• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

I got my new 331 and it is installed..........

"68EFIvert" said:
On a side note I had a bone head moment the other day. My car is low enough and my oil pan sits lower than normal because the engine drop that I can't jack the car up from the engine crossmember. Well I can but I can't put it all the way down without the engine sitting on the jack when it goes all the way down.

Anyways...... I now jack the car from both sides of the front to raise it up. Not a big deal just takes more time. In an effort to same some time and twist the body less I jacked the car from the crossmember when I wanted to put the car back on the ground. I put it down to the lowest setting of my jack stands then did each side for the final few inches. In my crossmember jacking I must have had some of the pad of the jack under the oil pan and dented the crap out of it next to the crossmember. Now it looks like I ran over a large rock or something. If it was the pan leaking I am sure that did not help. DOH!
Click to expand...

My Unisteer R&P replaces the factory crossmember. I found that I can jack the car up with it, but you have to be very precise about it. It slipped once and put a nice crease in my Canton pan.

So, I made a "bridge" that spans from one frame rail to the other just behind where the valance bolts up. I made it out of 2" square tubing with a short piece of 2" tubing on top of that at each end so that the bridge doesn't hit the strut rod bracket thingies. I marked the center of this bridge so that I know where to put the jack, and I locate the feet of the bridge right behind the valance. I can jack the car up just fine with this, but not as high as you can with a factory crossmember.

I do miss my factory crossmember.
 
"68EFIvert" said:
Do you have a picture of your "bridge"? That sounds like something I could use! :ecit
Click to expand...

Here ya go. Please overlook the bugs on the nose...

383_18_05_10_4_59_35.JPG


I considered adding ears so that I could somehow bolt it to the car for improved safety, but I ran out of patience for all that.
 
I have no problems at all with placing a hockey puck onto the "cup" of the jack and using the center of the car's sway bar. That sway bar is not going anywhere and it sure as heck ain't going to suffer any fatigue from being used as a jacking point.
 
Ok, either I have my sway bar on upside down (with I'm fairly positive that I don't), or it's just malformed. Because I can not even get my jack under it. Otherwise I would jack it from that point too.

You can see it hanging down in my sigpic.
 
"70_Fastback" said:
Ok, either I have my sway bar on upside down (with I'm fairly positive that I don't), or it's just malformed. Because I can not even get my jack under it. Otherwise I would jack it from that point too.

You can see it hanging down in my sigpic.
Click to expand...


Are you using the correct sway bar endlink kit? As I remember there's a long and short version of the kit that changed between the 67 and 68 model years.
 
"daveSanborn" said:
Are you using the correct sway bar endlink kit? As I remember there's a long and short version of the kit that changed between the 67 and 68 model years.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I do not know actually. I just used what came with it - assuming it was correct. But shorter would definetly make a big difference.

Can I buy just the endlink kit? I need to do some digging. Thanks for the info!
 
"70_Fastback" said:
Can I buy just the endlink kit?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can. My local AutoZone has them (Energy Suspension), and they're not expensive. They have different lengths. I got the shortest kit because my car has been lowered quite a bit. Lowering has that effect on your sway bar.
 
I was told that your end link mounting hole should be perpendicular with the ground.

So following that direction, I cut my end links down to the length that got it in the right position.
 
Have any of you had problems with the end links holding up to all the weight on them? It seems that there would be a lot of pressure on those small bolts.
 
Darreld if you want something like PJ made let me know. I can fab it up in a few minutes with the scrap metal I have in the garage.
 
Thanks Tony. That would be great! That will give me a reason to drive it over to your place. Now if the weather will improve!
 
"PJ Moran" said:
Yes, you can. My local AutoZone has them (Energy Suspension), and they're not expensive. They have different lengths. I got the shortest kit because my car has been lowered quite a bit. Lowering has that effect on your sway bar.
Click to expand...

Sounds like my scenario and the fix as well. Thanks!
 
Man that looks like a manhole grabber. AFAIK the oil pan should be lower than the sway bar. Below is a pic of the underside of a car, although the angle doesn't help give it much perspective. The angle of the LCAs prove the weight of the car is on the wheels.

231_20_05_10_7_28_54.jpg


And another with aftermarket sway bar:

231_20_05_10_7_32_17.jpg
 
My swaybar actually hit & scraped going up a very steep concrete drive into a parking lot once. I hit the ramp entry going a little faster than I should have, but I was making a left turn through 2 lanes with oncoming traffic, so I wasn't able to just putz it up the ramp like I normally would have.
 
FWIW, my front bar sits about 1 1/2" above the bottom of the oil pan.
 
"hivewax" said:
Did I hear use the sway bar as a jack point??! I would not recommend it.
Click to expand...


I mentioned it. Agreed that the center of the sway bar is not the best place in the world to use as a jacking point, but I've used it MANY times without issue on cars that have been lowered preventing the floor jack from easily getting onto the crossmember. Jack the car up a few inches using the sway bar, jackstand the frame rails, and then move the jack back to the crossmember to finish getting the car up.
 
I have the same problem... couldn't get the jack under the side frame rail or the cross member, so I jacked in front of the strut rod mounts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top