Is this legal?

[Ed Wright]

As I said, the bar that bolts between the F body lower control arms is an anti roll bar. The bar running from the driver's side end of the rear end housing to the bracket on the frame, passenger side, prevents side-to-side sway. Some people tend to cal the anti roll bar a sway bar also. That is not accurate, but you go ahead and call it what you want.

[nolongerracing]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

As I said, the bar that bolts between the F body lower control arms is an anti roll bar. The bar running from the driver's side end of the rear end housing to the bracket on the frame, passenger side, prevents side-to-side sway. Some people tend to cal the anti roll bar a sway bar also. That is not accurate, but you go ahead and call it what you want.

Anti-roll, anti-sway or stabilizer (according to GM parts) are all the same. The purpose of the panhard bar (axel tie rod according to GM parts) is to only keep the housing centered in the car. It is not a side to side "sway bar". So if it came with an anti-roll, why can't it be replaced with an aftermarket unit?

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by nolongerracing

So if it came with an anti-roll, why can't it be replaced with an aftermarket unit?

It can be replaced with an aftermarket unit but the aftermarket unit can't be welded in!

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by nolongerracing

Anti-roll, anti-sway or stabilizer (according to GM parts) are all the same. The purpose of the panhard bar (axel tie rod according to GM parts) is to only keep the housing centered in the car. It is not a side to side "sway bar". So if it came with an anti-roll, why can't it be replaced with an aftermarket unit?

Take that sucker off and see if you can't push the car side-to-side without the tires moving. That is sway. As I said before, accurate or not, go ahead and call it what you want.

[Stocker 2]

Cars such as a coil spring Mustang or Chevelle do not use a panhard arm because the rear control arms are set at an angle to the centerline of the car. The angle of those control arms stop any sway. Any coil spring car that has the control arms running almost straight forward needs a panhard arm to stop the body from swaying sideways and keep the rearend centered under the car.

Both type setups can take advantage of an "added" anti-rollbar which stops the body from rolling or torqueing over on the suspension. Lately a lot of coil spring GM cars like the Chevelle, GTO, GS Buick, etc have bolted a large tube between the lower control arms tying them together. This is a beefier takeoff on the factory bar that was on the some of the original performance cars. I was told this setup is accepted because it bolts to the lower control arms.

[Bob Mulry]

I can't take it anymore.......

Panhard bar = poor man's watts link and is ONLY used to latterly locate the rear end housing under the car.......

Sway bar = anti-roll bar = stabilizer bar and it is ONLY used to control body roll by applying pressure across the vehicle.....The body wants to roll but because the bar is attached to the body and the links try to twist the bar to roll.......In some types of racing the racers like to have the links adjustable to pre-load the suspension with out changing the spring rate.......

Same thing with the "anti-sway bars = anti-roll bars = stabilizer bars" that bolt solidly to the lower control arms. The bar will always attempt to keep the control arms parallel and prevent body roll....

[Mark Markow]

Originally Posted by Bob Mulry

I can't take it anymore.......

Panhard bar = poor man's watts link and is ONLY used to latterly locate the rear end housing under the car.......

Sway bar = anti-roll bar = stabilizer bar and it is ONLY used to control body roll by applying pressure across the vehicle.....The body wants to roll but because the bar is attached to the body and the links try to twist the bar to roll.......In some types of racing the racers like to have the links adjustable to pre-load the suspension with out changing the spring rate.......

Same thing with the "anti-sway bars = anti-roll bars = stabilizer bars" that bolt solidly to the lower control arms. The bar will always attempt to keep the control arms parallel and prevent body roll....

i think neveryone but Ed will agree with you, i have never heard a panhard rod called a sway bar,

[J&P]

Originally Posted by Mark Markow

i think neveryone but Ed will agree with you, i have never heard a panhard rod called a sway bar,

Anti-roll bar = Sway bar ... Check out Jegs an Summit and look for Panhard bar end links. They have them for Sway bars , but, I don't think you will get them to work with a Panhard bar...
Anti roll-bar / Sway-bar controls body roll or Sway
Panhard bar / Diagonal / wishbone / Watts link control lateral movement

Jus sayin.....Pete

[CrateCamaro]

Originally Posted by Mark Markow

i think neveryone but Ed will agree with you, i have never heard a panhard rod called a sway bar,

Ive never herd of this either...and ive been across the country at different NHRA and IHRA races and almost all stockers....coil spring or leaf...have an antiroll bar. An ANTOROLL bar does exactly what the factory SWAYBAR does but more efficiently and its way more solid. I could understand non adjustable links in stock because an adjustable link allows you to add preload. A parnhard bar locates the rear end side to side....an antiroll bar has no side to side properties at all...it controls body roll just like a sway bar. Looks to me like some people just like to argue even if they are wrong

Ive bought, built and broke a tonne of antiroll bars and never has the rear tires hit the quarter panel. So having said that it is in no way even close to being the same as a panhard bar. Some people just buy things and bolt them on their car...these are the people who dont understand the terminology and how things work. They kind of understand because of google but thats about it.

Please...i know its the off season and some poeple are stuck in their house and their choices are listen to their nagging wife or go on classracer.com. Im not looking for an aguement here this is my opinion only and im not fingering anyone out. No internet war please.

As for it being legal I think its ok as long as it bolts into the car. Its better than having a cork screwing tire rubbing disaster. It is a traction device just like a stock swaybar is a traction device as well. Id be more concerned about people having adjustable control arms because I was under the impression that that was not legal. But I have seen alot of coil sprung GM's with upper adjustable control arms. And as for the original post they welded in a brace to bolt the antiroll bar in. The car is sheet metal in this area and you cannot bolt an antiroll bar to sheet metal because the floor will buckle. As for the weld rule I would want it to be a bolt on deal anyways that way you can remove it and service the unit in between races.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Mark Markow

i think neveryone but Ed will agree with you, i have never heard a panhard rod called a sway bar,

Guys, I'm not just trying to argue. I've been in the auto repair business for 50 years, and what I'm calling sway bars have been called that (as well as anti-sway bars) in service manuals since the 1940s and by about every technition I ever worked with for as long as I can remember. Panhard bar is a term I have only heard in the last 10 or 15 years.
You are free to call it what you want. I'm not going to belittle anybody for disagreeing.