What the hell is up with my rear sway bar mounting brackets?

[Kornilov]

I was installing my Strano adjustable rear sway bar this afternoon when I discovered something that does not look right at all. When I removed the fasteners that hold the sway bar to the axle near the bottom shock mount, I pulled this out:

The fat part is the top and the mangled part is the bottom, the curve to the left points to the outside of the car. This particular piece is on the driver's side, but the passenger side has the exact same part but less mangled.


Here is a close up of the bottom part:

From everything else I can see on the internet, the sway bar should mount to a bracket that is an extension of the axle, right where the bottom of the shock sits.
Like this (THIS BOTTOM PHOTO IS NOT MY CAR):

In my case, each side has one of these 'brackets' that lays on the area near the shock mount and accepts the bolts and nuts that go through sway bar bushing bracket and secure the OEM sway bar. The area of my axles beneath the bottom of the shock does not have a second hole for the bolt to go through to the bottom hole of the sway bar bushing bracket. Instead, on both driver and passenger side, I have one of the fabbed brackets that lays on the axles and then bolts to the bushing bracket.


I bought the car with 2,000 miles on it.


Does anyone know why the previous owner would've modified this area as such. Surely this cant be OEM?

 

[06mach1]

Looks like someone made there own sway bar relocation brackets. If that is the case, when you remove that homemade piece, you are missing the bottom hole where the sway bar would originally be bolted too.

 

[Kornilov]

Looks like someone made there own sway bar relocation brackets. If that is the case, when you remove that homemade piece, you are missing the bottom hole where the sway bar would originally be bolted too.

Yeah, thats what it looks like. The best part is that to restore to OEM, I would need a whole new differential housing. :cuss: **** the PO!

But Im not going to drive the car with that lower hole only having 1-2 mm of material left. Does anyone know if a Napa machine shop can fab duplicates of these brackets? Basically, I can work with the brakcets, but I need that bottom hole to be squared away.

 

[sleek98]

Just buy the bmr relo brackets.

 

[06mach1]

Yeah, thats what it looks like. The best part is that to restore to OEM, I would need a whole new differential housing. :cuss: **** the PO!

But Im not going to drive the car with that lower hole only having 1-2 mm of material left. Does anyone know if a Napa machine shop can fab duplicates of these brackets? Basically, I can work with the brakcets, but I need that bottom hole to be squared away.

I am sure someone local to you could make them up. I know I could (but I'm not local). When we cut those off of other people Mustangs, we ask them if they want them saved just in case they want them welded back on someday.

 

[BUCKET]

Whiteline sway

 

[Kornilov]

I am sure someone local to you could make them up. I know I could (but I'm not local). When we cut those off of other people Mustangs, we ask them if they want them saved just in case they want them welded back on someday.

So this is a common thing?

Theoretically speaking, what would you charge for two pieces? If you have the inclination and time I would have no problem paying for your labor, materials, and shipping.

 

[Kornilov]

Just buy the bmr relo brackets.

I dont think you are understanding what the problem is.

 

[06mach1]

So this is a common thing?

Theoretically speaking, what would you charge for two pieces? If you have the inclination and time I would have no problem paying for your labor, materials, and shipping.

The only way I could fix this is if I had the car in person. When someone cuts off the lower portion of the oem sway bar mount, there is no pattern that they follow. Each person would cut it off very slightly different. If I made you the lower piece, chances are it would be off slightly. I wouldn't think it would take but an hour to make the pieces and weld them on? The only other option would be as stated above, buy a Whiteline sway bar as it does not use the oem axle mounts

 

[Kornilov]

The only other option would be as stated above, buy a Whiteline sway bar as it does not use the oem axle mounts

Yup, thats what Im leaning towards. Thanks for the input.

 

[Kornilov]

I just had a thought:

Would'nt I be able to use sway bar relocation brackets to achieve the result Im looking for? In this case, Im not looking to move the mounting point of the sway bar up, but just to re-create the stock sway bar mounting points - i.e. I would lay the bracket on the shock mount and thread the top bolt through the top hole as normal and then use the bottom hole in place of where my stock bottom hole would be. In effect, I am getting what I had on there before, except the brackets would be smoother cut and cleaner.

Any thoughts? Am I not seeing this correctly?

 

[sleek98]

Guess not. I read it as they relocated it but made there own relocation brackets (shitty ones) instead of buying them.

 

[Kornilov]

Guess not. I read it as they relocated it but made there own relocation brackets (shitty ones) instead of buying them.

Looks like he did in fact do that, but when he sold the car, he made these ghetto brackets to put the OEM sway bar back on there. I was all set this AM to buy the Whiteline front and rear bars, but Im concerned about losing the ability to jack up the car with the pumpkin and use the axletubes for jackstands.

So for the moment, I think Im going to take these BMR brackets, grind them a bit to get them to fit the way I need them to and run the Strano bar on the softest setting (the only hole I can have installed with my LCR relocation brackets).

 

[06mach1]

I just had a thought:

Would'nt I be able to use sway bar relocation brackets to achieve the result Im looking for? In this case, Im not looking to move the mounting point of the sway bar up, but just to re-create the stock sway bar mounting points - i.e. I would lay the bracket on the shock mount and thread the top bolt through the top hole as normal and then use the bottom hole in place of where my stock bottom hole would be. In effect, I am getting what I had on there before, except the brackets would be smoother cut and cleaner.

Any thoughts? Am I not seeing this correctly?

View attachment 17124

This will work for sure if you want to re-locate the bar in the upper position, but it may also allow you to put it very close in the stock position. It would just be every so slightly forward.

 

[Kornilov]

It would just be every so slightly forward.

Actually, that would be a problem because as it is, the strano bar is just 'barely' clearing the LCA relo bracket. HOWEVER, I think if I grind these brackets a little bit to remove some material on the sides, I can actually put them on the OPPOSITE side of where they are designed to go (on the shock absorber side) and accomplish what I'm trying to do - which is basically what the previous owner had rigged up with his chintzy brackets.

 

[BMR Tech]

It may take a little creativity, and modding.....but you should be able to make our SRK001 pictured above, work for what you are doing.

You can make them fit as you like, and have them welded into position. Ours are nice Stainless Steel pieces, so you can feel confident in welding them to your axle housing.

Good luck!

 

[Kornilov]

It may take a little creativity, and modding.....but you should be able to make our SRK001 pictured above, work for what you are doing.

You can make them fit as you like, and have them welded into position. Ours are nice Stainless Steel pieces, so you can feel confident in welding them to your axle housing.

Good luck!

Thanks Kelly!

I ordered them today via your eBay store and you already shipped them out. I'll have them in hand on wednesday and will get to work on Sunday. Will update how things go.