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Topic: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird (Read 1480 times) previous topic - next topic

Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

coolcats says that a 87-93 Mustang GT sway bar is the same as the 87-88 TC & will fit on the 83-88 thunderbird/cougar

can anyone here confirm it fits? some said it's not angled the same where it mounts to the end links
1988 Thunderbird V6: all stock other than the radio

1988 Thunderbird TC: Chip's Ranger R Cam (with Esslinger cam gear), Stinger FMIC, .60/.63 SVO Turbo, Pimp V1.4, Spartan2 Wideband, Forge DP BOV

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #1
 :dunno: Fits just fine on my '83.

Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #2
I got one cheap so I’ll try to install it this weekend

Just wanted to see if anyone else has experience with them
1988 Thunderbird V6: all stock other than the radio

1988 Thunderbird TC: Chip's Ranger R Cam (with Esslinger cam gear), Stinger FMIC, .60/.63 SVO Turbo, Pimp V1.4, Spartan2 Wideband, Forge DP BOV

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #3
 Yes it's a bit narrower. Yes it will fit fine. Yes it will work.   ;)
84 COUGAR/90 HO, 1.7RRs, performer RPM,700DP, equal length shorties, stainless EXH ,T-5,Hurst pro-billet, KC clutch, 8.8/ 4.10s, line-lok, bla ,bla, bla.
71 COMET/289,351w heads, 12.5 TRWs, 750DP, Liberty TL, 9"/6.00s, 11.9x @112 , bla,bla,bla.

Never shoot your mouth off, unless your brain is loaded! ....I may get older, but I'll never grow up!....If you're not laughing, you're not living!  :laughing:

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #4
I put one one the front of my 88 cat.  I think the rear as well.  Been too dammn long ago lol
Mike

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #5
The TBird does use shorter end links, but the bars fit just fine.

I have a 25mm SN-95 solid rear bar on my car as well.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #6
The TBird does use shorter end links, but the bars fit just fine.


Thinking back, if you use the Mustang bar brackets on the front along with their longer end links, it becomes more forgiving on the bar.
84 COUGAR/90 HO, 1.7RRs, performer RPM,700DP, equal length shorties, stainless EXH ,T-5,Hurst pro-billet, KC clutch, 8.8/ 4.10s, line-lok, bla ,bla, bla.
71 COMET/289,351w heads, 12.5 TRWs, 750DP, Liberty TL, 9"/6.00s, 11.9x @112 , bla,bla,bla.

Never shoot your mouth off, unless your brain is loaded! ....I may get older, but I'll never grow up!....If you're not laughing, you're not living!  :laughing:

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #7
guy near me is parting out an 88 TC and has the front sway bar for cheap so I think I'll run it instead since I know it's an exact fit

I'll compare the two and see how different the angle on the ends are too
1988 Thunderbird V6: all stock other than the radio

1988 Thunderbird TC: Chip's Ranger R Cam (with Esslinger cam gear), Stinger FMIC, .60/.63 SVO Turbo, Pimp V1.4, Spartan2 Wideband, Forge DP BOV

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #8
From what I remember there is no difference between the 5.0 Fox Mustang front sway bar and the 87-88 TC front sway bar.   there may very well be but like others have said I just cut the end links to fit and used a shorter Grade 8 bolt.

Even when I installed the ADDCO front sway bar in my '83 I had to adjust the end links to fit.  Rear bar is a stock Fox Mustang bar and after Chuck's post about the SN95 bar fitting I may look at that.

When the coil overs got installed I had to shorten the end links a bit more as the car sat about an inch lower.  Overall I like the way it handles on the street.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #9
  Rear bar is a stock Fox Mustang bar and after Chuck's post about the SN95 bar fitting I may look at that.

There were a couple different types on the SN-95's. It's been a minute (or maybe 20 years...oh man, I'm old...) but I recall a 26 or 27mm hollow rear bar on the live-axle Cobras. Those did have a habit of breaking, so they were replaced by the 25mm solid version.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #10
Appreciate the info as always Chuck.   Shoot man, I turned 50 last year so don't say that too loudly!

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

 

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #11
Appreciate the info as always Chuck.   Shoot man, I turned 50 last year so don't say that too loudly!

I'm surprised I can remember half of this stuff.  :toothless: (I've got a couple years on you...and a couple good concussions).
Until I bought the LTS, I hadn't even futzed with a "new" Fox in the last 12 years or so.

Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Mustang sway bar on thunderbird

Reply #12
I'm a little late to this party, but I do remember well the talk of the hollow bars and that they ought to be avoided if possible. I even vaguely remember someone here having one that broke...whether it was from rust or simply hard use eludes my memory.

I had a 5.0 Stang bar, and few TC bars (rears)....all were identical in all dimensions/shape.
Fairly certain via memory that Stang 5.0 front bars and the TC bars were very similar. The difference is the end link lengths as the bottom end location on the control arm is "lower" on Tbirds vs Fox Stangs. SN95 Stangs are closer to the '87-8 Cat/Birds.

When I had my white Bird, I put a TC bar on the back (didn't have one before), that alone made a helluva lot of difference. When I swapped on the TC struts (with them "locked" into firm) it was a total night and day difference. TC bar up front at that point as well. Good times. By today's standard though it was pretty sloppy, but in 2005 I thought I was a bad dude.

I miss that car...anywho..
'84 Mustang
'98 Explorer 5.0
'03 Focus, dropped a valve seat. yay. freakin' split port engines...
'06 Explorer EB 4.6