1962-64 Cobra Stabilizer Bar Mounting

[Dan Case]

Here’s some pictures of original stabilizer bar mounting bushings and clamps 1962-1964. Clamps varied some because they were hand fabricated. The bushings are Ford parts.

This image is a clip from a photograph taken late summer 1964 at Shelby American of a new Cobra being prepared to fill an order.









Street and most race (CSX2431 doesn’t count because it had many non stock systems tested on it) including the first Daytona Coupe before 427 Cobras were developed the rubber bushings for the bar was a 1950s Ford part and the clamps to fix them to the chassis were hand fabricated from hot rolled steel flat bar. I don’t know if SAI fabricated the clamps or had them made but today that are pretty rare. It literally took more than three decades for me to get unmolested samples of original clamps in my hands to reverse engineer into drawings.

By sometime in 1965 the clamps and bushings were quite different, the clamp was then a purchased part. At least some Cobras finished in 1965 and some 427 Cobras finished in 1966 used the same parts for a front stabilizer system, example CSX2497 and CSX3265 front stabilizer bar systems were the same.

[1985 CCX]

Dan,

Great information, great to have the knowledge passed on...

[Mark IV]

Dan,

The AJ-5493-B bushings are 1958-60 Thunderbird parts and are readily available in reproduction as well as NOS. Also carried under PN B9S-5493-A

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Dan,

The AJ-5493-B bushings are 1958-60 Thunderbird parts and are readily available in reproduction as well as NOS. Also carried under PN B9S-5493-A

Lots of NOS ones are around. I did not know that there were reproductions available also. Thanks.

[DMXF]

Dan, some additional info. The front bar in 3265 was, I suspect, fitted to the car by an owner, as most coil spring cars didn't come with anti sway bars and parts were being collected by the owner of that car with a plan for a number of years to race it. The front bar straps and bushings I've seen as original on 427 cars that did come with them from SA were not squared off around the bar as in your 289 Cobra example, but just a plain radius.

[Dan Case]

What was removed from CSX3265 was removed before the extensive modifications were started and that included the "rounded" style bushing clamps and half round type bushings. The parts look similar 1965 MUSTANG GT350 parts. Based on Registry information the original owner did some limited local racing after having purchased some parts to do so. The man in Georgia that seriously modified the car bought the car in a dismantled state. When I first looked that this car it had some very new looking Minilite® magnesium wheels on the rolling chassis. The man from Georgia had quite a collection of new old stock factory and new aftermarket parts at his house. None of the racing parts except the wheels appeared to be used. Memory says the collection of engine parts had not even been assembled yet. I was there looking to buy original parts I wanted and or could afford. There was a new old stock in the SAI shipping box roll bar kit for a 427 Cobra that I debated about buying but didn’t. The second owner sold off original parts removed from the car to finance the conversion to the racer he had in mind. I saw the car in some pictures at a later date and by that time it had been heavily modified all over inside and out. I bought the used front stabilizer bar system, the style SAI installed on cars, complete original dirt and all except for the fasteners that held the bushing grommets to the chassis, which were gone by that time.

As I said, clamps and bushings in use by mid 1965 were quite different. CSX2497 was used to fill an order for a Cobra built into the Stage 1 competition configuration in September 1965. It got the rounded style clamps and half round style bushings.


There was not a great number of street Cobras that got fitted with front stabilizer bar systems, at least not at initial order time. Finding a car with its system or even an original system installed post delivery intact is rare.

[LMH]

Here's a photo of the rear mounting brackets.
Larry

[MAStuart]

Here is another picture of the sway bar mounts. Not sure who's picture it is. These are on one of the original coupes. You can see how they support the sway bar closer to the bends of the bar.

Mark

[1795]

Positioning the supports closer to the bends in the stabilizer bar would limit how far the stabilizer bar can shift under hard cornering. The rubber bushings hold fairly well, but they will allow for some travel of the sway bar. In addition, having the bushings spaced that far out also provides more stability and stiffness to the sway bar.

[rsk289]

So, if I'm reading this right, a late '65 car (Sept - Dec, maybe) would have most likely had the half-round bushes and clamps. If that's right, does anyone have a likely source for these with rubber bushes, not poly?

Roger

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by rsk289

So, if I'm reading this right, a late '65 car (Sept - Dec, maybe) would have most likely had the half-round bushes and clamps. If that's right, does anyone have a likely source for these with rubber bushes, not poly?

Roger

Roger, Adjust your time frame thinking to circa mid December 1964 through circa June 1966. SAI didn't just finish the last Cobra one day and start others the next. Circa December 1964 the new MUSTANG GT350 and competition 427 COBRA got most of the attention. There were not many brand new Cobra chassis left as December 1964 came around but there were some and a few are listed in the Registry as getting some type front stabilizer bar. The only 'late to be finished' one I have personally seen, and when seen had not been cleaned up yet from decades of use, was CSX2497 that was sent out in it final new car form in September 1965.

[Dan Case]

Somebody with a set of "rounded" hardware not on a car contacted me. The original owner of a 427 Cobra ordered a front stabilizer bar kit post delivery and this is what he was sent and he used on the car.