Anyone know of any exchanges between different years of big car sway bars? My ‘60 LeSabre has a rather spindly front sway bar (only 3/4”) and I wonder if I can make something bigger work. Pretty simple bar - not many bends in it. Actually a straight shot from bushing to bushing.
Here's a bigger bar that is supposed to fit. It is listed as 1" or 1.25" in different places. It is a bit pricy at $350. If it were mine, the first thing I'd do is put new end links with urethane bushings and new support bushings in urethane. That will stiffen up the response time which might be enough to make it a lot better.
Sorry, forgot. It is at Summit: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/art-11059120/overview/year/1960/make/buick/model/lesabre
Thank you for the link. it is listed as only 58-64 B body Chevrolet on Ride Tech’s site for a 1.125” bar. Summit says its 1” diameter in one part then 1.125” in another. But they do list BOP cars as well General shaping looks similar. A guy in our club has a ‘64 Impala - Im gonna go measure the piece on his car. If its the same I bet I can find a variety of bars for Chevy for much less than $350
I don't doubt it. As I was saying, just putting urethane bushings and endlinks will greatly tighten up your car. Sway bars are for fine tuning once everything else is dialed in.
I will check that out! Was concerned that getting over 1” diameter might result in the ride getting harsh. What have you noticed regarding ride quality? Do you have a rear sway bar? What size?
"The better design that goes axle to frame not control arm to control arm like an A body." Bill @Electra man I don't see this design for the rear sway bars in their catalogs -- looks like it's control arm to control arm? Can you find a link and reply? Thanks!!
Electra man - I understood that PST sway bar to be same as full size chevy. Is that right? I measured the bar on my buddy’s 64 Impala - the Chevy piece is 4” narrower than my car’s. By the way, I have no secondary frame rails and no need for a “V”. 59-60 frame is different than later cars. Bummer!
I sure appreciate your efforts! I’m not screwed, just have to get crafty is all. I dont give up easily!
So in your picture that is a 1-1/8 bar from Kanter? That looks like it will fit the 69 cat then, same front end by the looks of it...cool
Ok thanks for clearing that up, I’m ordering one up this week, thanks for sharing that information. Gordon
Sway bar update, just got mine from PST, the rear sway bar bolted right up to the ridetech tubular arms. Weird because Ridetech doesn’t offer a sway bar but their arms have the attachment holes so for once something fit, my lucky day.
I have gone to junkyards with measurements and come home with bars that I was able to make work with little effort. One of my favorites was the Bronco II rear bar was simple to adapt to the 1975 X-body Skylark. It bolted around the rear axle with U-bolts and I make end links out of a piece of steel. If you have the measurements for the front bar, access to a junkyard and some time, it can be done.
