I found me a rear sway bar!

[merc91]

i saw a 91 marquis GS in the junk yard (totally stock civillian car to) and i looked under the back for the hell of it and there was a 3/4" (about) sway bar! still looks brandy new to. so I read all the posts i could find but if anyone has a few pics or tips for the install it would be appreciated. So yeah, even a plain old civilian sedan can have a bar haha.

[87gtVIC]

sweet. Well install it the way it was installed on the car you removed i guess.

here maybe this helps?

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=22719&highlight=sway+bar+install

[mrltd]

The bar is on the car, you can look at it and how it is installed and then put it on yours the same way.

As for the "plain old sedan having a rear bar", yes we know. It's rather small but better than nothing.

http://grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=22719&highlight=rear+swaybar

http://grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=16299&highlight=rear+swaybar

http://grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=14090&highlight=rear+swaybar

http://grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=22064&highlight=rear+swaybar

[Archangel]

The bar you found is a 3/4" indeed, there is a larger 1" one that works better but that's on police cars, and you will not find it on a civilian car. When you do pull it make sure you grab the bushings (actually spacers) that go on the inside of the lower control arms, as without them you'll crush the control arms unless you fab something yourself.

[GoodSamaritan]

The bar you found is a 3/4" indeed, there is a larger 1" one that works better but that's on police cars, and you will not find it on a civilian car. When you do pull it make sure you grab the bushings (actually spacers) that go on the inside of the lower control arms, as without them you'll crush the control arms unless you fab something yourself.

you beat me to it.

Also make a note of where the original holes are. Usually the control arms only have one hole in them, you'll have to drill the second one.

The good news is, it doesn't take all that long to put on. I spent more time looking for hardware (mine was missing a bolt, and a spacer or two) than I did putting it on the car.

[merc91]

i got the bolts and there still in good shape but didn't get ahold of the spacers so i fabbed some up. just took off the 20 years of grime and painted it up with graphite colour wheel paint. yeah i just have 1 hole so i will have to drill another one...
and i think i will put it on ramps vs jack stands so i can get accurate street stance bar position while drilling/installing.

well i'll let yas know how it turns out

[Archangel]

I don't like ramps, I really don't trust them much - just use jack stands, but put them under the axle (and not under the frame), this will keep the weight of the car on the rear springs like it is at its regular ride height and give you the correct suspension geometry for the swaybar installation. This is actually how most trucks get jacked up, by the axle - there's no factory jack out there that can reach a 1-ton frame and lift it high enough off the ground to where a tire gets in the air, so the factory manual tells you to put the jack under the axle next to the tire and lift that. In case of Panthers if you have a good floor jack you can put it under the differential and lift the whole axle at once, then just add a jack stand at each end - this will also allow you to pull the wheels, which should give you some more space to work in.

As for the holes in the lower control arms, for some odd reason the Executive-trim Town Cars always have all the holes already there, whereas Cartier and Signature Series only have one hole drilled like you do, unless they are a tow package in which case the bar is already there to begin with... heck if I can understand the logic behind that...

What spacers di you make? If you're lucky you could actually find some steel spacers at a hardware store, but I've found out that regular hex nuts of the same or larger size work great for spacers, some will obviously need the threads drilled out but say a 3/8" bolt slides through a 1/2" nut just fine.

[merc91]

i ended up finding threaded pipe sections at the hardware store and with a washer at each end it all fit perfectly. the install went great and it does help a fair bit. in the last month i went from totally stock car to KYB GasAJust shocks, wagon cargo springs, 275's BF goodrich's, and rear sway bar... and man is there ever a huge difference. the rear end is planted like nobodys business haha... now i need posi haha.

[87gtVIC]

pics please!

[merc91]

haha for sure... tomorrow bud!

[Lincolnmania]

my 86 signature has all 4 holes for the rear bar, and it's not a tow package car

[Archangel]

Scott, I guess it's a hit or miss then, but most of the SS and Cartiers I've seen in the yard have only had one pair of holes...