Sway Bar - Issues

[ozbird]

Hi All,

I have attached some images of my swaybar which does not fit my 62 tbird. I purchased it from Tbird Headquarters but not worth returning it since I'm in Australia.

I was able to fit it but the front 'bar' hits on the two crossmembers each side and the 'arms' are too long and the connectors to the control arms are on an angle. Turned it upside down and it fouls the harmonic balance, even at rest.

Looking at these images, would anyone have an idea of what model tbird it might fit, have been waiting for a response from tbird HQ but no action there? If I can figure out what it might fit I can sell it locally and get another sway bar made here.

Thanks Graeme

[TsNStangs]

Strangely enough, it looks exactly like the '61-'63 bar shown in the Larry's catalog...(which is obviously different from the other years' versions).

[car guy]

Mine just arrived from Bird Nest last night, if I get a chance to pull them out of the box today I'll look at them and snap some pictures for you, if they're any different than that one.

[texastomeh]

OZBIRD and CAR GUY,

Are those "standard/OEM" sway bars or are they the "Heavy Duty"?

thanx

texastomeh

[t_birder]

Hey there Oz,
I don't know that it helps at all but here's a picture of the one I put on my 63 compared to the stock one. It's on the car now and it fits just fine.
The arms on mine are about 9.5" from the center of the eye to the center of the bend.
And remember that when you set the car down on the ground, the sway bar rotates away from your harmonic balancer.
Clint

[texastomeh]

t-birder,

Looks like you answered MY question with your picture!

That is definitely the HEAVY DUTY Bar. THAT is the one that I plan to put on my '63HT. Where did you get it?

thanx,

texastomeh

[ozbird]

Thanks for the images, I will go and measure it up again - that thing is so heavy it's no joy lifting it up single handed.

Size is 1 1/8" and I think it is all US solid steel?

I got mine from tbird headquarters but they can be got at any of the Thunderbird resellers.

cheers Graeme

[ozbird]

Seems like all is well now, I managed to centre the swaybar a little better and moved it back to miss the cross members some more.

Still only a paper thin gap on one side even after filing some of the rough edges off the body welds. I will need to road test it but looks a whole lot better now!

thanks again - Graeme

[TsNStangs]

...another happy ending. ::sigh::

[Alan H. Tast]

Installation of these can be tricky. Word of caution: IF you're lucky enough to still have the metal lower splash shield for your generator ('62) or alternator ('63) you'll need to fabricate a spacer to drop the pan down slightly, as when the stabilizer bar moves down as previously mentioned it WILL hit the splash pan unless there's enough room to clear it. They do help tremendously in terms of cornering and reducing body sway. I'm considering adding the rear to my '63 as body sway in cornering, i.e. Interstate cloverleafs, will rub my radial tires against the wheel arch lips.

[nbaum]

Rear sway bars, radial tires, Alan I thought that you were one of us pure ones!!

[60fore]

Norton, Alan just sent me a PM seeking input on his impending switch to fuel injection, 12 inch trunk-mounted subs and 20inch bling rims. ***



*** Early April Fool's joke

[nbaum]

I will admit to have been tempted by a few un-pure items. The one big thing I'am doing to my Landau is that I have discarded all the old tar paper and fiberglass insulation that is falling apart and replacing it with a Dynamat type sound proofer and a closed cell foam sound absorber. My car was stripped of all that before it was painted. The person who did the work retained all the pieces but they just fall apart when handled. I think I spent about $400 on the products to do the whole car. At least it won't be seen when the car is completed. The car came with a new set of radial tires so in the beginning I will run with them.
I guess I'am not as pure as I thought!

[bearclawjj]

Osbird, the sway bar by t-birder is not even close to yours..If I were you I would demand TB Headquarters ID the thing. Plus your bushing are the poly type..red in color............T-birders are black..

I'll be looking for a sway bar shortly......will need the polyurethane bushing like yours..but the correct one like T-birders. Will research it..before I buy thanks to you...

Bear.. advise.

[Alan H. Tast]

Norton, Alan just sent me a PM seeking input on his impending switch to fuel injection, 12 inch trunk-mounted subs and 20inch bling rims.

W T F ? "Wagon Wheels" with rubber band rim protectors, mega-speakers and fuel injection? To borrow a Valley Girl-eque phrase from the '80s, gag me with a spoon!

All kidding aside, if I consider a modification it needs to be reversible back to stock configuration, i.e. bolt-on. So far I've resisted the rear sway bar, dual master cylinder (doable with addition of a proportioning valve and replacing some hard lines), disc brakes ('65-'66 setup as long as I use '65-'66 15" wheels, unless there is another caliper than can be adapted with a bracket or ? that would also work with 14" wheels?), modern radio and stereo speakers (just use OEM-style plugs for the power/light/speaker connections).

I have done a stainless steel M-series 2" dual exhaust system, HD front sway bar, Pertronix Ignitor module and FlameThrower coil (but have not wired 12v direct from the ignition switch yet), quartz clock and, the biggest mod, added the "M"-series tripower (but not the C2SE-A heads, so if anyone has a pair for sale...). All of these items are reversible back to stock should I decide to put the car back to OEM specs. I do attempt to make as many items as inconspicuous as possible, i.e. finishes matching OEM (well, except for that darn chrome Flamethrower coil I had to use to replace the black-painted one that crapped out on my way to GoodGuys at Kansas Speedway Labor Day weekend '07). The one biggie still coming, which isn't really a modification, is throwing a set of true '63 K-H wires on it, whenever I can get ahold of some rim liners to keep the tubes off the spoke nipples.

Under the right circumstances I would (and do) entertain modifications, provided they are reversible, tasteful, improve the safety and reliability of the whole package. When they become outright trendy, gaudy, irreversible and "over the top," then that's a different story.