Rear Trailing Arms: Does GT Fit Manta?

[calvin]

The passenger side panhead bar snapped and I don't have another one I do have acsess to gt one so my question is will it work on a manta?

I welded mine for the time being but I need a new one and can get a a junked GT.

[Gary]

Calvin,
Are you talking about the short bar that connects the front of the rear end to the body? If so, I can put one from a Manta in tomorrows mail.

[RallyBob]

The trailing arms (2 of them) run front-to-rear, the panhard bar (1 of them) runs side-to-side. Do not put GT trailing arms on a Manta, they are not curved to match the framerail....they'll bottom out, the spring rate will go infinite. You'll either bend something in vertical compression, or if you're in a corner you'll spin out from the suspension bind.

Bob

[calvin]

Thanks. It is the trailing arm not the panhead bar then that I need.

[Gary]

PM me with your address......

[kevinfier]

Calvin,
I have a spare trailing arm for a Manta. I will bring it to Springfield friday.
We could probably put it on in the Baymont parking lot.
later,
Kevin

[jeff denton]

I'm curious. Just how do you snap a trailing arm (I call them control arms)??
Also, if a stock one can snap, can a home-made one be built tougher? Should be a pretty simple proposition...

[RallyBob]

I believe Calvin's custom rear sway bar mounts to the trailing arms, so it puts unusual stresses on them. That, plus some years had a seamed tubular arms rather than a seamless tubing arrangement, and those are notoriously weak. Making new ones is not tough, I use 1" x .095" DOM tubing, they're strong as heck!

[calvin]

what bob said is why it broke. after route 66 I will post some suspention pics and you can see why.

[Killer Texas GT]

question then, can the Manta trailing arm work on the GT? Or for that much the Isuzu Impuluse trailing arm work on either GT or Manta?