After market rear sway bar install instructions question

Years ago I bought a aftermarket rear sway bar for my 72 the one with the u bolts.

I cannot find the instructions for it. I remember I had to drill holes for the upper mounts, anybody have a copy of the instruction?

I tried to find them online and cannot find anything like it.


Ah it was th ADDCO Sway bar set


Ok I managed to find the instructions finally

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/aco-678.pdf

If any body needs it

I just installed mine a couple of weeks ago, I'll look for the instructions.

I didn't find them... sorry

how do you feel the sway bar is doing?

I've heard people say its not worth it.

when i put it on the car to mock up about 7-8 years ago i did not like how it sat with the fuel line(hardline) i felt if i hit a pot hole with my car lowered it would bottom out and pop the hardline.

after that i took it off and put it in a box and forgot about it.

i thought maybe i should revisit it

Just tried to find my instructions but they are clearly gone. Best way would be a solid mock up to decide where you want to drill into the frame for the u-bolts. Its not too hard, as the mounts should sit right in front of the axle as close as possible. Here is the only picture I have, if you want more just ask.

Actually, my sway bar did not need holes drilled, as the 'U-bolts' fed up in through one hole, and back down through the other hole in the approximate location depicted by johndoe000's picture. Then a plate, the bushing mount, lock washer, and a nut sandwiched together on each part of the exposed U-bolt.

I got mine from Laurel Mountain Mustang as part of the Super Suspension Kit... so I have no idea who the actual manufacturer is.

On the kit I installed the swaybar mounts to the axle and the links mount to the frame. It went in pretty easy. I had to drill 4 holes for the u-bolts that mount the link brackets to the frame rail.

I do like the way the car handles so far... a BIG change with the 1-1/8 front, 3/4 rear and KYB GasAJust shocks. It is firmer feeling and much more responsive handling.

thanks for pics and stuff. I'll revisit things over the weekend and see how much is now in the way of a mockup.

well i did it.

I'm still a little worried about the fuel line, so i cut the bolt and tried to make more clearance, have to keep an eye on it.

Unless you're driving like the Duke Boys, I can't see the sway bar end coming up close enough to endanger the fuel line (I have the same set-up, and squished my rear suspension about as far as it'll go - under what I think would be 'normal' driving travel - I bounced it hard enough to bring the wheels off the ground about a good half inch, and it never got any closer than 2" to the fuel line. As well, the sway bar link vertically lines up directly under the frame rail, whereas the fuel line is on the outside of the fuel rail. I'm also assuming the axle doesn't move around laterally (side-to-side) more than an inch or so unless something is majorly wrong with the suspension.

Which means: I think it'll be just fine if you drive it like a car, and not a Jeep. rofl

It looks awesome, BTW... and very much like mine - all new and shiny and stuff. Of course, the rest of your car looks WAY better than mine though.

the way it sits on my car it is right in line with the fuel line, i checked it with a plumb. i switched to stainless steel lines and they sit different then stock more outwards as you can see in the photos. my concern is hitting a pot hole and having the car bottom out on the rubber bumpers, or going over a speed bump even slow, the car is lowered compared to stock and the rear leafs are 4 springs. I've had the car bottom out before coming off a nasty speed bump even at 5mph so I'm a little worried, before the bolt stuck up another 1.5" so i trimmed it down on both sides to match. also way back i did not feel comfortable drilling the frame rail. so between the rail and the fuel line, i boxed it.

after driving for a while now, i really wanted to see if it would improve the car, it always felt squirmy when i needed a moderate to heavy stop. for an emergency stop the car always tends to go to the right sideways with steering correction. I wanted to see if a rear sway would improve it. my front end is a little Ka Ka so my strut rods are not 100% even left to right.

It would be nice if the addco fit more like the competition rear sway bar. i mean i don't even like the way it is in line with the frame rails but lets see how it goes over time.

if i do see it smacking into important things i may have to remove it and seek a different type of sway bar.

how do you feel the sway bar is doing?

I've heard people say its not worth it.

when i put it on the car to mock up about 7-8 years ago i did not like how it sat with the fuel line(hardline) i felt if i hit a pot hole with my car lowered it would bottom out and pop the hardline.

after that i took it off and put it in a box and forgot about it.

i thought maybe i should revisit it

Click to expand...

I swapped the original front with 1 1/8" sway bar and added 3/4" rear sway bar and noticed improvement immediately -- moreso when taking entrance and exit ramps to interstate

Ok had my first drive with the rear sway bar.

the car felt more stable. the rear suspension felt a bit stiffer as well.

I gauge how stable the car feels by how fast i feel safe going down the road. Usually on the back roads i find the car is stable between 45 and 50mph. today i found myself traveling at 60mph with out a problem. turning i didn't feel a difference, there wasn't any weird new noises.

did some moderate braking and again the car felt more stable. I believe before the rear of the car was wobbling around when i stomped on the brake.

I hit a few pot holes the car didn't bottom out but i checked for contact when i got home and did not note anything.

well lets see when i put more driving time on the car.

This is a good thread, thanks for posting. I have a rear bar for my 69 Cougar, and did not get instructions with it. I never would have looked at summit to find them!