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Well, What's "rusty"  It has some rust, I live in Toronto, Canada, so they salt the roads here. It has about 70,000kms and driven in the snow for about 3mths of the year (no serious snow..) I actually don't want the hassle of having to fix it if it does break...so if there's more of a chance that it will break then I'd rather not put the bar on....I dunno..
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Originally posted by JEDsContour:
Originally posted by Rob___:
Hey guys,
How bout the 19mm sway bar? Is it worth upgrading my 18mm SE sway bar to the BAT 19mm? Is it worth it, will I notice a difference?
Will the frame/mounts still need re-inforcing?
Rob
You should be OK with the 19mm bar. That's the largest bar that Ford put on the Contour.
I have a brand new 19mm rear sway bar and rubber bushings I bought from BAT (Ford OEM part). I also have heavy duty brackets and 19mm polyurethane bushings that I bought from Performance Fords for use with the stock subframe.
19mm rear sway bar, polyurethane bushings, and heavy duty brackets are really the best you can do without reinforcing the subframe. You will notice a difference in handling.
My Plans changed and I am not going to use these parts - if you want them, I can make you a good deal.
There is no actual difference in dimension between an SE rear bar and an SVT rear bar. They are variously called either an 18mm bar, or a 19mm, but if you measure them exactly, they are somewhere between 18 and 19. Some people and spec sheets round up, some round down.
My own plan, if I ever complete it, is to leave the rear as is with poly bushings, and swap my 20mm front for the SVT's 19mm front, maybe with fresh rubber bushings. I have the bar and everything--just waiting for a "convenient" time.
Also, excuse my ignorance, but I'm not sure how you could be stranded miles from home by a broken swaybar bracket, considering that the swaybar is non-essential to the basic operation of the vehicle. Did both brackets break, and drop the bar to a weird angle? If so, that's a different story, and maybe reinforcing the brackets ahead of time is more important. I don't know. I've never heard of anyone being stranded by a swaybar, but I've never heard a lot of things.
Last edited by RogerB; 07/27/06 11:51 PM.
Function before fashion.
'96 Contour SE
"Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998
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Originally posted by RogerB:
Originally posted by JEDsContour:
Originally posted by Rob___:
Hey guys,
How bout the 19mm sway bar? Is it worth upgrading my 18mm SE sway bar to the BAT 19mm? Is it worth it, will I notice a difference?
Will the frame/mounts still need re-inforcing?
Rob
You should be OK with the 19mm bar. That's the largest bar that Ford put on the Contour.
I have a brand new 19mm rear sway bar and rubber bushings I bought from BAT (Ford OEM part). I also have heavy duty brackets and 19mm polyurethane bushings that I bought from Performance Fords for use with the stock subframe.
19mm rear sway bar, polyurethane bushings, and heavy duty brackets are really the best you can do without reinforcing the subframe. You will notice a difference in handling.
My Plans changed and I am not going to use these parts - if you want them, I can make you a good deal.
There is no actual difference in dimension between an SE rear bar and an SVT rear bar. They are variously called either an 18mm bar, or a 19mm, but if you measure them exactly, they are somewhere between 18 and 19. Some people and spec sheets round up, some round down.
My own plan, if I ever complete it, is to leave the rear as is with poly bushings, and swap my 20mm front for the SVT's 19mm front, maybe with fresh rubber bushings. I have the bar and everything--just waiting for a "convenient" time.
Also, excuse my ignorance, but I'm not sure how you could be stranded miles from home by a broken swaybar bracket, considering that the swaybar is non-essential to the basic operation of the vehicle. Did both brackets break, and drop the bar to a weird angle? If so, that's a different story, and maybe reinforcing the brackets ahead of time is more important. I don't know. I've never heard of anyone being stranded by a swaybar, but I've never heard a lot of things.
I have a true 19mm bar, not an 18mm bar. Its actually for the European Mondeo. It is the largest bar Ford put on the Contour/Mondeo.
I agree that most people would call the SVT rear bar an 18mm bar.
I don't care one way or another about selling parts, I bought this for my 96 LX, but I have other plans now.
You could drive for months on broken sway bar brackets - the car would just handle funny and make occasional banging noises
99 Tropic Green SVT, Tan Leather, 20K miles, "Nice Twin" (factory stock).
99 Tropic Green SVT, Tan Leather, 28K miles, "Evil Twin" (Turbo AER 3L and more in progress)
96 Red LX, Opal Grey Leather 2.5L, ATX, 22K miles
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Originally posted by RogerB:
Also, excuse my ignorance, but I'm not sure how you could be stranded miles from home by a broken swaybar bracket, considering that the swaybar is non-essential to the basic operation of the vehicle. Did both brackets break, and drop the bar to a weird angle? If so, that's a different story, and maybe reinforcing the brackets ahead of time is more important. I don't know. I've never heard of anyone being stranded by a swaybar, but I've never heard a lot of things.
A two hour drive through windy mountain roads. Good luck driving for months.haha
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Originally posted by RogerB:
My own plan, if I ever complete it, is to leave the rear as is with poly bushings, and swap my 20mm front for the SVT's 19mm front, maybe with fresh rubber bushings. I have the bar and everything--just waiting for a "convenient" time.
Roger, why would you want to do that? I assume you're looking for a way to balance the car better according to (STS?) class rules in Solo. If so, let me dissuade you. I disagree with Ford's assumption that the softer front bar does anything good. When you autocross you really roll this pig around, and lose any semblance of camber you had up front. The normal rules for swaybars only apply if you have four tires on the ground at a reasonable camber angle. If you have a rear off the ground or have a front trying to fold itself under the car, going the opposite direction will usually help more. I'd bet that in stock class you could cure the car's understeer more with a bigger front bar than a smaller one. The extra weight transfer would probably be worth the gain in mid-corner camber.
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Originally posted by Rob___:
I actually don't want the hassle of having to fix it if it does break...so if there's more of a chance that it will break then I'd rather not put the bar on....I dunno..
If you're this torn on the install, then don't do it. You've pretty much ruled out reinforcing the subframe. There IS going to be a chance that the tabs will break. If there wasn't, then people wouldn't be telling you to reinforce them.  The advice is right in front of your face, why keep asking for different opinions until you hear what you want to hear? 
Mark
2000 Black CSVT
3.0L Hybrid - 206fwhp & 195fwtq
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Well, you see, I'm on the fence about the whole thing. Some say it'll be fine, while others say it will break. Not sure what side to take...but yes, you're right, I've probably heard all the info I need to make an "informed" decision, and I thank you all However, anymore info/opinions is definitely welcome. Rob
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I have no life
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That's just the way it is. Some people have broke the brackets on the stock bars.
I have a 21mm bar now and have done some hard driving and haven't broke it YET. There's a good chance it could break when I start running on r compounds.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Originally posted by Rob___:
Not sure what side to take...but yes, you're right
How about err on the side of caution?
I have a stock sway bar and I will be re-enforcing the subframe when I get bored enough to drop it.
Slow Vehicles in Training
01' Lightning
99' SVTC
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