The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Looking for a rear sway bar that will fit

I have a 51 chevy 3/4 ton and am trying to find a rear sway bar. I bought one from Chassis Eng. but it is too wide (fits the 1/2 ton which has wider frame rails) and won't fit. My rear is a 10 bolt with a TCI leaf spring kit. Does anyone have a suggestion. (eng. 330 hp small block w/ 700R4 tranny)

dont know if this will help or not.i remember reading in i think it was general truck talk. the topic was brought up.and somebody mentioned what they were using for sway bars.you might try a search and see if that brings it up.........dave

make it work if you have too. there is a way
or
http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/swaybbct.html

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found mine in a framers field (dumb luck) i believe it's from a nissen or toyota. i had to make the links up myself. 4 wheel shop

Thanks guys. I'm still looking. Most talk here is for 3100s which will take a 39" bar. My frame is more like 35".

FYI, if you find a bar that is close they can be cold bent in a hydralic press. The 39" bars that are referenced are out of a late 80s Camaro/Firebird. I cold bent mine to be about 36" wide at the eyes. This is so it will fit between the frame rails.

Here are two ideas for finding a bar.
1. Shops that build lowriders take out the sway bars and throw them in the scrap pile. There is a shop not far from where I work and the owner has let me go through the "scrap" a coulple of times. I once bought a bar from him for $10 and did not have to go to pick a part and take it out.
2. Spring shops are always changing springs and sway bars. Again the "scrap" is just piled up until it gets too big and taken to the scrap dealer.

Have fun with your build.

Lonnie

S10 Extreme rear bar is approx 31-1/2. If you need pics, I'm fitting one now.
Let me know and I'll snap some.
I got my bar on ebay with hardware.
mv

Mike:
It would be good if you could send some pics of what you're doing. It seems my problem stems from having to position the bar under the pumpkin which then interferes with the springs and shackles. I'll see if I can take a picture of this when my son gets home after while. It takes two to do that.

I put three pictures at:
http://www.enzoco.com/mike/bar/
I installed my bar so that it loops over
the diff, but I still need to rig some end links. The clamps that attach the bar at the axle tubes appear to work pointing either up or down, allow you to install the bar either on top or bottom.
Mike

Mike:
If your bar positioned over the rear will work then I believe I can make mine work as well. One question, how will you attach the eyes? It looks like they are supposed to bolt onto the springs. All sways I've seen bolt on the frame.

They attach to the frame using these links that are shaped kinda like little steel dog-bones with rubber bushings at each end. Definitely to the frame, or the bar wouldn't function as intended.
MIke

How about a stock factory bar off a 1/2 ton pickup that measures 36" between the eyes? I'm running one on my "other" truck....it's mounted to the top of the diff with the stock hardware and points to the rear so it doesn't interfere with anything. The eyes are horizontal.

The donor was an early 80's 1/2 ton FoMoCo. I'll add a pic to the "Just An Old Truck" album of my webshots if you want to check it out. Hope this helps.

Dave

The horizontal eye factor supports the more traditional swaybar end links. I like that. - MV

Ubetcha on the horizontal eyes.....I've fabricated links for both types and it lets you tune the suspensions a whole lot easier. I've made adjustable links for some 4 wheel drive applications with the vertical eyes and even a few that could be easily detached for off-road.

The thing that most folks don't realize, is that using both front and rear sway bars will dramatically improve the handling of even a 60 year old truck. Just no reason to have to use a grab-rail and tense up when approaching a corner!!!

Dave