[Rob]

I noticed on mn12performance.com that the '94 v-6 bird has a thicker rear sway bar, but the same front sway bar as a '94 v-8. I drove the v-6 today and noticed that it handles EXTREMELY well. So does my friends '89 v-6. I was just curious what the consequences are of putting a thicker sway bar on the rear of a v-8 but keeping the front the stock size. Thanks!
-Rob

 

[Kevin]

I dunno, but the V6 SC bar from 1989 helps out my 92 V8 XR7 a bit !

My stock bar was .94" on the back, and the SC was 1.10" - but it seems a bit more steady in corners. I know that an Addco would improve that yet, but this bar was Free !

As per consequences - a thicker rear bar will keep the back end from 'coming around' when in a hard turn. Sounds like a good thing to me!

Kevin.

 

[Rob]

what do you mean by "coming around"?

What do you mean by "coming around?" SOrry for the dumb question. Also how will the thicker swaybar make the car feel on gravel
thanks
-Rob

 

[GreenBird]

He means it will reduce oversteer.

look in the tech articles, it lists all the stock bar sizes. The rear is easy to do, but if your going to do the front (A REAL *****), go with an ADDCO bar.

 

[Dan]

Unless its a SC Sway bar, the V6 is not going to improve your performance at all.
The N/A V6 bar is hollow, and the other bars are Solid.
Keep the V8 bar unless you're pulling it from a SC.

 

[Kevin]

Some good reading for ya : http://www.tccoa.com/articles/suspension/index.html#

Swaybars ONLY work when there are forces exerted in a sideways motion, never in a straight line (unless you're drag racing and the back end hunkers down and the front picks up ), and not even when traveling over bumps.

ONLY when you're cornering does a swaybar affect how the car handles. A thicker bar has less ability/tendancy to twist with the forces from one side transfering to the other (keeping the car flat), and keeps the car flatter in corners. IMHO - the thicker the better!

Shouldn't be too hard to find them used - I've sold my 89 SC bar for $25 and it's the thickest/solid bar available for all Birds/Cats, so that's the ones to look for.

Kevin.

 

[AverageJoe]

...it's the thickest/solid bar available for all Birds/Cats, so that's the ones to look for.

Kevin.

If a SC swaybar is 1.10", how is it the biggest swaybar available to the MN12? Whens' the last time you actualy looked at the ADDCO lineup? They have available all the way up to 1 3/8" for front AND back. 1.10" I THINK is 1 1/8" versus 1 3/8". Which do you think is bigger/beefier?

Just a heads up on misinformation...

http://www.tccoa.com/articles/suspension/addco/

 

[Blackkatt]

I think that MercCougarXR7 was refering to bars that came stock from ford, and not aftermarket.

 

[AverageJoe]

Alrighty, just adding my $.02 to the discussio and throwing the ADDCO info out there for anyone who reads this and is interested in swaybar upgrades.

 

[Kevin]

Yep Joe, I was refering to the stock bar - my mistake for the bad info.