
Barry

Hi Barry,

I forget - what have you done to the springs themselves? Are you still running the stock leaf springs or did you have new ones made?

mrsbojigger

stock springs with 2" lowering blocks.

rambos_ride

mrsbojigger wrote:

stock springs with 2" lowering blocks.

I'd be questioning the viability of a 50+ year old spring to have the spring rate that it should.

I'd think at worse one would could have a new set made with the same spring rate but a lower arc - then you could remove the lowering block and it shouldn't bottom out...unless you got a couple hundred extra pounds of weight in the backseat (like me)

You know this may sound dumb as well - but I've briefly thought about regular old air shocks maybe being an alternative...with an onboard compressor and a couple of switches and valves you could make a remote system to raise and lower the air shocks...

Unknown

barry wrote:

Chaz, I'm sorry, but I do not remember the manufacture of the Panhard bar.I believe we bought it from Parr in Oklahoma City. You really need to be able to adjust the link with the limited space in the back of these old stepdowns.

I don't know if i'll ever get the lowered stance I want. I am still bottoming out on the rubber stops when I encounter a big dip in the road, and I have raised it an inch. I went from 3' to 2' lowering blocks. I am afraid you all will experience the same problems.

Barry

Is the bottoming out with just you in the car, or have you had passengers in the back when it bottoms out?



I bought a 2" kit that I was going to install this weekend. About 50% of the time I go anywhere I have at least one person in the back, and would hate to waste the time of removing it later. Dropping one inch hardly seems worth the effort, but then again who wants a stinkbug? I've already lowered the front.

Terry

[Deleted User]

Hey guys! I've been looking at the rear end issue and lowering and have come to the conclusion that the only way for me to get the very low stance I want and be able to have anyone else in the car, is to C-notch the rear frame. There is just no room for up and down movement once the car is lowered (like w/ 2" blocks). I think you end up crawling everywhere and being afraid to put anybody in the back seat.

Hence, I think if you want an extreme low stance, you've got to do the c-notch. I have looked and looked, but I see no other option.

I noted on another thread that the latest Custom Rodder mag has an article on Airride's generic 4 link set-up and install on a lowered Cheiftain with a c-notch. If you're patient, it doesn't look that difficult.

Just my observation.

Jay

Unknown

Chaz, reference rear springs. If i were doing it over, I would try the stock springs with 2' lowering blocks. I want to see how you get along with the ride and the stance. The Posies springs that I used are not that great. I may go back to the Original springs.



Barry

mrsbojigger

Well it is a low milage car with little abuse and it will be about the same weight when finished so from all the side view photos and calculations I took before disassembling it I think that 2" blockswill be just about right. I DO NOT want a "low rider" just low enough to look cooler than the stock Hudson and not scrape the bumpers going into driveways. I am using our Ford Taurus as a model for how low I want the car.
I am going with the adjustable Panhard bar from Parr. I'll put the money into this adjustable panhard bar rather than the springs at this time since there is welding involved on the bar but the springs can be changed out later with just a matter of unbolting and bolting back in place the new ones.
Peace,
Chaz

Unknown

here you go. replace your springs with a better spring rate, new springs. Then get a hold of PARR or look on JEGS.com and get an adjustable panhard bar.

You can beef it up even more buy getting the bilstien auto adjust shocks.





this will do a number of things for you.





panhard. your rear end will stay were its spossed to when hit the corners hard.



the springs will make the flex from ride hieght to bottom out stiffer. It will also make it harder for you to hit things on the rear bottom of your car when going over speed bumps (from the 2 inch block you used.



the updated shocks are dual action self stiffining. They are self adjusting. hard your supension travels the more shock they absorb.



Definitely dont use the stock (50 plus year old ) springs. please for the love of the engine god.... you'll shoot your eye out.... lol