47-55.1 Shortening a sway bar?

[mobileortho]

I cannot find a sway bar that works on my mustang ifs. I have two, one came with the kit I purchased a few years back and I recently bought another one that was supposedly for the AD. Eye to eye, they’re measuring 43.75”. The mounting points on the control arms are 39.75”, both are 4” too long.

Unless someone can’t suggest another one, I’m considering trying to shorten one of them. I’ve heard both sides of the argument, some say that rodders have been doing it for years. Others say the heat from welding ruins the heat treatment, turning it into just a steel rod. But I can across these two videos that look promising:

https://youtu.be/ECiJB3CtLyc

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZCUF-LfxYLo&feature=share

[mongocanfly]

i know theyre definitely pricy, but they make a kit that uses a main shaft thats splined on each end similar to a axle , then there are arms that fit over the splines..
you might get lucky with the cut and weld method though

[Tempest67]

can you drill a hole in the lower control arms 2 inches farther out?

[jweb]

I welded on mounts similar to these to mount my front sway bar
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Heidt...RoCNP4QAvD_BwE

[jwhotrod]

Paul Hortons welders series has a cut to length swaybar kit that is splined on one end and the other end is cut to length and weld together. that way you can still diassemble the bar. i put one on the front of my 55 frame.

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by jweb

I welded on mounts similar to these to mount my front sway bar
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Heidt...RoCNP4QAvD_BwE

I was just looking at those. I think it’ll be easier to do that than instead of shortening the bar.

[jweb]

As long as your sway bar has this style of ends/ end links. Those should work.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Heidt...BoCMwkQAvD_BwE

[mobileortho]

The bar is identical. I also see that CCP sells mounts that work with heim joints.

[72Mountaineer]

I recently came across the same problem, I tried mounting my sway bar on my 53 3100, but it was too long. I contacted CPP, where I bought the Mustang II kit about 10 years ago, and they said to just shorten it. The bar was threaded for heim joints about 1 1/2 inches deep into the bar so I sawed some off, a little at a time, until it was much better. Is yours the same type?

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by 72Mountaineer

I recently came across the same problem, I tried mounting my sway bar on my 53 3100, but it was too long. I contacted CPP, where I bought the Mustang II kit about 10 years ago, and they said to just shorten it. The bar was threaded for heim joints about 1 1/2 inches deep into the bar so I sawed some off, a little at a time, until it was much better. Is yours the same type?

I have two bars. The one that originally came with the kit mounts behind the crossmember and it’s threaded. I like that idea! How’s it working out?

[_Ogre]

when i bought my 86 trans am rearend, it came with a sway bar
the eyes on the sway bar were centered on my springs
i just heated the ends and pulled each side in 3", it's worked fine since

if you can't bring in the ends, shorten it, you'll only change the metal in the heat zone

[mr48chev]

That is a pretty good way to have the sway bar break at some time or other though. My wife broke the one on her 79 Chevy Caprice that hadn't ever been heated.

I'd go with the tabs like JWeb showed and just move the mounting point out where you need it.

[_Ogre]

why would it cause the sway bar to break?
heating it would remove any temper and make the steel soft, less likely to fracture
heating the ends would have minimal effect on the torsion capabilities

[72Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by mobileortho

I have two bars. The one that originally came with the kit mounts behind the crossmember and it’s threaded. I like that idea! How’s it working out?

It seems to work good, much less "rolling" of the big 'ol front end. Sounds like mine is just like yours.

[mick53]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

why would it cause the sway bar to break?
heating it would remove any temper and make the steel soft, less likely to fracture
heating the ends would have minimal effect on the torsion capabilities

Maybe the "soft" part moves and causes metal fatigue? Just guessing.

[_Ogre]

nope. mr48chev threw out an uneducated guess, as if it were fact
truk sway bar is 1.125" solid steel bar, it's hardly under stress or strain

[BBPanel]

I used the Welder Series on my 56 Panel w/MII suspension. I bought one of the std length bars splined on both ends - so both ends will come off. I had the arm machined to accept the splined collar and welded it in flush to end of sway bar. It is exactly the right length for my app doing it this way. Not a lot of real estate to work with but it couldn't have come out any better this way. Placement on the a-arm may not be ideal but it will work. I needed the total width to be minimal for tire clearance.

[mobileortho]

As luck would have it, I found this on EBay. It’s the exact measurement I need.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/12381059657...4524#vi-ilComp