Aftermarket Sway Bar

ndotym

New Member
Aug 5, 2003
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los angeles
I have a Sway bar question, I read some of the post's with adding a gt bar in the rear, that surfice for awhile, I'm in search for better handling, anyone running aftermarket swaybars larger than the GT's and if so 1. What company sells them and 2. what results did you get. any help would be appriciated. Thanks.
 
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The GT swaybar will be enough for 99% of street-driven cars. I'm running the Bullitt swaybar, which is (if I remember correctly) 28.5mm vs. 27mm for the GT. Stiffness and tortional rigidity increase exponentially with diameter, so the Bullitt bar is a lot stiffer than the GT bar even though it's just a little bigger. I would guess that most of the aftermarket bars are similar, but some of them are adjustable if you want that for racing.

Having some kind of swaybar back there is the most important thing. I noticed much better handling, flatter cornering, and much more controlled axle movements. Ford deleted the rear swaybar from the V6 for cost and weight savings, which made the car handle like crap. Adding anything at all back there will be a huge improvement.
 
Skymarshal said:
Having some kind of swaybar back there is the most important thing. I noticed much better handling, flatter cornering, and much more controlled axle movements. Ford deleted the rear swaybar from the V6 for cost and weight savings, which made the car handle like crap. Adding anything at all back there will be a huge improvement.

I was just having this convo with my boyfriend last night.

Brand new '04 V6 Premium; just picked it up Saturday - I haven't got the slip handy on my equipment, but I don't think I have a sway bar. The swaying is the most noticable thing in respect to the handling that I don't like about the ride. Everything else seems perfect. So, are most people putting sway bars on thier V6's then? Is the bar negatively affecting your ride at all? I drive a lot of hills and back roads, and I know I still have to get more used to the handling, but the definite yaw of the body around turns and over bumps bothers me a bit.

-shira
 
shira_uma said:
I was just having this convo with my boyfriend last night.

Brand new '04 V6 Premium; just picked it up Saturday - I haven't got the slip handy on my equipment, but I don't think I have a sway bar. The swaying is the most noticable thing in respect to the handling that I don't like about the ride. Everything else seems perfect. So, are most people putting sway bars on thier V6's then? Is the bar negatively affecting your ride at all? I drive a lot of hills and back roads, and I know I still have to get more used to the handling, but the definite yaw of the body around turns and over bumps bothers me a bit.

-shira
As far as I know, all V6's came with sway bars. The people adding them are just upgrading. So if you dont have one, then someone took it off.
 
Tru_Blue_104 said:
As far as I know, all V6's came with sway bars.
I guess I'm a little confused then, as I'm just learning all about these cars, and also that the poster above you stated that the sway bars were removed from the V6 cars to save money.

My car has the "traction control" package that was offered by Ford as an add-on, on the V6 cars. Forgive my ignorance as I learn these things but, I don't exactly know "what" the add-ons are. A sway bar, then? Or something else?

And would this mean then, that since the car does still swim around a bit, I could get rid of that feeling even more by upgrading to a GT or a stiffer aftermarket bar?

[EDIT] And I think I just answered some of my own questions in regard to the traction control and how it works. I need to check my car and see if I have a sway bar or not, and upgrade from there, I think.

-shira
 
^ Yeah you can get rid of that wishy washy body roll nonsence by doing rear-sway bars, but I would go with aftermarket ones... not stock GT ones, since I think that they pretty much won't help out too much with what you want. You can also try a rear chassis brace, Subframe connectors, maybe even lowering it a little may help out a bit to. :D

...If you need links to sites just ask and someone will post them up.
 
I think all SN94 V6s were shipped without rear sway bars.

Shira_uma-

Get down and look under the back of your car. The rear sway bar will be a 1" diameter metal rod with some bends in it running just below your axle. I doubt if you have one, since I think all V6s were given the "sway bar delete" by Ford.

You can add one yourself very easily. It's a simple 10-minute installation. The GT bars are easiest and cheapest to get, and are all 99% of drivers will need. They should come with the necessary nuts and bolts, but if they don't, you can buy what you need at Home Depot. (make sure you buy Grade 8 hardware- it's the strongest you can get)
 
i have a 94 sixer and my car came with a sway bar. i dont know if it was optioned on or not (my grandma from whom i bought the car just picked it off the lot) but my G/F who has a 98 v6 with the 16" wheels doesnt have one.

driving both cars...my car feels much better in the curves than her car does. i highly recommend a sway bar to anybody who want to improve handling
 
mustang50v8 said:
i have a 94 sixer and my car came with a sway bar. i dont know if it was optioned on or not (my grandma from whom i bought the car just picked it off the lot) but my G/F who has a 98 v6 with the 16" wheels doesnt have one.

driving both cars...my car feels much better in the curves than her car does. i highly recommend a sway bar to anybody who want to improve handling
Yeah, mine came with a rear one too. I thought all the 6's did...
 
Ford stop installing the rear bar as of 97, options are a junk yard replacement from a thunderbird or a GT..I purchased a set from Dugan Racing and what a difference from the stock bars...I had tried the Gt front and a Steeda rear replacement bar but had to much oversteer....now that I have a match set all is good.
 
I did not uderstand the response, I switch bars because of the type of usage for my car hence 34% track and the balance on the street, Steeda would not sell the rear replacement bar if was not compatible, a liability issue dont you think?