Sway Bar Setup For Buick Electra

I was wondering on a buick electra 4 door. I had larger sway bars on my 87 mustang convertible than the one on the front of my electra. I am attempting to make my electra handle like that mustang so far I am replacing all 4 tires with truck tires that are 8 inches wide to improve wet traction and stopping power. I am also rebuilding all the suspension even springs and adding some monroe sensatrack shocks because they are stiff with fast rebound. I really need a rear sway bar setup and a 1 and 1quarter inch diameter sway bar up front. If you know the mustang convertible gt sway bar thats up front then I want that size up front and back on my buick. Anything out there? Instead of making it a gass gussleing race car I want it to be a clean running extreme cornering sportscar.

 

I love it!!! Another Full-sized Buick owner in denial about the size of their car! Welcome to my world... :bglasses:

I don't know about using truck tires, but, durn the hackers again, this sticky thread over in "Boatload of Fun" had the info you need on sway bars, but was lost... :rant:

I forget where, but 1 1/8 front bars are available, maybe from ADCO??? An online search got me this, the ADCO Buick page . Looks like 1 1/8" front, 1" rear is the biggest for full-sized Buicks, which if I remember from the lost sticky, was the case.

Remember that if the front is stiffer than the rear, it'll "plow" through corners, so to balance things out, you'll probably want a more "anti-roll" rear than front, so adding a rear bar (MUST box the control arms!) will make a bigger difference than just a bigger front bar. Beyond the first benefit of anti-roll, bigger bars tend to reduce "net traction at that end of the car" as it lifts the inside tire. Sounds backwards, but true. The key to cornering fast and flat is to BALANCE both ends of the car, so that it's neutral - that is, both ends will want to slide at the same time. If the front end slides/plows while the rears don't, you lose as you have to turn the wheels more, etc. Opposite for the rear. The KEY is balancing the front/rear end of the car so that once the limit of tration is reached, both ends slip the same. :Smarty:

I've got the parts together but haven't yet pulled the trigger on putting two stock bars on the front of my LeSabre. I've got a stock station wagon bar on the rear, probably need to beef it up if I keep the dual-front bars... o No:

 

BTW, what year Electra is that? You live anywhere near Abilene?

 

It's a 71 electra. I'm located in Dallas. I know those rear sway bar's make a world of difference. I had a LX mustang that I swapped with the gt convertible suspension, the rear bar was smaller than the front but to accomidate for it I used wide tires stiffer springs in the rear than in the front really helped and tight shocks all the way around. I kept the original lx springs up front but it was a v6 so that probably had alot to do with weight transfer as well. Turning 90 degree's onto a side street at 30mph without fish tailing into a median is the nicest feeling in the world speed only helps if you can handle the turn. I was able to win alot of street races because one guy couldn't keep his grip in the corners. Also a key element is to have a sidewall on the tire you can't grip on 17 or 18 inch wheels because their side walls are thin and it rolls.... you have to have the bubbly tire feel so it will start to slide before blowing out on you.

 

'71 - Cool! Great year! Every so often, we head over to Dallas to visit my wife's family there. Her aunt and uncle live near Hillcrest/Beltline, and her Dad is in Mesquite. I'd drive my 2NABOT, but with gas at $2, her 30+mpg '01 LeSabre is usually what we drive.

If you ever get out ner Abilene, give me a shout, the coffee's always hot! :TU:

 

Will do.