Front sway bar size & bushings

[Bob Gaines]

I have a question for you guys concerning sway bars since this is the topic. I have replaced all the tired suspension pieces on my  68 GT350. Surprising what time does to coil springs and leaf springs. I did not replace the sway bar on the front. Do sway bars reach an age where they also should be replaced? Is 50 years that age?

I need to add that I was more than pleasantly surprised with the results. My car is actually fun to drive now. Funny what you get use to. John at OpenTrack where I got my parts really stressed replacing my front coil springs. I got his shorter performance springs. I was worried my wider tires would rub the fenders with the shorter springs. The car actually went up an inch. Similar situation on the mid eye rear leaf springs.

I have never heard tell of having to replace a front sway bar because of age or fatigue. Sway bars are not subjected to constant stress like leaf springs and front coils. I know some that open track their cars change out to a 1 inch or 1 1/8  size after market bar but that would be overkill on anything but a track driven car.FYI the 67/68 bar is unique and rare . Hold on to it.

The 1-1/8" front bar is from a production Ford Granada. It is hardly overkill on a street car.

I thought we were talking Shelby Mustangs here not Granada's. 1968 Shelby GT350/500/500KR (like the category heading) is what my post is in reference to .

Sure, but you made a reference to what is streetable and what is not. In the view of accuracy, I thought that was relevant? 1-1/8" stock bar on a Granada is a comparable application.

First off I didn't say or mean to imply "what was not streetable" I said  " would be over kill" . What is not streetable means it can't be used on the street where as overkill means that the extra performance exceeds what is necessary or what could be fully utilized on the street.  My post was in the default context of a Mustang/Shelby as the category implies ,not cars in general . Thanks for the additional information anyway.

[shelbydoug]

Sure. Everyone should need to know.