'58 front sway bars--same on all '58s?

B

Brad54

Junior Member
Got a friend looking to upgrade the front sway bar on his '58 Fairlane, but he said he hasn't found anything in the aftermarket.

Since T-birds are more popular, I figured there's probably an aftermarket front bar out for those--are the T-bird and Fairlane front sway bars the same?

Thanks,
-Brad
 
I put a 1 1/8 sway bar on the front of my 55 sedan and it made a HUGE difference in handling. I paid big bucks for it, later seeing a post here that a 80's Thunderbird sway bar will fit and they cost just a few bucks at a junk yard. I would remove the sway bar from the 58, and make a wire pattern of half of it, write down measurements, and draw a picture of it. Then spend a couple hours in the used auto parts place to work on your tan.
 
Ole Don said:
I put a 1 1/8 sway bar on the front of my 55 sedan and it made a HUGE difference in handling. I paid big bucks for it, later seeing a post here that a 80's Thunderbird sway bar will fit and they cost just a few bucks at a junk yard. I would remove the sway bar from the 58, and make a wire pattern of half of it, write down measurements, and draw a picture of it. Then spend a couple hours in the used auto parts place to work on your tan.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah... but...
I have a '54 Buick, and just had a front sway bar made for '54-'56 Buicks and started selling them.
I also have a prototype bar on the front of my daily-driver '61 Chevy Suburuban--there are NO swaybars that fit '60-'62 Chevy trucks because they have a unique 3-year-only front suspension.
I have a friend with a '55 Olds, and he tells me there aren't any available for it either, so I've found a factory front AND rear bar for an Olds 98 and am going to have a batch made for the '54-'56 Olds guys.
Another friend has a '58 Ford, and he heard I was suddenly the guy to go to for odd-duck sway bars, and asked if I could have one made for him. Hence the interchange question. Does anything else interchange with the '58 Fairlanes? '57-'59 Fairlane, T-Bird, station wagons, etc. etc.

You're right about there being a night-and-day difference with a beefier front sway bar--I'm taking curves in my Suburban at 60 that were 30-and-pray before.
I'd LOVE to be able to help more guys enjoy DRIVING their cars.

-Brad
 
There should be aftermarket sway bars for a 58 Ford. Try Lance at Thunderbird Southwest. Has has bars for a lot of different Fords. 800-722-8697
 
When looking for suspension improvements, i.e. "sway bars" the proper terminology should be used..
The bar that is used on the front end of most vehicles, pickup or car.. is actually a bar to control body roll.. Not a sway bar..
This type of bar is generally attached to the frame with insulated brackets on both frame rails, the outer ends are attached to the suspension components via a flexible link.. Generally 3/8" threaded rods with washers and rubber bushings..
A true sway bar is generally found on vehicles that have coil springs front and/or rear.
This type of bar is also generally called a "panhard" bar.. In reality it's purpose is to keep the chassis inline with the body..
A true sway bar is attached to the frame, at one point, then attached to the axle on the opposite side.. This type of bar allows the body to move up and down, but limits the side movement...
Ford started using the "anti body roll" bar on the front of the '40 fords. Ford started using a sway/panhard bar on the rear of the '47 Merc's.. Attached near the right backing plate and the left side of the rear cross member.
I have always fostered the opinion that Ford adapted the use of the rear sway bar when they went to the longer shackles on the late '40 cars.. The earlier short shackles really limited the axle movement... Ergo, no need for a sway bar.
The front "roll bars" used on early cars is generally quite small, 5/8" compared to the late model vehicles, 1" plus. As car bodies got larger and heavier, a more robust bar was needed..
It is very important to insure that the body and chassis is in alignment before installing a sway/tracking bar.. If the two components are misaligned, the vehicle will go down the road like a "crab".. It is also important that the body be at it's normal ride position. Lowing the front and/or rear of the body, after the bar is installed will alter the chassis alignment.
 
I've read all the above with interest. When I needed a sway bar I went to the local stock car racers and asked them for advice. I learned that the older Trans Am sway bar was the thickest and best to search for in the junk yard. Soon I was in an old tractor trailer looking through a collection of these bars. We used a torch and turn buckle to fine tune it while it was in a vise and then quickly buried it in sand to prevent it from cooling too quickly. I next bought some new poly ends and I was soon cornering like a modern sports car. That's my sway bar story - John
 
Bill (Blucar) is certainly gore cut in his definitions. The Ford Parts manual calls the bar a stabiliser. From the parts manual the Tbird bar is different to the 58 sedan. The 58 tbird is a monocoque or unibody construction and has no parts carried over from the 57 which the 58 Ford shares.
Regards
 
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