The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

[mustang13]

A few shots Thanks to Tinker, from the race on Sunday.

[Dignlif]

woohoo looks like a blast...and aiming for the boss's times

[mustang13]

$45 worth of goodies to make my front swaybar adjustable. The owner of the local speed shop, Bob Gentile, said to cut the ends off of the factory 1 1/8 sway bar so the ends line up vertically in the gap between the A arm and tie rod, so the new links won't hit anything in the range of movement. Mounting will be done by welding the two 1/2x20x1" lug nuts to the cut ends, taper out, and drill a hole in the A arm for the other end. Bob says he has done this for decades on asphalt late models without a failure. Making the length of the swaybar ends shorter will also make it more aggressive towards body roll.

I plan on doing all the front suspension changes this week so step by step pic's will follow.

[mustang13]

I know I promised a step by step of installing the coil overs but, it was so simple a caveman could do it. No different than installing new struts.

You do NEED aftermarket strut mounts though, which I ordered from UPR. Afco is alittle vague on the does and don't's of these coil overs, like saying they fit SN95 struts, ah, checked three different struts and the mount wouldn't fit a one of them. It was for the best anyhow, FOX struts are shorter so when lowering the car alot, you gain a little travel before the bumpstop with them over the SN95 type. The FOX struts and SN95 spindles mated up without a hitch.

I also got the swaybar modified and mocked up, just need to weld the tabs I made to the A arms, then adjust once the car is on the ground and the ride heigth and spring pre-load are set.

[mustang13]

The new UPR strut mount plates along with the rear coil-over mounts showed up by UPS after dinner last night. I hope to have the front all buttoned back up today and a quick trip up the road and back to make sure my front end alignment settings will work for Sunday's AutoX.

[milner351]

Great progress and FAST as usualy Jeremy - and you're having a blast with the car - often - the best part!

[STINEY]

$45 worth of goodies to make my front swaybar adjustable. The owner of the local speed shop, Bob Gentile, said to cut the ends off of the factory 1 1/8 sway bar so the ends line up vertically in the gap between the A arm and tie rod, so the new links won't hit anything in the range of movement. Mounting will be done by welding the two 1/2x20x1" lug nuts to the cut ends, taper out, and drill a hole in the A arm for the other end. Bob says he has done this for decades on asphalt late models without a failure. Making the length of the swaybar ends shorter will also make it more aggressive towards body roll.[ATTACH=CONFIG]1620[/ATTACH]

Hmmm....you've got me thinking now.... I had to remove the sway bar in my '86 FOX to make room for the 500 Cadillac swap. I'd really like to run it - - you don't suppose I could weld 3" extensions to it and then follow your example? According to your friend Bob, the geometry would then make it less aggressive towards body roll, but it would be better than nothing. Or perhaps I could shorten it by 3".......Have to go out and see if there is room either way for sure....




From looking at my picture stash, guess moving it back isn't an option, the K-member is in that location. Guess I'll see if there is room to the front or if my lower pulley is in the way....

Love the pictures and this thread. Great to see a project car out and running while it is progressing!

[Bob Holmes]

Stiney, if you shorten the arms it makes it stiffer. Go to a smaller diameter bar if it makes it too stiff.

[mustang13]

Stiney, my first idea for a front swaybar, and may still do later, was to use an old Troyer dirt modified front bar mounted with alloy pilllow blocks near the OEM mounts, along with Troyer end links that have a few holes at the A arm end to add some adjustablity.


Kinda like this,

[mustang13]

A couple more to help with our brain storming. The one pic is of an S197 05-up Mustang's swaybar set, I thing you could make that style work in front of the big Caddy mill

[STINEY]

Now that generates even more ideas. Neat stuff. I could weld on another set of mounts to the frame, mount the factory sway bar to it, cut the "legs" off the factory bar and make fabricated pieces to reach farther. Very interesting.....

[mustang13]

Just be carefull welding close to the bends of the bar, or putting much heat in the bar to begin with. If I were you, junkyard hunt for a bar without the big dip in the middle like a FOX front bar, and one that has long ends to get as close to the A ams as possible.

I had an idea of bending up a mock up shape from 3/4 electrical conduet, just to see how I could make all the angles, mounts, etc. work together.

I have a front sway bar from an old 90's Taurus(I've saved alot of misc. bars over the years, mostly looking for a front and back pair to work on the Dad-n-laws F100) that I think would for you Stiney. If I have a chance later, I'll dig it out of the storage trailer, measure and take a couple pic's to post.

Building better Hot Rods for all of us via a forum thread, thats what makes this place so awesome!

[mustang13]

Another thought on this too, the bar DOES NOT have to go in front of the axle. Mounting one to the frame behind the K frame, pointing forward, would work to. It may be easier to attach the end links to the A arms in back too, no rack/tie rods in the way.

Ummm, I may look at that idea myself lol.

[STINEY]

I would much appreciate that Jeremy. I'm getting all giddy to go home and start measuring...come on 5:00!

[Bob Holmes]

The issue with mounting behind is a lack of ground clearance.

I very much like the circle track installations. Just don't weld the arms to the bars.

Funny story, when I bought the front bar for the road race car I had to change cars at one of my buddies shops, I threw it on the fron grass. He came out, looked at it and asked what car I was going to put the trailer hitch on. Damn thing is huge.