The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Rear sway bar in 54 1/2 ton

Has anyone installed the Stock Suspension Rear Sway bar from Classic Performance Products. This is the bar. http://www.classicperform.com/Store/1947_59_Trucks/CP169.htm

I have a rear tank and am concerned with interference with the back of the bar and the front of the gas tank.

A couple of questions for anyone that has this bar installed.

What is the eye to eye dimension? Does the connecting links go inside the frame rails or outside of the frame rails? What is the arm length from the axle to the end hole, and what is the length from the axle to where the bar goes around the differential?

My only suggestion would be to not install a rear anti-roll bar without first installing one in the front(couldn't see one in the pictures). A rear bar only can cause over-steer with aggressive cornering.

I plan on a bar in the front as well, but that installation is not a problem. For one thing the trucks came stock with a sway bar in the front, so it is a straight bolt in. The rear is a different story. I haven't seen one installed nor have I seen any installation instruction. I have an email into CPP, so I hope to get an email back from them. My experience with vendor information is that the tech reps are friendly and try to help, but they really don't know their parts. I am not expecting much from CPP. Any help from someone who has used this bar would be appreciated, and if I get some info from CPP I will pass it along.

Just a thought.....I used a rear swaybar from an 88-89 Camaro IROC-z on my 54 truck. I moved it from the bottom of the diff on the Camaro to the top of the diff on the truck. All the stock Camaro mounting hardware and control links were used. I mounted it facing FORWARD...had to drill only 2 holes in the bottom frame rail (to tie in the control links) It's a perfect fit and there are plenty of Camaros in the yards and I have $10. in the setup. BTW...no body roll! Hope this helps! I have pics in my Webshot "shoebox".

Fla54,

I have looked at your pictures before and found them very helpful. I am concerned about mounting the link between the frame and the spring. My truck will be about 4 inches lower than stock. My biggest concern is interference with my rear gas tank. A pick-a-part bar sure would be less expensive and if it did not fit I wouldn't be out much.

Thanks for the reminder.

send out some pictures after you get this puppy hooked up
many of us are kinda in the same boat and we'de love to see those shots


good luck

Lonnie,

Then you might consider mounting it on the bottom of the diff.....the way it was set up from the factory. Still pointing the bar ends to the FRONT. I'm assuming that you have the tank mounted aft of the diff.

My motive for mounting it on top, with a stock suspension height, was so I wouldn't have to scrounge up longer bolts for the control links. IMHO I think bottom mounts would accommodate your 4" suspension drop. Hope this helps.

Hey Jim,

I've got pics of the top mount bar on page 7 of my webshots. It's a perfect bolt-on...plenty of the bars available in the "yards".....easy to get off the donor vehicle, and best of all "inexpensive"! The IROC-Z bar is a little heavier (7/8") than the regular Camaro bar (3/4") but the mounts are the same.

A.D. trucks are not road racers, and the need for a sway bar is very limited. The stock front bar on my '54 GMC came from a 55 suburban and was a bolt on. It made a bit of difference, but not much. Leaf spring suspensions are not as susceptible to body lean as independents. My truck apparently had a camper on it and P.O. had put a Panhard bar on, all it did was to make it ride rougher, I removed it and all's well.

Fla54,

Is your bar installed upside down?

This is the link I tried to open last week.
http://www.classicperform.com/Instructions/PDF/CP169.pdf

It shows the installation of the CPP rear bar. Good instructions. This is basiclly the same setup as Fla54 has on his truck.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2059690060090459121iBGVmI

I will be hitting the local Pick-a-part soon.

I have not installed CPP's CP169 sway bar.
It's been sitting in a box in my garage since last Christmas. Wait, I'll go get it...

Thanks for waiting.

It's shaped kind of like this:

\........................................../ 10"
..\_____......................__9"_/
...........\_____14"____/4"

All dim's approximate, but give you a general idea.

Eye-to-eye is about 36.5".
Eyelet to rear of bar is about 12.5"

**EDIT** Well, shoot, the sketch didn't come out at all. I'll try using periods as placeholders**

If this doesn't help, let me know how you want it measured. I can also scan and email the installation instructions if you need them.

Cheers,
mark.
'51 KY 3100

i have both the front and rear sway bar kits for my panel waiting to be installed,,,this winter(project).....im sure it'll help. Both came from CPP

51 KY,

Thanks for taking the time to measure your sway bar. This is just the information I was looking for from CPP. They have not responded to my email, which I did not expect. That is why I asked here.

With the eye to eye of 36.5 inches; the links will be on the inside of the frame, not on the outside as shown in CPP intallation instructions.

Thanks again.

FYI...the Camaro swaybar measures 39" center of eye to center of eye. This lets you drill a 3/8" hole centered on the lower frame rail to mount the control links.