Front sway bar

by Dinomyte Sat Jul 19, 2014 6:45 pm

I've got some information about front sway bars, but I'm not 100% sure, so the big questions are . . . .

Will the front sway bar (1.25" diameter) from a 79 to 81 Camaro / Trans Am fit in my 77 Malibu Classic?

Will I need new (different) sway bar links?

or will I have to modify something(s) ?

thanks,

by 1973 454 MONTE Sat Jul 19, 2014 6:46 pm

mine bolted up without a problem

by Joe73 Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:41 pm

The camaro / trans am bar should bolt right up. I do know that some Z28s in those years came with an 1 1/8" front bar and the trans am came with the 1 1/4" bar. My SS came stock with a 1 1/8" bar which matches a camaro bar side by side.

by Dinomyte Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:21 pm

Great information guys.

Thanks so much, I've got my next purchase lined up. I'll let you know what happens especially if something doesn't' work as expected.

by Dinomyte Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:18 pm

So I went to pickup the 1 1/4" sway bar I was wanting to purchase. Had talked to a guy that parts Camaros all the time and asked if he had any, even specified 1 1/4" to him in my email, I get there and it turns out to be 1.15" with lots of grime and scale on it so it's not 1 1/4" it's 1 1/8". What a "disappointment", at least I was working near by. So the hunt continues.

by dynchel Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:08 pm

http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?nav=item.view&id=291182010367&alt=web

Here you go. scratch

by Dinomyte Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:05 am

dynchel wrote:http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?nav=item.view&id=291182010367&alt=web

Here you go.

Thanks Dynchel - this seller won't ship to Canada, but I'm sure I can find another. I was just pissed off that the guy I'd made a deal with lied to me, and I'd wasted my time, then he insisted I'd asked for a 1 1/8" bar in the emails I'd sent. I've got the OE bar in place right now, so no big deal.

by Joe73 Sat Jul 26, 2014 11:54 am

If the price is right and the bar is good, grab the 1 1/8" bar. My car has that size factory. I wouldnt go crazy about finding the 1 1/4" unless you absolutely need it for performance reasons.

by Hawk03 Sat Jul 26, 2014 12:29 pm

OPGI has a 1 1/4" front sway bar forr $113.84 shipped (delete the bushings and links in the cart).

http://www.opgi.com/chevelle/1977/chassis-suspension/suspension-components/CH4002/

by 2fat2fly Sat Jul 26, 2014 12:52 pm

Joe73 wrote:If the price is right and the bar is good, grab the 1 1/8" bar. My car has that size factory. I wouldn't go crazy about finding the 1 1/4" unless you absolutely need it for performance reasons.

My two cents !
Agree ! some of the problems with going to the stiffer front sway is it takes away some traction on the back. For me I thought I would have liked the extra tightness in handling but it just wasn't good for the weight distribution. If your making any power and want to be able to get it to the ground smaller is better. I went from the stock 73 SS 454 sway to the 1 1/4 and really created a spin monster at speeds that you should be able to hook up, so I went to a 7/8 and it's still a very good driver, (not a rally car) but does normal handling for me in the turns. The front is allowed to lift better & put some needed weight on the rear tread.
You also need to cushion down the rear springs to help in getting it to squat ! ! happy bowtie

by 77mali Sat Jul 26, 2014 1:09 pm

2fat2fly wrote:
Joe73 wrote:If the price is right and the bar is good, grab the 1 1/8" bar. My car has that size factory. I wouldn't go crazy about finding the 1 1/4" unless you absolutely need it for performance reasons.

My two cents !
Agree ! some of the problems with going to the stiffer front sway is it takes away some traction on the back. For me I thought I would have liked the extra tightness in handling but it just wasn't good for the weight distribution. If your making any power and want to be able to get it to the ground smaller is better. I went from the stock 73 SS 454 sway to the 1 1/4 and really created a spin monster at speeds that you should be able to hook up, so I went to a 7/8 and it's still a very good driver, (not a rally car) but does normal handling for me in the turns. The front is allowed to lift better & put some needed weight on the rear tread.
You also need to cushion down the rear springs to help in getting it to squat ! !

Could you explain "Cusion down the rear springs" please? BTW, welcome back- haven't seen you around in a bit!

by 2fat2fly Sat Jul 26, 2014 1:27 pm

Sorry about that should have elaborated abit ! Just have some stock springs with some 50/50 shocks. If you walked up on the back and put some weight on it to go up & down you would think to yourself, Man this thing has no suspension. Well all I can tell you is that it does very well with street and mountain driving. The rally thing in my day to day driving would get ugly even with the 1 1/4

I actually stop by all the time , just don't take the time to sign in. I have to tell all of you guys that keep the info. flowing on these cars that I do appreciate it alot so thanks !

by Joe73 Sat Jul 26, 2014 4:11 pm

2fat2fly wrote:
Joe73 wrote:If the price is right and the bar is good, grab the 1 1/8" bar. My car has that size factory. I wouldn't go crazy about finding the 1 1/4" unless you absolutely need it for performance reasons.

My two cents !
Agree ! some of the problems with going to the stiffer front sway is it takes away some traction on the back. For me I thought I would have liked the extra tightness in handling but it just wasn't good for the weight distribution. If your making any power and want to be able to get it to the ground smaller is better. I went from the stock 73 SS 454 sway to the 1 1/4 and really created a spin monster at speeds that you should be able to hook up, so I went to a 7/8 and it's still a very good driver, (not a rally car) but does normal handling for me in the turns. The front is allowed to lift better & put some needed weight on the rear tread.
You also need to cushion down the rear springs to help in getting it to squat ! !

Excellent job 2fat2fly. Exactly what I'm trying to say. I removed my 1 1/8" stock bar back in the 80's and put a 7/8" in and then SPACED THE CHASSIS BRACKETS 3/4"-1" from the frame. Just to make the front unload easier. And I run 80/20 drag shocks. Yes, thats extreme for the street and it handled like junk. But boy did it hook up. And yes, normal springs in the back with 50/50 shocks.

So grab the 1 1/8" bar and bolt it in.

by dynchel Sat Jul 26, 2014 4:36 pm

Would spacing down a larger sway bar (one inch) improve traction?

by Dinomyte Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:11 pm

OK so I was foolish to walk away. It was only $60 Canadian (so about $3 US) I'd read a lot about the 1 1/4" bar and how well it worked with the 1" Impala rear bar.

Maybe I'll need to go about an hour north to one of those old scrap yards, the ones where the guy behind the counter actually know where all the cars are and who brought them into the yard, and when . . .

by Joe73 Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:58 am

dynchel wrote:Would spacing down a larger sway bar (one inch) improve traction?

It does because it allows for quicker weight transfer to the rear. But you wouldnt want to drive the car on turns, its horrible. So if you were going to run your car at the drag strip then space it down or even remove it. But the car will handle real bad.

by Dinomyte Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:50 pm

What size front sway bar would you run with a 1" Impala SS rear bar for a car that

1. doesn't get raced
2. used primarily for cursing not really more than 40 miles each way on a long trip.
I might drive further if it handled better once I've got my buckets in. (my bench has lost lot's of its support)
3. want better handling

Thanks

by dynchel Sun Jul 27, 2014 1:39 pm

I have a one inch from a '73 Monte Carlo. Handles well with the urethane mounts & links.

by oldz74 Sat Oct 04, 2014 11:14 am

where would i find a 1 inch for the front? i've heard that the 1 1/4 front/1 inch rear combo works best for these cars. one thing i know is that the front end will not move as quick with a thick bar, so smaller is best. had the factory thought the car needed a bigger bar, they would have used one. so you would think. the big bars were used on F bodies because they are smaller and the lack of a full frame will cause the front end to twist so the big bar keeps it from doing so.

by dynchel Sat Oct 04, 2014 11:40 am

I would think any g3 with a factory rear bar would have a larger front bar? The m/c i got the front bar from had a 7/8 rear bar also.

by Dinomyte Sat Oct 04, 2014 11:47 am

Just an update, found / purchased a 1 1/4" front bar. Plan to get it in before the winter, just wondering about bushings & end-links, rubber or urethane?

by Joe73 Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:23 pm

1 1/4" mostly on trans ams. 1 1/8" on z28's. I believe the f-body bars fit our cars. My ss has a 1 1/8" factory bar.

by brownbomber77 Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:40 pm

Use Moog "heavy duty" Trans Am bushings, they're polyurethane, just use anti-seize on them and they won't squeak. For the end links, do the same, "heavy duty" moog stuff or just use your old hardware and get Energy Suspension end link bushings...they're $8 or something.

by oldz74 Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:46 am

1 inch front/back would be great. but aside from the impala 1 inch rear, what A body, if any, had a 1 inch rear bar? all the ones i have seen over the years were 7/8. were there any A's with 1" rears?

by dynchel Wed Oct 15, 2014 7:09 am

oldz74 wrote:1 inch front/back would be great. but aside from the impala 1 inch rear, what A body, if any, had a 1 inch rear bar? all the ones i have seen over the years were 7/8. were there any A's with 1" rears?

I don't think any A body's came with one inch bars. There is always aftermarket.

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