Whiteline Flatout Rear Sway Bar Installation
4/11/13, 11:10 PM
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Whiteline Flatout Rear Sway Bar Installation
Hi everyone. i just wanted to share my installation of the Whiteline Rear Sway Bar. Last week I picked up the sway bar (BFR65Z) and a pair of Later Sway Bar Locks (KLL127). While it this is a job easiest done with a lift and an extra pair of hands, it's not too hard to do with simple hand tools and jack stands.
The default setup is simple with the original bar mounting to the rear shock mounts. Remove the bolts on the ends of the bar first. If the endlinks are removed first, the bar will swing down into your face. I learned the hard way. The bolts on the mount have integrated spring clips, so they'll have to be jiggled free. Once the ends are free, the links can be removed. Just be ready for the bar to drop. If you have a friend to help hold the bar, it would be much easier and safer.
The default setup is simple with the original bar mounting to the rear shock mounts. Remove the bolts on the ends of the bar first. If the endlinks are removed first, the bar will swing down into your face. I learned the hard way. The bolts on the mount have integrated spring clips, so they'll have to be jiggled free. Once the ends are free, the links can be removed. Just be ready for the bar to drop. If you have a friend to help hold the bar, it would be much easier and safer.
4/11/13, 11:11 PM
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Notice the difference in length. By mounting the bar to the axle instead of the shock mounts, the Whiteline bar can be much shorter. This frees up room for more tire options. The Whiteline is also easier to work on.
Next I installed new adjustable end links. They will be on the outside of the sway bar upon installation. The spacers, for that reason, should be facing inward. Hand tighten the links, but don't torque anything down yet.
I'd say mounting to the axle hardest part to do alone. If you have a friend around, please make use of the extra hands. I lightly attached the U-bolts and plates to free up my hands to lift the bar into position. Grease the D-bushings and mount them to the bar, as far to the outside as possible. Make sure you use plenty of grease. Then lift the bar into positon. Apply pressure to the bar to hold the plates in place while you re-affix the nuts to the U-Bolts.
Next I installed new adjustable end links. They will be on the outside of the sway bar upon installation. The spacers, for that reason, should be facing inward. Hand tighten the links, but don't torque anything down yet.
I'd say mounting to the axle hardest part to do alone. If you have a friend around, please make use of the extra hands. I lightly attached the U-bolts and plates to free up my hands to lift the bar into position. Grease the D-bushings and mount them to the bar, as far to the outside as possible. Make sure you use plenty of grease. Then lift the bar into positon. Apply pressure to the bar to hold the plates in place while you re-affix the nuts to the U-Bolts.
4/11/13, 11:13 PM
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Before attaching the endlinks, the car should be at ride height. I don't own drive on ramps large enough for the wheels on the Mustang, so put chocked dollies under the wheels and lowered the car. Gave me Just enough room to work. I selected the medium-high stiffness setting. I'll probably set it to full hard to test at the track and back it off from there. Adjust the end links to dial out any preload before tightening. You may also need to adjust the mounts and bar side to side in order to get everything centered. You need to leave at least 10mm of threading inside the end link for safety. If you have to lengthen the links too far, re-adjust the axle mounts to reposition the bar. The right rear link is right at the limit.
I added lateral locks to the bar to hold everything in place. Leave a 3-4mm gap between the locks and bushings. Do not overtighten! Once I was done, I lowered the car and went for a ride to check for odd noises. I didn't hear any extra sounds.
I added lateral locks to the bar to hold everything in place. Leave a 3-4mm gap between the locks and bushings. Do not overtighten! Once I was done, I lowered the car and went for a ride to check for odd noises. I didn't hear any extra sounds.
4/12/13, 07:21 AM
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Very nice write up Viper, on your install. I found the pics to be helpful. From what I read it looks like your lateral locks were purchased separately.
4/12/13, 10:34 AM
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Yes, for whatever reason the front sway bar comes with them, but the rear doesn't. Reading about them, it looks like in the front, they prevent the sway bar from moving side to side and hitting the steering components. So maybe the designers felt they weren't as important in the rear, so why include them? I like to prevent unnecessary movement anywhere, so I bought them myself. I see them for sale usually in the $30 - $35 range for a pair.
4/12/13, 01:35 PM
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They technically do sell all the parts individually, but since the rear end links attach differently from the stock links, I don't believe they would be much use to you. The fronts, however, do you use the the same attachment points as the stock end links. So if you didn't want the full front bar, you could at least use those. The part number for front adjustable end links is KLC169.
Last edited by Vipergtsrgt1; 4/12/13 at 01:36 PM.
4/12/13, 01:49 PM
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I don't have another track day until May 5th, so that's the big test of the difference. I will say I made a tight turn and throttled up onto the freeway entrance ramp after work last night. Normally if I did that, the back end would want to slide out and the tires would spin until I lifted (it's not the smoothest transition in the world). This time the backend did step out a little, but it was the smoothest, most controlled slide I ever had. Then the rear gathered itself back in and shot up the hill with only the slightest countersteer.
They technically do sell all the parts individually, but since the rear end links attach differently from the stock links, I don't believe they would be much use to you. The fronts, however, do you use the the same attachment points as the stock end links. So if you didn't want the full front bar, you could at least use those. The part number for front adjustable end links is KLC169.
They technically do sell all the parts individually, but since the rear end links attach differently from the stock links, I don't believe they would be much use to you. The fronts, however, do you use the the same attachment points as the stock end links. So if you didn't want the full front bar, you could at least use those. The part number for front adjustable end links is KLC169.
4/15/13, 11:08 AM
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Crawled under the car today and looked everything over. I wanted to check preload on the bar after the suspension has had a chance to settle. I slightly adjusted one end link, but otherwise everything looked great.
4/16/13, 10:25 AM
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That is a interesting design by whiteline. Unfortunately it looks like it would conflict with the steeda watts link I got. Just for curiosity sake, can you get a picture that shows that extra space for tires?
4/16/13, 11:35 AM
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Sure, I'll take one after work. In general, I've been told that with a conventional style sway bar, there have been some issues with very wide tires on wheels for track cars. I think it's around the 18x12 wheel size. I don't think it would affect most street cars. It's not first-hand experience though. The time trial I ran last year required stock wheel size. Since the Whiteline bar is only as wide as the end links, it doesn't come close to the wheels/tires anymore. To me, it's easier to reach everything to make adjustments without taking the wheels off than an adjustable bar that mounts in the stock location.
4/17/13, 10:06 AM
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Sure, I'll take one after work. In general, I've been told that with a conventional style sway bar, there have been some issues with very wide tires on wheels for track cars. I think it's around the 18x12 wheel size. I don't think it would affect most street cars. It's not first-hand experience though. The time trial I ran last year required stock wheel size. Since the Whiteline bar is only as wide as the end links, it doesn't come close to the wheels/tires anymore. To me, it's easier to reach everything to make adjustments without taking the wheels off than an adjustable bar that mounts in the stock location.
4/17/13, 11:06 AM
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I've also attached the photo you requested showing the space between the bar and the tire. The tire in the photo is a 265/40ZR19.
4/17/13, 05:54 PM
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4/18/13, 09:06 AM
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4/18/13, 10:25 AM
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We've been beating on it with no issues. We did update the saddles on the axle when Whiteline changed the specs, but we had no issues with the old part and no evidence of moving or shifting. The forces a bar sees put the mount in tension and are unlikely to rotate it on the axle.
That Whiteline Watts link looks to be at least a few lbs lighter than my Steeda unit. Tell Terry I hope the SCCA get's it's act together on the Diff. cover style Watts Link The ESP guys will miss him at Nats this year.
4/22/13, 11:35 AM
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4/23/13, 10:36 AM
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