I have a 55 fairlane with stock front sway bar/I would like to stiff it up/would I be better off to add a after market rear bar and keep stock front/ or replace the stock front with a after market bar and no bar on the rear/I know that after market on both ends would be the best way to go but Im trying to hold the cost down

I don't know what the aftermarket offers for your particular outfit - but I can offer this up.....If the rear axle roll stiffness of the vehicle becomes greater than the front, then it will become "tail happy" - loose at the limit of traction. The tail will want to come around. When driving a street car, "loose" is not fast (as per the "Days of Thunder"). The drifting cars that kids build these days have huge rear bars and skinny fronts to make this happen on purpose. Adding a rear bar that has slightly less roll stiffness than an existing front can increase the total roll stiffness of the car and give it a nice balance - hard to find the right match though if the original front bar is pretty skinny. 

Detroit has always errored on the side of making the front end "tight" at the traction limit - the front end "washes out" (or "pushes") in a hard turn. Increasing the front roll stiffness (alone) by using a bigger bar will keep the inside front tire in play a bit longer by resisting weight transfer to the outside tire - and the car will "transition" to its cornering attitude with much less "wallowing" around. In some cases it has been easy for guys to find used police car or station wagon front bars and it makes a cheap upgrade (they don't wear out).

I would suggest that you start with using the fatter front bar - and add an equal or smaller rear when the opportunity presents itself.  

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

wallowing is a good word for it/front bar is only 7/8 inch/Im not sure if it helps at all/do you know a company that makes a good bar for it?

[quote]paul2748 (8/9/2010)

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There is a company called ThunderbirdsSouthwest that carries front and rear sway bars for all kinds of Fords www.thunderbirdsouthwest.com 1--800-722-8697. I bought their sway bars for two cars and very happy with their service and product.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Most of the Tbird suppliers carry these. I put front/rear sway bars, KYB gas-adjust shocks, and with a set of Michelin Pilot 225/60-15s the handling was night and day different. ADDCO is the manufacturer if I remember correctly. I think the front diameter was an inch and 1/8 and the rear 7/8 inch.

57 Black Tbird 312/auto

check out



www.p-s-t.com



Performance suspension technology

As far as I know they have 1" sway bars but you will have to see if they have one for your car.



Loving my Y!

Kevin Walshe

Costa Mesa, California

If you can find a front bar from a 55 station wagon or sedan delivery (Courier) I think they were a bit bigger than the sedans.

Paul

When I bought a bigger bar for my T Bird the supplier limited the diameter because of the suspension design. I cannot remember the supplier or the diameter, it was smaller than I wanted. I put an inch and1/8 on my 69 Montego and it is perfect. Definately get good shocks and tires. I put KYBs and a heaver roll bar with repro tires on the bird and it feels good up to a point and then goes all gooey. Tires are the weak link but other bits are not far behind. Needs stiffer bushings in the front and rear suspension and a bigger bar. 

Thanks for all the info after calling around Im going with just a front 11/8 bar for now /the only place that has them is larrys thunderbird and t/b southwest/I also check with Quickor, addco, P-S-t