Rear anti-sway bar

[TurnpikeBoy]

Tony, the front bar actually is very easy to get out of the car; once the bushings/clamps are unbolted, you have only to pull one bolt out of the Heim links at each end of the bar and then thread the bar out of the front end. Not hard to do....you will do some twisting and turning, but it is easier to do than describe.

As to inserts in the rear frame crossmember, well....Rick, I'm only one car ahead of yours (#9404) but there were no threaded inserts in mine, and I got the car in 2003. Then again, the car was bought without the rear swaybar, so maybe that's why. Nevertheless, it was a very, very simple matter to mark and drill two holes at each bushing location and use 3/8" self-tapping hex-head screws to mount the bushings and brackets. Yes, low-tech, but have proven more than adequate.

As to fan clearances, well...I haven't found a need yet for a puller fan - but. I did make 3/4" thick spacer blocks to lower the bigger bar at the front mounts, as the Addco bar didn't have the offset bend at the ends to provide for front framerail clearance (basically, it was bent such that it lays flat, one end to the other, on the floor - the standard-equipped 3/4" bar has a dogleg bent into the ends that props the ends of the bar up off the floor). I don't know if this would put the bar low enough to clear the fan motor, but likely would help some.

[eliminator]

Allen,

When did you guy's start putting the threaded inserts in all the frames?

Looks like it was 2003 or later. My car was ordered with a sway bar so I was good to go.

[davids2toys]

My car is a 93, I am also interested in the rear sway bar. I also already have the rear trailings arms upgrade.
Anybody care to chime in and the cost?
I did not know you take the front and put it in the back, what size would normally come in the back?
Dave

[Tony Radford]

Alan will put the kit together that includes everything you need to do the upgrade. The only real pain is knocking the shock out of the way to get the bolt in. I was able to do it without completely removing the shock at the lower connection. I removed the washer, reinstalled the nut (that is just on by a few threads) and moved the shock over to the nut. I ended up drilling and tapping the holes for the two straps using a fine thread 3/8" tap. You can put masking tape on the frame where the straps will be mounted and mark/drill the tape after you've located the four hole locations. It really makes a big difference in how the car corners. This will make it easier for my to roll mine in a high-speed turn.

[davids2toys]

Alan will put the kit together that includes everything you need to do the upgrade. The only real pain is knocking the shock out of the way to get the bolt in. I was able to do it without completely removing the shock at the lower connection. I removed the washer, reinstalled the nut (that is just on by a few threads) and moved the shock over to the nut. I ended up drilling and tapping the holes for the two straps using a fine thread 3/8" tap. You can put masking tape on the frame where the straps will be mounted and mark/drill the tape after you've located the four hole locations. It really makes a big difference in how the car corners. This will make it easier for my to roll mine in a high-speed turn.

Hey Tony,
Thanks for the info, sounds pretty easy. Cost? Will I be putting the front bar on the back as a few people have talked about?

[Tony Radford]

I think the front bar is the same size as what Unique recommends for the rear and a slightly larger one for the front improves performance a bit. So you can transfer the front bar to the rear and get the larger one for the front. I have the 16" Spal fan on the front and there isn't any room to increase the diameter of the front bar without hitting the fan. I just got another 3/4" bar for the rear. The kit runs $300.

[davids2toys]

I think the front bar is the same size as what Unique recommends for the rear and a slightly larger one for the front improves performance a bit. So you can transfer the front bar to the rear and get the larger one for the front. I have the 16" Spal fan on the front and there isn't any room to increase the diameter of the front bar without hitting the fan. I just got another 3/4" bar for the rear. The kit runs $300.

I just measured the front bar, it is 5/8 inch thick Is this possible, or are the others who mentioned 3/4 inch measurement mistaken?
I might need a front and rear sway bar...man, I am not liking this.
I also have 2 inches between the sway bar and the radiator, that fan you have must be huge! How thick is this thing. I don't have a fan on that side of the radiator, I have pusher fans on the front side.
Thanks for the pricing info, I will be putting all this stuff in my budget for the winter upgrades.
This going to be an expensive winter...Let's see, new sidepipes, front coilovers, fix ebrake, new ram air system(hopefully) installed, new tach, heater, smaller carb, and about 15 other things fixed or upgraded...Still will be fun though

[nolastyankee]

David,
5/8 is the standard MGB sway bar which is used on front end of the Unique roadster. (The entire original front suspension on Uniques was full MGB. The unit transferred easily to the rear because of track width and simple bar design) A sway MGB bar can be procured in varying diameters between 5/8" and 1" and larger by special order through any MG performance house. What you have on your car may either reflect the previous owner or what was being spec'd by Unique at the time. The front bar can go to the rear without issue, it is the same bar. 1/8" diameter in a sway bar will not be noticed unless your suspension is already perfectly dialed in. (Very few Cobra suspensions are - including ours)

The cost of the rear sway bar kit from Unique is not the bar itself, that can be purchased from any number of places for $90. It is the hardware, design, and customer service that drive the price.

BTW, the slimmest of electric puller fans is about 2" thick with the high performance models running between 3" and 4". If you are making a list of projects, I'd place a SPAL fan on it near the top. There is not a lot of surface area or shrouding on those pusher fans to keep the car cool in traffic!

[davids2toys]

Hey Brian, thanks for the info. So what would be the hot and most cost effective setup then. I plan on new coilovers in the front( I just did all 4 in the back), do the sway bars, and then just what you said. Have it professionally dialed in perfect.
As far as the fan goes, the pushers are not bad, but I agree, could be alot better. How much is this SPAL fan you are talking about?
So assuming to leave room for a 2 inch fan, what is the best to use in the front. Now, if I was going to stay with my current fan setup(no puller fan), what would be the best bar in the front.
As far as the back, what would be the best size? If I used the front bar, is the whole thing, adjustable ends and all transferable to the back. Would I need anything more?
Dave

David,
5/8 is the standard MGB sway bar which is used on front end of the Unique roadster. (The entire original front suspension on Uniques was full MGB. The unit transferred easily to the rear because of track width and simple bar design) A sway MGB bar can be procured in varying diameters between 5/8" and 1" and larger by special order through any MG performance house. What you have on your car may either reflect the previous owner or what was being spec'd by Unique at the time. The front bar can go to the rear without issue, it is the same bar. 1/8" diameter in a sway bar will not be noticed unless your suspension is already perfectly dialed in. (Very few Cobra suspensions are - including ours)

The cost of the rear sway bar kit from Unique is not the bar itself, that can be purchased from any number of places for $90. It is the hardware, design, and customer service that drive the price.

BTW, the slimmest of electric puller fans is about 2" thick with the high performance models running between 3" and 4". If you are making a list of projects, I'd place a SPAL fan on it near the top. There is not a lot of surface area or shrouding on those pusher fans to keep the car cool in traffic!

[nolastyankee]

David,
You can get a SPAL fan for about $75 or so for the slimline one, they go up from there depending on CFM. Without re-engineering your sway bar and/or radiator bracket you will be stuck with the slim fan. I have one for sale that will fit and I have the optional mounting tabs too. Look at the garage sale thread I posted a couple months back.

For the sway bar my opinion (I'm sure others may differ) would be to go with a 7/8" bar up front. If you are looking to track or autocross you may want to bump up to 1". Going to the 1" bar I would also suggest taking a serious look at the standard factory end links since they are designed for the OEM thickness.

Professionally dialing in the suspension will be a significantly cost intensive exercise since these cars are hand built and one-off in terms of their components and quality of assembly/maintenance. You will want to do lots of reasearch on your own so that you can reference the experts and utilize their time effectively. If you want to simply 'drop off the car and pick it up with perfect suspension' be prepared for a HEFTY bill! Changing the camber on the rear end alone is a several hour job.

[davids2toys]

Brian,
I took a look at your garage sale thread. I presently have the 2 pusher fans, would you know what they do for cfm, I turned them on and put my hand to the back of the radiator, I felt air, but nothing crazy. I wonder why they located them an inch away from the radiator?
I went to the link you provided also, it says it flowed 1300 cfm, is that a lot more than the pushers? It also says you can get this in a pusher model also, so why not do this on the other side of the radiator therefore eliminating the sway bar interferance problem...my guess is it would not look good when you look at the front of the car, am I right or am I way off base?
Can you leave the 2 pusher fans in place( I like the look) when installing one of these SPAL fans?
Also, which mounting tabs do you have for the fan you have for sale, they show 2 on their site.

7/8 is what I had in mind also(from reading threads). I just meassured again to the radiator I have exacly 2 1/8 from the 5/8 sway bar, so 7/8 means I would lose an 1/8 clearance to the radiator, leaving me with 2" exactly, would the 7/8 bar work with your fan? Also, would your fan be a drastic improvement over the 2 fans I have now?

My radiator is slightly canted forward at the top, if you were to relocate the radiator forward, would you have to maintain the present profile, or could I go straight up and down?

I asked you this in my last post:
"As far as the back, what would be the best size? If I used the front bar(5/8), is the whole thing, adjustable ends and all transferable to the back. Would I need anything more?"

Would the 5/8 in the back be compatible with 7/8 in the front? Earlier in this thread Tony said slightly larger in the front, if I am only 5/8 in the front now, and I move it to the back, perhaps I should get a 3/4 inch for the front instead of the 7/8, that would be moving up one size instead of two, plus it would leave a little more room for the fan. What do you think??

Thanks for the advice about dialing the car in. I brought it down to a well known guy here last year, he has a great reputation with local racers...his charge was 80.00 per hr. and I believe he said it should be no longer than 2 to 3 hrs. that was to dial everything in, and squaring everthing up, perhaps I misunderstood him! Well I guess I will find out(ouch) when i am ready

Dave

[davids2toys]

Just found this thread, how interesting

[Tony Radford]

The twin pusher fans are for decoration and do little to cool the engine. The Spal (or equivalent) is essential unless you live in Iceland. The 16" Spal seems to be the defacto standard as the optimum product for the unaltered Unique (standard sway bar and radiator location). I have both. Personally, I think putting the fan on the outside is destracting and terribly unattractive (IMHO). Unless you are a racer, get the standard rear bar from Alan, add the Spal and motor on!

[davebetts]

I have owned our Unique Cobra for five years now. Just ordered and installed the rear sway bar two months ago. Ordered it from Maurice. It arrived complete with everything you need, right down to the black power coating, joints, bolts and washers. Absolutely a bolt on senerio. Had to run a tap, to clean the pre threaded holes, in the chassis. Then bolt the pieces in and adjust to nuetral.
How does it feel? Having both road raced (Pocono North Track) and autocrossed without, I cannot belive the difference. I have not raced since the install, but I can tell you this. The car has transformed from a flying canon ball into a guided missle. The car "hangs in" in the corners and most impressively, recenters itself when it comes out of a manuver. Gives alot more stability and predictability.
Worth every penny. And a pleasure to receive parts that not only fit, but work so well. I know it seems that my posts rave about the Weavers, but if the shoe fits.
Buy the bar and install it!

[nolastyankee]

David,
To reiterate something I said once before, these cars are one-off and there is truly no single correct answer. Your most important research tool is your own ability to gather facts and decide what is best for your application - be wary of taking a solution straight across to your car since you will most certainly be dealing with different variables.

That said, you need a SPAL fan to cool the radiator. The pushers are functional decoration that are bred from a time in automotive history before the SPAL fan. Had Carroll had access to a SPAL fan there would have never been pushers on a Cobra. (Opinion) The 2" slimline fan is standard fare for cars without modified radiator mounts. We totally re-engineered our mount and now have a perfectly vertical radiator but strap in for some work if you go that route. The 2" SPAL will fit fine as is and I would not worry fan clearance with a larger bar. These cars are simply not so precise that 1/8" radius will make or break an install.

My recco on the 7/8" bar is opinion more than science. Any bar will work fine and your car's performance will be much more influenced by your baseline setup than selection of parts. Until you have the right springs, damping/rebound, and perfect alignment a 1/8" difference in sway bar diameter is splitting hairs.

[davids2toys]

The twin pusher fans are for decoration and do little to cool the engine. The Spal (or equivalent) is essential unless you live in Iceland. The 16" Spal seems to be the defacto standard as the optimum product for the unaltered Unique (standard sway bar and radiator location). I have both. Personally, I think putting the fan on the outside is destracting and terribly unattractive (IMHO). Unless you are a racer, get the standard rear bar from Alan, add the Spal and motor on!

Yes Tony, I would agree, installed in the front would look like dog****!
So when you say 16 inch, you are talking about the slim line right?
Also, when you say standard rear bar from Allen, what size is this?
We were talking about putting the front onto the back, I am 5/8 in the front right now.
What is the max size sway bar you can put in the front, with the spal fan, and the aluminum radiator?

[davids2toys]

I have owned our Unique Cobra for five years now. Just ordered and installed the rear sway bar two months ago. Ordered it from Maurice. It arrived complete with everything you need, right down to the black power coating, joints, bolts and washers. Absolutely a bolt on senerio. Had to run a tap, to clean the pre threaded holes, in the chassis. Then bolt the pieces in and adjust to nuetral.
How does it feel? Having both road raced (Pocono North Track) and autocrossed without, I cannot belive the difference. I have not raced since the install, but I can tell you this. The car has transformed from a flying canon ball into a guided missle. The car "hangs in" in the corners and most impressively, recenters itself when it comes out of a manuver. Gives alot more stability and predictability.
Worth every penny. And a pleasure to receive parts that not only fit, but work so well. I know it seems that my posts rave about the Weavers, but if the shoe fits.
Buy the bar and install it!

Hey, you rave about what you believe in, I get physiced up just reading about the handling in your car, that is what I want in the end!
That kit sounds great, did it come with the bar? Somebody said it didn't. If yes, what was the thickness?
I don't believe I will have any holes, mine is a 93!
Hell, I don't even know where or how it hooks up, maybe it will come with a picture or two, or directions...lol

[davids2toys]

David,
To reiterate something I said once before, these cars are one-off and there is truly no single correct answer. Your most important research tool is your own ability to gather facts and decide what is best for your application - be wary of taking a solution straight across to your car since you will most certainly be dealing with different variables.

That said, you need a SPAL fan to cool the radiator. The pushers are functional decoration that are bred from a time in automotive history before the SPAL fan. Had Carroll had access to a SPAL fan there would have never been pushers on a Cobra. (Opinion) The 2" slimline fan is standard fare for cars without modified radiator mounts. We totally re-engineered our mount and now have a perfectly vertical radiator but strap in for some work if you go that route. The 2" SPAL will fit fine as is and I would not worry fan clearance with a larger bar. These cars are simply not so precise that 1/8" radius will make or break an install.

My recco on the 7/8" bar is opinion more than science. Any bar will work fine and your car's performance will be much more influenced by your baseline setup than selection of parts. Until you have the right springs, damping/rebound, and perfect alignment a 1/8" difference in sway bar diameter is splitting hairs.

I hear you Brian, also understand, that is exactly what I am doing...attempting to gather facts and knowledge, learning from others, etc, etc. I much rather do things right the first time instead of doing the I should ofs, wasting time and money! Both of which I am short on.
It is also the same when I am helping someone out with something I have done already, right down to part numbers and all aspects of the install, including mods, pitfalls and questions.
I am pretty new to the Cobra game, so please try and understand.
Dave

[eliminator]

HINT:
Sway Bar Mount Amazing what can be found!!

[davebetts]

Yes, the kit from Unique Motorcars did include the bar (powder coated black - to boot). The bar size is 5/8", just as my front sway bar. TIP: take a 5/8" open end wrench and push it over the front bar to check. Just an easy/quick way to measure a diameter. I also have a Spal puller fan behind the radiator and it just fits without hitting the front sway bar.