Joined
·
26 Posts
Today’s trivia question:
“Name a chassis that was offered the same model years with both the lower control arm -to- lower control arm setup (B-body) and the axle mounted bar with attaching links to the body (Panther)?”
“Hmm, the ’84-‘92 Fox chassis?”
”You are correct! Mustangs had the first setup and Mark VII’s used the second,”
“And the reason the Mustangs got the one that tends to overstress the arms and restricts suspension movement is?”
“That would be in the bu…uh, cost savings, Bob.”
“We have a winner!”
Note that Mark VII’s do not have any special body reinforcements to support the installation short of a set of tabs welded to the subframe to pick up the endlinks.
If anything the Ford setup should be safer, in that once an endlink breaks - the most likely failure mode - the bar ceases to function and goes along for the ride.
Conversely, if a B-car rear anti-swaybar system fails, then either the control arm has been compromised - which some may consider alarming - or one end of the bar is now hanging loose, just waiting to catch that raised manhole cover - which some may not.
It may just be me, but I like the idea of using the Panther bar. Thank you to those of you who spent the time to figure it out and share it with us.
And I already have a sedan rear bar on my wagon.
And no, it wasn’t forced to fit.
BTW - This Steeda kit includes the pieces that effectively add a Mark VII bar to supplement the Mustang bar.
http://www.steeda.com/products/adjustable_rear_swaybar.php
The photo should offer some insight into adding the Ford bar to a chassis that wasn’t so equipped.
- J
“Name a chassis that was offered the same model years with both the lower control arm -to- lower control arm setup (B-body) and the axle mounted bar with attaching links to the body (Panther)?”
“Hmm, the ’84-‘92 Fox chassis?”
”You are correct! Mustangs had the first setup and Mark VII’s used the second,”
“And the reason the Mustangs got the one that tends to overstress the arms and restricts suspension movement is?”
“That would be in the bu…uh, cost savings, Bob.”
“We have a winner!”
Note that Mark VII’s do not have any special body reinforcements to support the installation short of a set of tabs welded to the subframe to pick up the endlinks.
If anything the Ford setup should be safer, in that once an endlink breaks - the most likely failure mode - the bar ceases to function and goes along for the ride.
Conversely, if a B-car rear anti-swaybar system fails, then either the control arm has been compromised - which some may consider alarming - or one end of the bar is now hanging loose, just waiting to catch that raised manhole cover - which some may not.
It may just be me, but I like the idea of using the Panther bar. Thank you to those of you who spent the time to figure it out and share it with us.
And I already have a sedan rear bar on my wagon.
And no, it wasn’t forced to fit.
BTW - This Steeda kit includes the pieces that effectively add a Mark VII bar to supplement the Mustang bar.
http://www.steeda.com/products/adjustable_rear_swaybar.php
The photo should offer some insight into adding the Ford bar to a chassis that wasn’t so equipped.
- J
