Ok, here we go, consumer report on the Classic Performance Parts sway bar.
UPS dropped the CPP bar of today and I went straight to installing it. And indeed there is no way that it can be used as a replacement for the original GM bar, its just to short to use with the original style GM articulating links and the arms are not parallel which they would need to be for a bracket to be clamped onto the I-beam. So I can chalk off the idea of making it look exactly like the original GM sway bar.
The box says “CP-179, 1947-54 Chevy Truck Front Sway Bar, Stock Front End.” And yep, mine falls right smack dab in the middle there, it’s a 1950, but, it's a 3600, not a 3100.
So the first thing I had to do is take the link brackets out to the mill and open up the 1/2" holes to 9/16" so they would fit the 3/4-ton U-bolts. With that correction everything else just falls into place in a few minutes.
Now, I do have a couple more buts! But the top edge of the link bushing washer is right in line with the splash pans that are riveted to the frame. They sit about a fingers width below and on a hard bump or turn they are going to hit the pans on both sides. Next but! But the guy that made the bar must not have been talking with the guy that made the link brackets, because the centers are off by close to 1". This means the links are angled in on both sides. If the bar were spread 1" wider then the links would be straight up and down and the bushing would clear the outside of the splash pans.
Just to make sure this wasn’t unique to my truck I went over to my buddy’s to check the spacing on his 3100 and the only difference was just as I suspected, only the 1/2” U-bolts and all the other dimensions were the same.
All in all I’d give it about a B and with a little more effort on the brackets and attention to details like centerlines they could have a pretty accurate reproduction instead of a grade B aftermarket item.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
