Ford Racing Sway Bar (rear) weird fitment

[drummerboy]

EDIT:

Angrey, you say the bar has a weird turn at the end, which seems to suggest that the flat portion of the bar arm isn't lined up with the ear on the spring perch (I see it in honeybadger's pics, look at both ends of the end link in the first and last photos of post 14). Causing the end link connections to be pointed in weird directions. If this is the concern, I can confirm that the Steeda bar + adjustable end links have everything lined up perfectly, but I don't see how this particular angle would have any negative consequences.

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[Angrey]

EDIT:

Angrey, you say the bar has a weird turn at the end, which seems to suggest that the flat portion of the bar arm isn't lined up with the ear on the spring perch (I see it in honeybadger's pics, look at both ends of the end link in the first and last photos of post 14). Causing the end link connections to be pointed in weird directions. If this is the concern, I can confirm that the Steeda bar + adjustable end links have everything lined up perfectly, but I don't see how this particular angle would have any negative consequences.

I'm arriving at the conclusion that yes it's different but it's probably not going to move the needle either way.

It's just disconcerting that it doesn't "look" the way the OEM geometry does (or others I'm gathering).

I try to be idealist until it's time to be a pragmatist. Truthfully, others are running this with no adverse affect and I could probably run it and be fine.

I just don't like spending money on parts and run into "that doesn't look right." In the end, I already bought/ordered the Steeda bar so I'll probably just run that and sell the FRPP bar/hardware. (but admittedly there's nothing "wrong" with the FRPP piece).

Like most of you guys, after years of wrenching on cars, most of the time, if it doesn't "look' right, then it can be catastrophic outcomes and sad face to just run it anyway.

That's why this group/forum is great. In this case, I could run it and be fine.

I ran into a similar situation recently with some injector o rings, and it just didn't seem right (and you know what, it wasn't, there is a more appropriate o ring and I was able to get them and resolve the issue). But had I just said "fug it" and ran them, I could have had all sorts of issues. But in that case too, the forum was great and responsive in figuring it out.

Thanks for all the help and feedback. I'm still gonna post up photos so everyone can see the differences, but hopefully others can read these threads if they run into this and see that it looks strange but it's not any appreciable detractor in performance.

 

[drummerboy]

Right-o.

It's certainly more ideal for both joints on the end link to be centered with the car at rest on the ground to allow for full range of motion. The joints prevent binding, weird noises, clicks, thunks in the suspension, etc. You're not wrong to want them lined up and centered.

From looking at honeybadger's pics and going out and playing with my original factory end links, it looks to me like they're somewhere close to the half way point between centered and fully deflected. I highly doubt suspension movement is going to move these joints all the way to maxxed out.

The other angles are more important, i.e. making the bar do its job rather than making the sway bar bushings part of the suspension.

 

[drummerboy]

... it almost looks like FRPP was looking to introduce a softening effect on the outer wheel, which ought to unload the inner wheel less as roll develops. IOW, a digressive bar rate as opposed to the more normal almost-linear bar behavior.

So, off topic, but this brings up a lot of thoughts I was going through when swapping suspension parts.

100% agree with your assessment. This angle appears to be the same as my car with both the stock and Steeda bars as well. They all seem to have arms around the same length.

My concern with not having the end link parallel with the travel direction is that it seems to me as the suspension is compressed the end link has to push the bar towards the front of the car. Then the bushing is getting loaded, and the whole thing is binding as a result, and in effect doing the opposite of what the angle in the end link is doing: while the end link angle itself would make for a digressive bar rate, the bind of the suspension would prevent travel. Acting like a stiffer spring on that outside corner.

Ultimately I have no idea, though, without someone correcting me. I'd only be able to tell by disconnecting the shocks, pulling out the spring, and then run it through its motion and watch and feel. And to what end? Is there a softer bar with shorter arms that gives you the same overall stiffness equivalent? I'm just going to trust the engineers have it right

 

[Angrey]

 

[drummerboy]

It sure seems awful strange that they would do it that way. Thanks for the vid. The first frame already says it all, doesn't it. It looks 45 degrees off from where it ought to be.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Out of curiosity - has anyone who has purchased the Ford Performance sway bar actually reached out to a FP Rep. for any answers as to why the bar isn't the same "shape" as the factory bar?

 

[2JZFAN]

Nice video, thank you for taking the time.

I'm just going to trust the engineers have it right

This is where I'm at, there must be something to it.. I don't expect third parties to reinvent the wheel and/or invest the R&D to do something like this.. If this was a third party part, I'd pass on a drastic change like this, especially without comment. When the OEM does it? It's the only part I would consider.

Be interested to see a bar from aGT500 and Mach 1.

 

[Epiphany]

S550 GT500 sway bars. Base GT500 top, CFTP GT500 bottom.

CFTP bar with dampers at full droop.

 

[NoXiDe]

I don't quite understand what the issue is... I have it installed along with 3 other people that I know.

Angle 1

Angle 2

Two out of the 3 people I know track there vehicles and have never had issues including myself.

 

[2JZFAN]

I don't quite understand what the issue is... I have it installed along with 3 other people that I know.

Two out of the 3 people I know track there vehicles and have never had issues including myself.

I don't think people take issue, it seems like people are just trying to understand why things are so different.. Your photos don't quite catch the effect the additional angle introduces on the end links. Take a look at @Angrey 's video just a few posts up.. sums it up quite well.

All that being said, thanks to the shots @Epiphany shared we can see something was changed.. It seems like the changes made it to production because that CFTP GT500 bar looks awfully similar IMO.

I think it'd be really cool if someone could get a word from someone at Ford.

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