Sway bar on a '98 cobra question

[lww18]

So this may be a dumb question but I feel this would be the best place to ask it. I recently purchased and had installed full exhaust - BBK LT's, BBK o/r x-pipe and a magnaflow catback - and after the shop installed it I drove the car around town and was hearing a banging noise coming from somewhere around the rear axle.

Now my car is lowered with unknown springs (on the car went I purchased them) and the shop put it on a lift and figured out the catback was hitting the sway bar because, they said, my shocks/springs give too much. The owner of the shop said for a temp fix they can just take off the sway bar but I'll need to get new shocks & upper/lower control arms. So now my car doesnt have a sway bar and im saving to get the parts they said I needed and have them installed.

Now if your still with me here, how important is the sway bar for our cars? The shop owner told me I would only need it if I was going around the corner at 90 miles an hour which I dont do......

sorry for the long read but any info here would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[2DXTRM]

Im a little confused, since the rear sway bar is mounted way at the bottom of the axle, and from what I recall doesnt come very close to hitting the tail-pipes as the car bottoms out...

Are you/they sure that the tailpipes arent hitting the axle tubes or banging on the body/frame?

I think the shop trying to milk you for more work/money by trying to sell you new shocks and upper and lower control arms?

Take a picture of where the banging or hitting was coming from? Should be clearly visible (dents/rubbing) on the tailpipes...

 

[SKMCOBRA]

My rear sway bar was also hitting on the passenger side tail pipe. I confirmed this by put masking tape around the sway bar and it wore out where the tail pipe comes downward. Weird thing is with my friend rocking the rear of the car up and down we could never get it to do it. But when I drove it over any big bumps it would definately knock together. I fixed mine by removing the tail pipes and having some turn down tips put on in their place.

 

[lww18]

They put it on a drive up lift and showed me....I walked under the car and he pointed it out. The cat back was for sure hitting the sway bar and not the axle. I cant take a picture now as the sway bar has been removed. All you have to do to get my car to move up and down is pull down on something underneath the car with 2 fingers.....the suspension is real giving.

 

[2DXTRM]

All you have to do to get my car to move up and down is pull down on something underneath the car with 2 fingers.....the suspension is real giving.

Sounds like some new goodies for your suspension are long over due.

 

[lww18]

Sounds like some new goodies for your suspension are long over due.

So this means you dont think they are trying to just work me over to pay for stuff I dont mean right?

Oh and how about the gas smell....I know it would be coming because I went o/r but it's so bad it gives me a headache when im sitting at a light and the exhaust is rear exit. It shouldnt be this bad right?

 

[2DXTRM]

So this means you dont think they are trying to just work me over to pay for stuff I dont mean right?

Oh and how about the gas smell....I know it would be coming because I went o/r but it's so bad it gives me a headache when im sitting at a light and the exhaust is rear exit. It shouldnt be this bad right?

Well you tested your suspension your self, and said it didnt take much for it to give...

Try it this way...push down on the corners (4 corners, 1 at a time) of your car..if you push it down and it comes back up (as quick as you pushed it down) its OK. If you push it down and it bounces more than once, then its a sign to replace the shocks/struts...

Also, does the car feel a little sloppy when driving? Check for leaks on/around the struts and shocks...

How low are the springs? What color are they (to help determine brand)?

As for the smell...get some Cats? I dont know how much a tune would reduce the smell by...

 

[lww18]

the springs are yellow and I will test the shocks here in a min, thanks for the info man.