Topic: 1968 Ford & Mercury 15/16 { correction 7/8 }sway bar bushing oem design?

[Cougman7.0]

Hey Everyone
Can someone tell me if this style of bushing was original for a ‘68 427 428 CJ Cougar
72K original miles and virtually nothing has been touched underneath
This is the type I currently need to replace (just 1)
Also if anyone has a decent used one I’d be interested!
I’m trying to recreate the original equipment
TIA
 Mike

[Bossbill]

Can you show us the bracket that holds the bushing?

The 15/16 sway bar uses this bushing
https://www.scottfullerreproductions.com/catalog/item/4595229/10223867.htm
With a specific bracket shown in that link.

The bushings you show do not appear to be correct for the large bar.

[Bob Gaines]

Hey Everyone
Can someone tell me if this style of bushing was original for a ‘68 427 428 CJ Cougar
72K original miles and virtually nothing has been touched underneath
This is the type I currently need to replace (just 1)
Also if anyone has a decent used one I’d be interested!
I’m trying to recreate the original equipment
TIA
 Mike

The ones in your picture are not the correct style bushing from the factory for a 15/16 bar. That is a after market design which will not fit inside the factory heavy duty sway bar brackets . Dead Nuts On- Not exact but 95 % compared to original. Heads and shoulders above most anything else reproduction. https://www.deadnutson.com/1967-70-front-sway-bar-bushings-15-16/

[Cougman7.0]

Thanks for the quick responses!

I wasn’t sure I had a picture of the bracket on my phone
Hopefully this shows clearly enough
Otherwise I’ll have to take another after work

[Cougman7.0]

Sorry just learning to navigate this forum and on my phone
Here’s the passenger side
 What’s the chance there was a TSB On the clearance between the crankshaft dampener and the sway bar so they installed a quarter inch - 3/8 spacer between the frame and the sway bar bracket  ?
 one of my GTE's has it and one doesn’t was it actually a TSB from Ford ?
.                                                                                                                         

okay just checked the size of both bars {both cars are W codes built before 3-15-68}
Both bars are 7/8 -
Both have the same brackets
Both have the same style bushing
The restored car had 38 K original miles, but 21 years ago I can't remember if I used the same style bushing or not

Since the non restored car has only 72K and everything 95% of suspension components are as factory delivered
I tend to think they are original as well ??

Curious mostly now , and if Ford ever issued a TSB on the clearance issue. ( I didn't know about the spacer until I saw the part listed on Bill's site Mansfield Mustang)



Thanks

  Mike

[Bossbill]

I've found using a phone to do anything other than check for active posts and take pictures (not view them) is not very useful. There are many details you need to see and you really need a large desktop screen or at minimum a decent laptop.

Someone has just manhandled and squooshed a smaller bushing in there and to make that work, replaced the bracket.

Here is the correct bracket:

[67gtasanjose]

Sorry just learning to navigate this forum and on my phone
Here’s the passenger side
 What’s the chance there was a TSB On the clearance between the crankshaft dampener and the sway bar so they installed a quarter inch spacer between the frame and the sway bar bracket one of my GTE has it and one doesn’t was it actually a TSB from Ford ?

Thanks

  Mike

You might take a 15/16" open end wrench to your bar and find you do not have the 15/16" bar...

[Cougman7.0]

 What’s the chance there was a TSB On the clearance between the crankshaft dampener and the sway bar so they installed a quarter inch - 3/8 spacer between the frame and the sway bar bracket  ?
 one of my GTE's has it and one doesn’t was it actually a TSB from Ford ?
.                                                                                                                         

okay just checked the size of both bars {both cars are W codes built before 3-15-68}
Both bars are 7/8 -
Both have the same brackets
Both have the same style bushing
The restored car had 38 K original miles, but 21 years ago I can't remember if I used the same style bushing or not

Since the non restored car has only 72K and everything 95% of suspension components are as factory delivered
I tend to think they are original as well ??

Curious mostly now , and if Ford ever issued a TSB on the clearance issue. ( I didn't know about the spacer until I saw the part listed on Bill's site Mansfield Mustang)


Sorry about the confusion on actual size of bar

[Bob Gaines]

 What’s the chance there was a TSB On the clearance between the crankshaft dampener and the sway bar so they installed a quarter inch - 3/8 spacer between the frame and the sway bar bracket  ?
 one of my GTE's has it and one doesn’t was it actually a TSB from Ford ?
.                                                                                                                         

okay just checked the size of both bars {both cars are W codes built before 3-15-68}
Both bars are 7/8 -
Both have the same brackets
Both have the same style bushing
The restored car had 38 K original miles, but 21 years ago I can't remember if I used the same style bushing or not

Since the non restored car has only 72K and everything 95% of suspension components are as factory delivered
I tend to think they are original as well ??

Curious mostly now , and if Ford ever issued a TSB on the clearance issue. ( I didn't know about the spacer until I saw the part listed on Bill's site Mansfield Mustang)


Sorry about the confusion on actual size of bar

The 15/16 bar is a different shape compared to the 7/8 bar. The 15/16 bar used different bushings and different brackets.  The spacers were used in 68 only on the 15/16 sway bar from the factory. Yes Ford determined that there was a clearance problem with the balancer when the car and or suspension was at it's limits (dukes of hazard jump ) . 67 didn't have them because problem and solution were not diagnosed yet. For 1969 the 15/16 bar was redesigned so that there was no need for the spacers. 

[RoyceP]

The Cougar GT-E with 427 uses the 7/8" sway bar, so these comments about the 15/16" brackets are not applicable. There was not a TSB on the brackets during the 1968 model year, I have the entire set. Adding the spacers does solve the problem.

The 15/16 bar is a different shape compared to the 7/8 bar. The 15/16 bar used different bushings and different brackets.  The spacers were used in 68 only on the 15/16 sway bar from the factory. Yes Ford determined that there was a clearance problem with the balancer when the car and or suspension was at it's limits (dukes of hazard jump ) . 67 didn't have them because problem and solution were not diagnosed yet. For 1969 the 15/16 bar was redesigned so that there was no need for the spacers.

[Bob Gaines]

The Cougar GT-E with 427 uses the 7/8" sway bar, so these comments about the 15/16" brackets are not applicable. There was not a TSB on the brackets during the 1968 model year, I have the entire set. Adding the spacers does solve the problem.

My comments are directly related to the 15/16 listed in the heading subject of this thread nothing else. There is a correction to the heading subject now. At the very least it will stand as clarification for those reading that are drawn to the topic by the 15/16 sway bar in the subject line.

[Cougman7.0]

My main questions have yet to be decisively answered
#1 style of original bushing for the 7/8 bar/ bracket
#2 was the spacer Factory installed in 1968 ?
If so why didn’t 537286 receive one?

  Thanks for all the input!

  Mike

[RoyceP]

Spacer was never installed in 427 cars. There was no TSB either.

My main questions have yet to be decisively answered
#1 style of original bushing for the 7/8 bar/ bracket
#2 was the spacer Factory installed in 1968 ?
If so why didn’t 537286 receive one?
Did the Jerky boys @ Mustang Ranch who worked on my car not reinstall them? ?

  Thanks for all the input!

  Mike

[RoyceP]

These are so close to the shape of originals that you would never be able to tell they are not once they were installed.

https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/c6oz-5493-e.html?attribs=76

[Cougman7.0]

These are so close to the shape of originals that you would never be able to tell they are not once they were installed




Decisively Answered

Thanks again!