 Here is the old standard Air Bag. It has been nestled in that same spring for 10 years! It served its purpose well but it's time for a upgrade! |
 This is the trick new Competition Engineering Anti-Sway bar part # C2020.It is made specifically to fit the Mustang framerail shape and dimensions, nice! |
In other words, you will need a wire welder, grinder, drill press, and a good sense of doing things the right way. “Chicken scratch” welding and getting it “close enough” type people need not apply. The anti-sway bar will be dealt a tremendous amount of torque under acceleration so it is obviously important that the welds are good and also that the assembly is installed as “square” as possible in the chassis so that it will work better and be easier to tune. Yes, tune. Perhaps a brief description of what the “anti-sway bar” actually does is in order.
In my case and most “Fox” chassis cars in general using stock type suspension, the passenger side rear coil spring has always played host to a supplemental spring known as an “air bag”. Without the air bag pumped up to around 40 psi. the tire will try to bury itself in the wheelhouse and the car launches so crooked and twisted it looks like something broke. The air bag basically helps absorb the rotational torque and helps keep the car straight. An anti-sway bar does the same thing only better. For one thing, you don’t have to constantly monitor the air pressure in the bag. The air bag is no different than anything else filled with air, it leaks. It also reacts to changes in temperature and barometric pressure just like your racing slicks do. An anti-sway bar doesn’t. Also, an anti-sway bar is adjustable for setting up a little “preload” in the chassis if desired to help steer the car in the right direction (straight) when the front wheels are reaching for the sky! And damnit, it looks cool!
When the chassis tries to twist from engine torque the resulting load is transferred throughout the bar from the two links that connect it to the housing and it does a much better job of equally distributing the load. Hopefully, when everything is adjusted properly the car will launch perfectly straight and both tires will be getting the same amount of abuse from the mighty 302 “hemi eater”. Speaking of that, I actually received some very good news from Duane at IHRA that the extra 20 hp they had strapped onto my 302 over the winter was going to be rescinded! Apparently after numerous emails and questions of WHY I had been hit with 20 hp I wore him out! Or maybe it was the promise of free steak and beer that was offered that some may consider a bribe. Either way, works for me!
Actually what had happened was that the new Ford Performance catalog had come out with a new option and it was mistaken for my combo. For now take a look at the pretty parts in the pictures and come back next month as I install everything in Muscrate and hit the track. I am really looking forward to having a truly tunable suspension and the promise of a better Muscrate! Until next time remember, there’s always hope.
And, when in doubt….Do a WHEELIE!!! 
SOURCE BOX
| Competition Engineering 80 Carter Dr. Guilford, CT 06437 203-453-5200 www.competitionengineering.com |
Moroso 80 Carter Dr. Guilford, CT 06437 203-453-6571 www.moroso.com |
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