Rear sway bars tend to add oversteer, perhaps adding to any driver over correction.
Good News and VERY VERY BAD News
Good news, I got the brakes adjusted (today) after swapping in a 68 MC and they work fantastic. Better than I thought possible. Now the bad news I found out that my brain didn't register the fact that the brakes can now lock up the wheels much faster than ever before. While driving home today (on a fast freeway) a truck infront of me slams on the brakes and my brain slams my pedal down (just it would have needed to last week) and the car goes into a skid. Not a bad result except that it drifted left just a bit and I got clipped by a car much faster (they were in the car pool lane) this swings my front to the right at a great rate of speed, I over reacted and coorected back left again (I did miss all the cars to the right!) but ended up losing control and sliding across the car pool lane (missing all the cars this time) and slamming into the median. OUCH. The front corners, grille, valence, etc. got mushed quite badly. Somehow a small divet got put in the quarter panel right on the top of the crease as well. I'm looking at a pretty steep repair bill.
Now part of this was due to my not being used to the new brakes, but also to the fact that i very recently added a 1 inch front and a 3/4 inch rear sway bars. They changed the handling also, making the car much more responsive. This made it harder to correct once I got into trouble (I think).
Moral:
1. Be careful!
2. When you change something find a desert parking lot to try out a few stops and lane changes to get a feel for new system.
John Harvey
Now part of this was due to my not being used to the new brakes, but also to the fact that i very recently added a 1 inch front and a 3/4 inch rear sway bars. They changed the handling also, making the car much more responsive. This made it harder to correct once I got into trouble (I think).
Moral:
1. Be careful!
2. When you change something find a desert parking lot to try out a few stops and lane changes to get a feel for new system.
John Harvey
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
Sorry to hear about the accident.. Main thing is that you weren't hurt and sounds like not too much repair on the Mustang...
Glad to see your still with us!!!
Glad to hear you were not hurt.
Could have been a lot worse, glad you escaped injury. Back in march, I put my 64.5 threw a fence....still haven't put it back together (totally) yet. Good luck with the repairs.
Sorry to hear about the car.Good news is no one got hurt. I guess thats why we pay insurance.
69 Mach 1 427 Windsor
69 Mach 1 427 Windsor
bad news!
Glad you are OK. the machine can be repaired relatively easily compared to our bodies.
As far as the lesson goes, you've learned it. Now, don't do that mistake again. I always take my car out for a shakedown on some less populated roads after any significant repairs, like brakes, or power additions. Knowing how to control your vehicle is becoming more important everyday, as more people are bringing distractions with them in the car (cellphone being numero uno, even lipstick, newspapers, TVs/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif and some children/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif)...
Glad you are OK. the machine can be repaired relatively easily compared to our bodies.
As far as the lesson goes, you've learned it. Now, don't do that mistake again. I always take my car out for a shakedown on some less populated roads after any significant repairs, like brakes, or power additions. Knowing how to control your vehicle is becoming more important everyday, as more people are bringing distractions with them in the car (cellphone being numero uno, even lipstick, newspapers, TVs/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif and some children/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif)...
I tell ya G1967T the car of yours would put a horn on a jelly fish !!!!!!!!! BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!
That is bad news indeed but like everyone else stated, it's good no one was hurt.
Hope you get 'er back on the road soon
Dean T
Hope you get 'er back on the road soon
Dean T
Wow that's a really scary situation! Glad to hear that you're ok though.
Thanks for the sympathy and for the ideas/advice. I will chat with the issurance agent and adjuster today. I do have full comprehensive and collision coverage (just like my "regular" cars) so hopefully there won't be any big problems. My agent and I had talked previously about the best way to insure the Mustang, so I think things will work out.
Interestingly the policeman apparently concluded that the accident was the fault of the person who did not get hit (who hit the brakes in front of me unexpectedly but did not stop), because the policeman did not issue a ticket to me or the other person who was involved . (I was surprised), also the guy that did get hit was going well over the speed limit I think that may have had something to do with the policeman's decision.
I'll let the forum know the final outcome.
John Harvey
Interestingly the policeman apparently concluded that the accident was the fault of the person who did not get hit (who hit the brakes in front of me unexpectedly but did not stop), because the policeman did not issue a ticket to me or the other person who was involved . (I was surprised), also the guy that did get hit was going well over the speed limit I think that may have had something to do with the policeman's decision.
I'll let the forum know the final outcome.
John Harvey
Man, seems to be going around (My daily driver was totalled by a hit and run last week). Glad to hear you are OK, but the news about the Mustang is just a little depressing.
That rear sway bar will seriously alter the way the car behaves at 10/10. Add to that a mis-adjusted prop valve and you can really get into trouble. This is exactly why all the factories put such dinky rear bars on their cars - most people are used to understeer. I plan on putting a few hours into panic stop and avoidance handling maneuvers in a parking lot somewhere before I put my car back on the street. Your experience confirms that is the right thing to do.
Again - good to know you weren't hurt (physically anyway).
That rear sway bar will seriously alter the way the car behaves at 10/10. Add to that a mis-adjusted prop valve and you can really get into trouble. This is exactly why all the factories put such dinky rear bars on their cars - most people are used to understeer. I plan on putting a few hours into panic stop and avoidance handling maneuvers in a parking lot somewhere before I put my car back on the street. Your experience confirms that is the right thing to do.
Again - good to know you weren't hurt (physically anyway).
I am going to do the same thing (practice in parking lots). I do love the way the car handles though. It craves through turns so much nicer, the oversteer makes it seem as if it almost anticipated the request. Also it stays fairly flat in the corners. I just need to get used to it in panic situations. Also getting fatter tires probably wouldn't hurt either!
John
John
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
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