A few years ago I rebuild my suspension with stock replacement rubber bushings, put in new Hotchkis springs, a set of stock 70-72 boxed rear arms and a factory rear sway bar, and Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks. At that time I also upgraded to a 1" front bar from the stock 3/4" bar that came on the car. The car rode nearly as smooth as before, which I was happy about, and handled better, which I was also happy about, but still, it wasn't what I expected. Yesterday I swapped out the 1" front bar for a 1 5/16" bar and new urethane greaseable bushings and WOW, what a difference!!! It handles like a completely different car in the corners. Just thought I'd pass this on. If you're looking to make you car handle better, definitely don't overlook the sway bars.
very cool! I just completed installation of new springs, shocks, spohn lower control arms and sway bar this past week and I can't wait to see the difference. Very encouraging! Scott
Cool! Im installing a posi, rear sway bar, boxed control arms with new bushings and shocks on my riv next month, gives me something to look forward too.
I put a 1.25" bar on my car back when I first got it 30 years ago. I've had it on so long with urethane bushings that they have actually cracked and fell out! Imagine if you froze them and hit them with a hammer, that's what they look like. I kept hearing this "tink, tink" whenever I hit a bump and thought it was my new e-brake cable flapping against the exhaust. So, urethane lasts a long time but it will fail eventually, just like everything else. I guess 30 years is a good track record though!
The sway bars make a huge difference in handling, but I felt like the ride suffered substantially too.
Anti sway bars alone will not make the ride harsher. The only thing a sway bar does is add additional connection between wheels on the same axle to try to keep the wheels at the same ride height in relation to the frame. Up and down travel is not decreased and I suspect just a sway bar was not the extent of the changes that resulted in a harsher ride. I am hard pressed to think of a situation where sway bars alone will have any effect on quality of the day-to-day, non-cornering ride.
Mine didn't affect the ride at all. I followed a friend to the cruise night who has a `67 GTO and it wasn't until we turned onto Hwy. 20 from Hwy. 85 that I saw his car lean quite a bit in the turn. Up until that point I noticed no change in the ride but after seeing his turn I stepped on it a bit and the car went around the corner flatter than it ever did before. I was surprised, so on the way home we took a different route with more curves and I couldn't believe it was the same car I've been driving all these years :grin: I wouldn't put urethane bushings in any of the suspension other than a sway bar because I've had experience with a harsh ride with them. I bought the greaseable bushings and it's quite as a church mouse. And if they last 30 years then someone else will have to replace them. If I'm still around at that point I'll probably be doing my cornering in a scooter chair, which I fully intend to put a V8 in :laugh:
They do make the ride a bit harder in some situations. They add to the spring rate in a single wheel bump situation. Worth it for the benefits though.
I have experienced suspension bind in some cases with the urethane bushings, lending to harsher ride. The single wheel bump spring rate change was noticable when I put one on my 67 chevy II . It greatly helped handling and prevented one tire from falling in a pothole. Previously potholes were very harsh, and after it really stabilized the car which experienced bumpsteer in that situation.
I've got to believe it was aftermarket because I know of nothing larger than 1.25 from GM, which has typically been a Trans Am bar. Hellwig makes a tubular one that is supposed to be half the weight of a solid bar.
I have an HO Enterprises front bar on my car. Even bigger at 1 3/8". Fits like a glove and makes quite a difference. Unfortunately, they are out of business.
