Falcon front sway bar

Wilson

I have been looking for information about how to go about installing an EL Falcon front sway bar onto a 240. I'm a novice, so apologies if these questions are dumb or I get names of things wrong.
On the Falcon the sway bar is mounted to the chassis rail with D shackles like on every Japanese car I've owned. The 240 has them mounted like this...

Given the Falcon bar is a larger diameter than the 240 one, I assume the Volvo ones are too small and the Falcon ones are incompatible. My first question is what hardware is required to mount the bar?
Now, on to the end links. I think I saw a post saying adjustable links aren't necessary and another one saying to use Falcon bushes. Do I need to get Falcon links (will they even fit?) Or do I put Falcon bushes on the existing link or am I all confused? (I'm all confused)
There's been mention of some bashing around required to fit? Please explain.
At least I'm confident I understand how to space the hard brake lines to avoid being hit by the bar. :)
Thanks in advance

Philia_Bear

It's the ef or el bar that fits... never remember which one
The police spec suspension has a 28mm front bar
You use the falcon spec bushings and falcon bracket
You need to space it down 25mm from the rails
I use 25mm aluminum solid square bar with 2 holes drilled in it for the bolts to just go all the way through
(You need longer bolts)

You will need to also bend in the brake brackets for extra clearance

ljk346

El falcon

Samman88

I shaved the lips flush on the falcon bushing and fitted them in the 240 brackets. I also used the falcon end link bushings and *I think* volvo hats/washers on the volvo end links. I spaced the brake lines in from their brackets as @Ghettobird did on his car, although they still look kinda close. I'll report back on what works and what doesn't when I've actually driven it!

Ex850R

Surely all the pix on the forum incl instructions an be made into an "instructible thread" on this?

pineapple

I took an el swaybar and whacked it on with the ipd oversized swaybar mount kit, used the falcon bushings for the stock links and it all worked perfectly

pineapple

This was after a solid month of trying different combos and shaving poly bushes I was told that the kit was a direct fit, saves headaches and costs 20-30ish from memory

Ghettobird

Im using a 27mm falcon bar, spacers to hug the brake lines closer to the body, Kmac offset D-shackles (keeps the bar an extra 1cm from the body) Superpro 27mm poly bushes and Ash's DVS adjustable swaybar links because the 27mm bar will obliterate the original links

Wilson

Thanks all. I think I like @Philia_Bear's idea. That seems very solid and should be able to get urethane mount bushes easily. I think I read a post that said to use rubber bushes for the end links
Oh edit. Thanks @Ghettobird . That's the business

GingerNinja

I used the IPD heavy duty mounts and DVS adjustable end links.

Wilson

No problem with the 25mm ipd mount on the 27mm bar?

Ramrodfunk

I kept stock links but have busted 2 so far. I'll be fitting DVS links when the wife permits. My only other comment would be is, I think there is a slight difference in ford bushings. Some have a couple of ridges to position in shackles and some do not, for the same size bar. I will research and confirm but without the ridges will make your life easier.
On further research I may be wrong.
Best to listen to previous more knowledgeable advice.

GingerNinja

Wilson;c-156603 wroteNo problem with the 25mm ipd mount on the 27mm bar?

The poly doesn't love it but it's been in my car for 5+ years now and still doing its thing. Daily drive.

Wilson

Thanks ginger. Might go the ipd route as I'm unable to find the Kmac shackles.

carnut222

Just went to Centre Road Wreckers (Imlachs) and picked up a front ED Falcon 25 (edit or 26?) mm front sway bar. The pitch between the end eyelets is 1025 mm vs. 1050 mm on the 21 mm 93 240 sway bar. I know people say EL-EF bar because it’s larger (27 mm), but I thought 25 would be a good compromise. However I don’t want to modify my brake hose mounting brackets so will see what it looks like once I get the suspension and brake likes installed. From what I understand from the Ford forums the EA-EL front sway bars are all interchangeable so I assume there will be a clearance problem with the brake lines/bracket but we’ll see. Some people seem to just bang them on and have no issues? Hmm...

Wilson

Just to update. I ended up doing the same as GingerNinja, so that's the 25mm IPD heavy duty mounts and DVS adjustable links. It went in without any dramas with heaps of clearance of the brake lines.

Here's the IPD mounts and the DVS links. That's an EL bar.

carnut222

Thanks for the update. Hard to see in the pics but when the suspension goes through the full travel (upwards) it looks like those end links may get pretty close to the brake hoses? I was chatting with @Ghettobird last night at our club meeting and he said before he spaced the brake hose bracket inboard his brake hoses got mangled. Anyway I have the ED bar so once I can find some D-shackles to try I will swing the bar up and down through the travel and see what happens. I really don’t want to rip out my new SS brake hoses! :)

VolvoHordz

EL-EF is wider between the eyes and hence better clearance from the brake lines. That bar looks like it has to little clearance from the brake lines for my liking and as

Pretty sure the bar I have in the EL-EF shape is 26mm so that is probably a better option. I dont think they are all 27mm.

Spac

100% can confirm that there are 26mm EF/EL front swaybars.

The repetition of them (all) being 27mm seems to be internet folklore.

Philia_Bear

Spac
100% can confirm that there are 26mm EF/EL front swaybars.
The repetition of them (all) being 27mm seems to be internet folklore.

There are also 28mm bars from police spec from memory

I had the 28 on the 1990 240 and loved it

Wilson

I have an EL bar. I don't have any measuring calipers, but I set an adjustable spanner (which has only the tiniest amount of play) to 26mm, and it wont go over the bar. Not that it really matters.

As for fouling on the hoses, I have done some fairly enthusiastic driving up in the Perth hills at a recent WAVE meet and there is no sign of any contact. We weren't mucking about and the road surface wasn't great with some fairly big hollows and humps taken at a fair clip, so I'm confident they're OK. The links also have plenty of clearance from the hard lines throughout the range of suspension travel so that seems fine too.

For reference, the car has low King springs all round and Koni Sport shocks