How much better?

[doc4444]

Hello All:

I am soliciting opinions on the benefits of a rear sway bar AND rear shock brace (for those who don't know it's like the strut tower brace but it goes in back). As you can see from the mods in my signature that I am not too much of a racer per se but I do love to be a corner carver on a good winding road. How much of a benefit do you think these mods would make?

Thanks for any responses. Pro's and cons are welcome.

 

[zincyellow03]

I installed my rear sway bar not to long ago, and it's great. You notice it right away.

 

[shira_uma]

I installed my rear sway bar not to long ago, and it's great. You notice it right away.

Hey, Zinc...

I actually got into this convo with one of the guys at (the dreaded) Midas, and we were looking under the car when it was on the lift, but got sidetracked and never finished the discussion - do you happen to know, does the 2004 V6 have a solid rear axle, or an independent one? The guy at the shop mentioned that if it was solid (I looked, and it "looked" solid to me, but then again, I don't actually know what an independent rear looks like), putting a sway bar on it wouldn't do anything, and that if I should do anything, it should be a strut tower brace (or something; I forget exactly what he said). I had wanted to do a sway bar when I first got the car as I was a little intimidated by the rock and sway that the rear exhibited sometimes (it felt REALLY different from the FWD car I had been driving for years), but I'm used to it now, and I wonder if it'll make much of a difference to do at this point. What, exactly, did you notice when you installed yours? I still find more practical info here with you guys than anything anyone else who is not driving one of these cars can give me, of course, so I'm gonna stop "discussing" my car with anyone else but you guys, lol!



-Lynn.

Eeek... is it OK that I asked that here? Getting kinda techy, but the topic was already started.

 

[zincyellow03]

I think it it's rear. I don't think it's true what he was saying about the sway bar. I noticed a huge difference when I putted it on. It even had the holes for a sway bar on there but Ford got cheap and took them off the mustang. Maybe he was saying that the strut brace would make a bigger impact than the sway bar?

 

[TMX]

The rear axle is considered a Live rear axle for a 2004 V6, not an independant. A strut tower brace holds the frame tightly together to prevent slight deviations in the body to make the car grip better, but on the car, the front is all that has struts, the rear uses shocks, hence why it's called the shock brace. A sway bar counter-acts the rolling forces of a car in a turn by keeping the car to the ground. When you turn sharply, the outside part of the car in comparison to the turn begins to move downward, and in extreme cases the inside will raise up. The sway bar prevents this and maintains a level ride lowering the roll. They will help on ANY vehicle. Plus on RWD cars, the rear can slide out easier, but you can maintain control if you know howto drive it. Plus looking at the way the cars are driven, it will feel MUCH different.

 

[zincyellow03]

TMX explains all

 

[Skymarshal]

If a shop can't tell the difference between a live axle and independant rear suspension............don't go back to that shop!

It's easy to tell. A live axle has one continuous piece of metal between the rear wheels, and the whole thing moves up and down. The independant suspension has a center diff that is rigidly attached to the body, with halfshafts (two u-joints and a tube) that go out to the wheels.

A shock brace is only useful on independant rear suspension, since only the independant suspension applies the kind of forces to the shock towers that can twist the unibody in hard cornering.
Definitely get a sway bar though! Even if you get the stock GT bar, you'll notice not only more stable cornering, you'll notice that a lot of the live axle twitchiness is gone, since the sway bar will help keep the control arms together. Run, don't walk, and get yourself a rear sway bar! It's pretty much self-explanitory where it mounts- just be sure to use either factory hardware or good Grade 8 stuff from the hardware store.

 

[zincyellow03]

you'll notice that a lot of the live axle twitchiness is gone, since the sway bar will help keep the control arms together.

That's what I wanted to say but couldn't get it out right. Trust me, it's worth it Next time when your driving and your switching lanes, notice how your rear end kinda slightly moves. You notice it more when your make a sharp turn and then straigtening out.