Ford 8.8. Toyota celica. Factory celica bar will bolt up to end links, but doesnt clear the diff cover. I could try to make some fancy spacers to space it downward, but then it will cost more $$$ and will cost me precious ground clearance. Other option: somehow attach the factory ford 8.8 roll bar, but it doesn't have any style of connection even close to what's on the car. Maybe a mustang bar would be better? Also, is it as simple as finding where the bar ends and welding the endlinks to the frame? Thanks in advance folks. You guys are incredible.
You are better off with a bar that mounts to both lower control arms and then wraps around the diff cover. This will counteract body roll but still allow the the whole rear end to move up and down freely. Ultimately, how you mount a sway bar depends on the style you used to attach it to the body. I'm picturing the Mustang style of two boxed lower control arms pointing straight ahead and two diagonal uppers.
Do you have a pic of what you're working with? I can probably get a picture of a fox body rear bar, think I have one in the garage
Yes, pics would be helpful. You may want to track down a used Explorer rear bar. At least you know that'd clear the pumpkin.
I have both bars, and I'll get you guys pics so you can see what's what. Hold on just a sec.
Trackmouse wrote:
I have both bars, and I'll get you guys pics so you can see what's what. Hold on just a sec.
cool, i just dont know what a celica looks like underneath.
in this pic you can see how the SB doesn't attach to the whimpy little control arms, it attaches to the axles by mounts, and then attaches the endlinks which are bolted into the brackets welded on the frame.
The ford exploder bar looks like this contraption
So you can see how the ford bar has that weird pivot point and it actually sits behind the axle (where my gas tank is), I would need to flip the bar to go forward, take off the pivot things or shorten them, and then find a way to attach it to the nearest frame component. I'm actually thinking the brackets to lower my celica bar might be easier...
i will look at the mustang bar when i get home. If it mounts backwards it's just as worthless as the exploder bar to you.
This is from a thunderchicken, I wonder if I could make endlinks to fit this somewhere... off to find a thunderchicken in a JY.
Also. How bad is it if you heat up the sway bar to coerce it slightly?
I'd look at mounting the bar ahead of the axle, though the lower arms might get in the way. Or maybe move the Celica bar forward enough so it can tuck under the pinion, and fabricate extended mounts for the axle.
