How to install a Rear Sway Bar in a 1966 Mustang

I have been looking forward to this mod as it will drastically change the handling dynamics of the car. The early Mustangs were not equipped with a Rear Sway Bar from the factory, so adding any bar back there will be an improvement on how the rear end acts when you push it.
I chose this bar because of how it mounts to the car versus other brands. The installation was fairly straight forward and the included instructions were decent.
Hellwig Rear Sway Bar, Part # 6806 amzn.to/3z4JZzm
The car is a 1966 Mustang Coupe with a factory V8 and T5 transmission.
Shot with GoPro Hero 8 with the Media Mod, edited on Davinci Resolve 16.
Credit for the music in the video:
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Epidemic Sound
Try it today! www.epidemicso...
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#Mustang
#1966

[@waltercobra1566]

Just purchased my first Muscle Car, a 66 Mustang coupe. I am really excited to get some of the things you have been doing done. I am not a very good mechanic at all but, with some help from some friends, I would love to tackle some of these projects. Great videos. Walter

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks, and welcome to the club! Hopefully my videos will help you through some of the tougher or confusing parts of your build project. :)

[@ottomobilia1318]

Hey Andy just wanted to say thanks. Just bought a 66 and your videos are great help!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Great to hear!

[@locowaldo1542]

I've been thinking of installing some performance sway bars in my car. Your's is a lot different, but any knowledge about how they usually go together helps, so thank you!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I chose this bar because of how it attaches to the car and the relative ease at which it can be installed. I've seen some bars that require welding and that's not really in my wheel house.

[@johnwesleycollins878]

As always fun to watch simple direct you don't act like a big pro but you are spot on

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I appreciate that!

[@johnc7431]

Nice job I always enjoyed watching your videos.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks for the support!! :)

[@56silvershine]

I put a rear sway bar on a 65 mustang back in 1974 or so, made it handle better. recommended

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Yes, it was a big improvement on this car. However, I have since found the Panhard bar to be a better upgrade on these cars over a rear sway bar. :)

[@fernandovids]

Finally a video on rear sway bar on a 66 no one makes videos on this I also wanna add one

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I've had several requests for a video on the rear bar, it was always on my list of parts to do, I just can't do all the parts at once. :) Hopefully there was some good info in there for you that you can use when you get around to adding a rear sway bar on your car.

[@scottbitterman1331]

Fernandovids I have a brand new rear sway bar for 65/66 for sale

[@MAGAOAY5]

great videos

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks! 😊

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

Man you have so many cool tools

[@AndyKruseChannel]

It's all smoke and mirrors my good Sir!

[@raymondrauchle497]

Andy between the rear sway bar and the Panhard Bar, which (in your opinion) made the best impact on the handling of your coupe? I have heard that rear sway bars make the car handle way too hard. That the Panhard bar is better without disrupting the flow of the car…. I am working on a 1965 Coupe, and I am planning on daily driving it. I do not want it to handle like a wooden wagon / buck board.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

The Panhard Bar, any day of the week! The rear sway bar on these cars does reduce the body roll, like every other car that has one, but most other cars don't have a floating axle that complicates the handling of the car in "spirited" scenarios. The axle needs to be "locked down" before we start expecting the car to handle like more modern cars. Whether someone does the Panhard Bar, Watts Link, or a 4-link setup, any one of those needs to be done before considering a rear sway bar (I learned this after installing the rear sway bar on the Coupe). This is due to the fact that the rear sway bar essentially does nothing to keep that axle centered under the car, especially during hard cornering scenarios. But due to the relatively light weight and lower center of gravity, the Panhard is all we need because the axle isn't "snapping back into position" after exiting a hard corner and you can get the backend to step out with the throttle. I was under the impression that I need to add a rear sway bar because of all the modern sports cars I had driven in the previous 20 years. I failed to understand that the backend of those cars hard the rear "locked down" and so adding a rear sway bar to those cars improved the handling. A rear sway bar should only be added after something like a Panhard bar, but you may find that the Panhard is plenty and it makes the car drive like you want. I have no plans to add a rear sway bar to the Fastback. :)

[@georgea5478]

Andy I have a 65 Falcon. After you installed the rear sway bar did you notice any difference in handling. You talked about the exhaust in the way was it a major issue? Thanks George in St Louis

[@AndyKruseChannel]

At the time I made this video, I was under the impression that I needed a rear sway bar over other suspension components because of my experience with later model cars and how a rear sway bar can affect the handling of the car. When I stalled this bar I did see an improvement in how the rear of the car reacted to my throttle input. The car felt more planted and predictable. I felt it was great purchase at the time. However, I installed a Panhard Bar on my current Mustang and it is better in every way over the rear sway bar (assuming you would only install one). I wish I had installed the Panhard bar on the car in this video instead of the rear sway bar. The car is more enjoyable to drive and the mechanics of how the Panhard bar keeps the axle centered under the car far exceeds any work the rear sway bar was doing when I thought it was the part to have. I have a video on that Panhard Bar, you should check it out! :)

[@dewholdingsllc1050]

Hellwig seems to be around a long time now and I had a problem with the old bushings on my RV and I called the technician and asked if I could order some more bushings and he asked me for mailing address and sent me a new set no charge.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Yeah, it was a quality product, I'd install another if I felt the Panhard Bar I have now didn't do enough. :)

[@monsterblue7453]

Installing the rear sway bar did that change the rear stance of the car at all? Or does the rear stance basically stay the same with the addition of the sway bar?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

This will not affect the stance of the car. It will affect how much the body rolls in hard corners. 🙂

[@mymustang67289]

Thanks you for this nice How to. Please tell us the réf sway bar you have buy.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Hellwig Rear Sway Bar, Part # 6806

[@mymustang67289]

@@AndyKruseChannel great, thanks you

[@VegasRT500]

How do you like the rear sway bar on your 1966 Mustang? Was it a modification you would do again or was it something that negatively affected the handling?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I liked the rear bar, and I could feel a difference in the balance of the car. However, since I installed that bar others have pointed out the benefits of a rear sway vs a panhard bar on these classic mustangs. The rear sway is great at transferring the load to the inside tire as it is designed to do, but it doesn't do a good enough job at keeping the rear axle from sliding to the side (with respect to being centered under the car) and possibly causing the tires to rub and a sudden snap of grip when the axles re-centers its self when coming out of a corner. Next time I think I'll do the panhard bar first, and then see if I still need to add a rear sway bar later. :)

[@GolfGuy54601]

@@AndyKruseChannel Do you still think this is the best approach since you got your Fastback?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

@@GolfGuy54601 Great question. So far yes. I stand by the thinking that the swaybar and panhard bar are performing different functions, but I've got my eye on a panhard bar that I want to buy and install. After it's in I'll try to get a good chunk of seat time with it and see if I still need the rear swaybar. :)

[@jatalberg]

Nice job if I had a garage to work on my car and a lift to get a lot of stuff done all the time does it really make a big difference to have that sway bar on their normal speed driving just curious just looks like a lot of work or if you’re not like doing some track stuff

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Casual drivers won't notice a difference. Those who push their car a bit or race them will notice it.

[@jatalberg]

Well I probably could use that rear sway bar this weekend waiting for that hurricane to get out of here lol cause I’m right down here on the gulf of Mexico and Mississippi, I don’t have a garage right now the car is in the electric shop getting all the wiring redone so I asked them to keep it there they’re even closer to the ocean though so we’ll see what happens

[@mellis181]

Where in Washington are you located? Moving there to WA in the spring.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Eastern Washington.

[@glm777]

Hi Andy, I'm getting ready to purchase rims - the same rims you have - would you be so kind as to post here what size and tire size they are? I like the look of them on your car. I was going to use American Racing Dasiy / Coke Bottle pattern but they've been discontinued. Cheers! Gary

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Haha, no problem. WHEELS The wheels are American Racing, Torq Thrust, 15x7, with a a 5 x 4.5" (5 x 114.3mm) bolt pattern. The part number is VN3095765. That part number is important because there are several styles and surface finishes of Torq Thrust wheels. That part number will get you the same wheels. If needed, I can fill your ear about the differences in the Torq Thrust wheels and why I chose that specific style. :) TIRES The tires are BFGoodrich Radial T/A, 225/60/15 at all four corners. This tire and wheel combo will fit the rear without rubbing, but it will be close. The inner edge of the fender lip on the front two fenders will need to be rolled slightly. Extra Info The car has 5-leaf, mid-eye springs in the rear (about a 1" drop over stock) from CJ Pony Parts (part number LSK7). The front springs are Eibach Pro-Kit which was supposed to drop the car an inch but I ended up cutting off 3/4 of a coil to get the drop where I wanted it (part number 3562.120 from Eibach). Because the front springs were 55 years old and tired, I don't really know what the total drop is from stock, but it is now lower than where it was before I replaced the springs. I also did the Shelby Drop (or Arning Drop) which is supposed to drop another 1/2"-1" of the front of the car. Last, I don't care for the wheel caps that American Racing provides, but I found a guy on Ebay that sells a flat aluminum cap that matches the design and bolt pattern. They're clean and understated, which is perfect for the look I wanted. I'm passing on this info because if you're looking to replicate how your car sits compared to mine, the wheels and tires are only part of the equation. Enjoy! :)

[@glm777]

@@AndyKruseChannel fantastic info Andy! It's the fire we run through the bog with. All of it is hard won knowledge and we all feel a little less pain being able to watch and learn from your videos. Thanks so much and carry on!!!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

@@glm777 This is a big reason why I put these videos together, when someone is able to pull some nugget of info from them to help with their project. We all started someone, and sometimes we just need a little info to help get us pointed down the right path. :)

[@SmackeysGarage]

How did it drive after you installed it?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Better. I haven't pushed it too hard enough to get the back end to step out, but it feels more "neutral". :)

[@mjj6870]

send me a link to where I can find a set of wheels like the one you have please

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I purchased them from Performance Plus Tire, they are American Racing Torq Thrust, sized 15x7, -6mm offset. The part number is VN3095765. That number is important because it will get you the exact size, offset (backspacing), color, and spoke design. I paid about $70 shipped for them 6 months ago. :)

[@criticaluplink]

Should’ve upgrade rear end with pozi and disc brake

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I did add Traction Lok (Ford version) to this car, but sold it before I could do the rear disc conversion.