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#1560508 10/11/2024 6:04 PM
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I have installed a front sway bar on my 66 C10. Still rolls in regular corners. Do I need to simply live with it, or will a rear sway bar help?


1966 C-10 Step Side
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I put one on my 66 C10. It’s been 50 yrs since I last drove a 64/66 C10, so I don’t know if it helps or not. I figured it can’t hurt & might help. FYI, it wasn’t expensive & was easy to install.


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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It's a 60 year old truck. You also aren't taking into consideration that you are using radial tires. Bias ply tires that the truck was designed to use have extremely stiff sidewalls that prevent a lot of body roll. Bias ply tires make a car ride like it's on rails.

Radials have more flexible sidewalls allowing the tread to grip the road in turns and curves instead of skidding along the surface.


1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)

1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
Ferris Bueller #1560532 10/11/2024 11:12 PM
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The 60s trucks kinda float. That’s part of the experience.


1951 3100
Ferris Bueller #1560538 10/12/2024 12:16 AM
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Ferris,
Just curious, what bar did you install? Tubular or solid? What diameter?

I ask because on my 46 I have Diamondback Auburn “pie crust” radials, the 1-1/4” tubular bar made a HUGE difference, I will say the rest of my suspension is original in style but all new(46 is ‘I’ beam front)
Rear sway bar won’t do much to help unless you have a load, the springs out back are pretty stiff and there is no weight to compress them.

Chuck

Last edited by Hanks custodian; 11/06/2024 5:08 AM.

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Chuck,

I think it was 1 inch I put on the front.


1966 C-10 Step Side
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I’ll be the first to say I don’t know how to calc what sway bar is needed, every little thing affects function (like links, mounts, rubber, poly, heims) it also helps if all the suspension is in top shape.
On the race cars it was try a few, especially on the rear…and those were adjustable.

Chuck


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I don't need perfect, just some assistance in stopping the major roll.


1966 C-10 Step Side
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The stiffness of your tires' sidewalls has a lot to do with body roll.

I had some horrible Coker radials on that felt like it was going to fall over on a cloverleaf exit ramp. When I switched to Diamondbacks, the roll went away. Bias Plies were even better.


1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)

1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
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Originally Posted by Ferris Bueller
I don't need perfect, just some assistance in stopping the major roll.
The wife & I put about 120 miles on the 66 last weekend. I paid attention to the sway or roll while cornering and there wasn’t any . I think you’ll be pleased with the results if you install a rear sway bar. I think mine are 1 1/8 front & rear. I’ve also got BBC coils in the front & new std’s in the rear.


1966 C-10 Short Stepside
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RLB. A rear sway is on my amazon list for x mas.


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My experience in the past with different truck sway bars has been beefing up the front where the majority of the weight is makes a world of difference. Not a lot of weight in the rear that gets slung around, unless you haul alot of cargo.
On one truck I replaced the stock .75" front to a 1.125" and installed a .75" rear that had none before. Looking to rally race it. It rode horribly. Removed the the rear and it drives 140% better than before the front swap out.
Pretty much most of the modern sway bars have little sway links on the sway bars in the rear, so adapting any sway bar on an older truck is going to be trial and error.
I will find out this summer when I get my '51 3100 with C4 Flat Out Engeneering suspension with an upgraded larger C5 front bar how it handles on the road. I might be adding a rear bar.

Last edited by Chip O; 11/06/2024 3:33 AM. Reason: add

Chip

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