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Rear sway bar to clear 8.8 axle

kcpaz

Member
Joined
May 3, 2016
Is there an aftermarket rear sway bar that is known to clean an 8.8 diff cover? My OEM bar doesn't clear, and to make matters worse, I'm running a cast aluminum, aftermarket cover. I don't want to roll the dice only to find out that an aftermarket bar won't fit. Or, should I just omit the bar entirely?
 
I had to get a rear sway bar modified (by mikep) to clear my 9.0 diff. It's not a difficult mod to lengthen the side bars so it sits farther back. You could go without, but some bar in back is usually better (depending upon your other suspension mods).
 
I had to get a rear sway bar modified (by mikep) to clear my 9.0 diff. It's not a difficult mod to lengthen the side bars so it sits farther back. You could go without, but some bar in back is usually better (depending upon your other suspension mods).

I thought about modifying the side arms to make them longer, but doing that would essentially make the "spring rate" softer... but I guess you're right, a slightly softer bar would be better than no bar at all.
 
I thought about modifying the side arms to make them longer, but doing that would essentially make the "spring rate" softer... but I guess you're right, a slightly softer bar would be better than no bar at all.

wrong. no rear bar and stiffer springs works best....most people who are running an 8.8 have already thrown the rear bar away.
 
What spring rate makes up for no rear sway bar? Putting a Ford 9" in, I thought it would clear but this thread makes me wonder... not trying to threadjack Op, just get a bit more info on this. Lengthening the swaybar mounting a couple inches is not a good idea then?

Our roads are terrible so I can't see how putting in super stiff springs would be a good idea
 
The only problem I had fitting the RSB with my 8.8 was that I welded the brackets a smidge too close and had to hammer it into place. I've since removed it, car does better at autocross without it. Now my panhard bar was a different story, I had to clearance the stock steel cover with a hammer and bend the panhard bar in a 20T press so that it would clear.
 
wrong. no rear bar and stiffer springs works best....most people who are running an 8.8 have already thrown the rear bar away.

in your opinion does this apply to everything or are you picturing an autocross course? I did not prefer my car with no bar and more spring on the roads out here, but I can understand why you guys like it in an autocross setting. I am pulling in a 19mm rear bar to try out as I do think the 25mm is too much.
 
I thought about modifying the side arms to make them longer, but doing that would essentially make the "spring rate" softer... but I guess you're right, a slightly softer bar would be better than no bar at all.

No, the spring rate is the same. It is calculated by the length of the arm it is bolted to, no matter where it is. Front or rear. The axle to pivot length of the trailing arm would have to get longer to decrease its rate.
 
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