Front and rear sway bars are key components for improved handling and better stability for all cars. Unfortunately, many cars aren't equipped with rear sway bars at all, including nearly all vintage Mustangs. Only high-performance versions, such as the '70 Boss 302, came with rear bars. In addition, the front ones are often quite small and not very effective.
This how-to fixes all these issues in one fell swoop. Marlo's Frame and Alignment added a rear sway bar and a considerably larger front one, both manufactured by Traction Master, to Natasha Lee's '65 Mustang coupe. She reports huge improvements in overall handling prowess and over-the-road stability. For something as basic as these two relatively easy bolt-on pieces, the difference is dramatic. As a true enthusiast and the proprietor of Mustangmadam .com, Natasha drives her '65 often and had a clear idea about her Mustang's lackluster handling abilities.
Shop techs Brian Clarke and Bill Hall had the bars installed in less than two hours. The procedure can also easily be done at home with a pair of safe jackstands and some basic handtools. The bars come with all needed hardware for installation, including polyurethane bushings.
The front bar is a direct...
The front bar is a direct replacement for the stock unit and is an easy swap. Figure less than an hour with the car on jackstands, using only a few sockets and wrenches.
The rear bar requires a little...
The rear bar requires a little bit more work, as two holes need to be drilled, but it's still no big deal. About an hour or so and you're ready to go.
We started with the rear bar...
We started with the rear bar by installing the endlinks over each end of the bar. About half an inch of the bar should protrude from the polyurethane bushing.
The bar's U-bolts need to...
The bar's U-bolts need to fit over the rear axle without crushing the brake lines. Every car will be different, but you might have to pry up the tabs on the axle that hold the brake lines in place so you can slightly bend the brake lines up for the bolts to fit underneath the lines.
As shown here, run the U-bolts...
As shown here, run the U-bolts under the brake lines. The line can be easily bent slightly for the bolts to fit underneath. If desired, you can also tap the brake line back down in place over the bolts once the bar is installed.
Begin assembly of the rear...
Begin assembly of the rear bar by placing the supplied bushing grease on the bar, then install the bushing followed by the sway bar bracket.
Loosely assemble the bar mounting...
Loosely assemble the bar mounting hardware on the axle by placing the clamp and clamp plate onto the U-bolt as shown.
The bar then goes onto the...
The bar then goes onto the U-bolt by mating the sway bar bracket (over the clamp plate) to the U-bolt and securing it all into place with the supplied Nylock nuts and lock washers.
When both sides are assembled,...
When both sides are assembled, partially tighten the Nylock nuts.