Sway Bar and LCA Question

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1969VADart

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I have an odd question. First, a little background - when I built my car, the guy that reconditioned my K-member swapped the original LCAs (with no sway bar tabs) for a set of LCAs that did have mounting tabs. It was not until later that I realized that he used LCAs that are 73 and up because the tabs are more inboard and the sway bar I had bought (meant for my 69) would not work. My question is, if I buy a sway bar meant for 73 and up, can it be mounted under my 69 given the LCAs that I have on the car? Or are there are issues that come into play (like K-member design or something like that)? Would appreciate some advice from FABO. Thanks.
 
the 1973 up sway bar passes through the k member were as the 72 back sway bar did not so unless your k member has been changed you may have to go with an aftermarket sway bar for your application. if you car has disc brakes with front mounted calipers the 72 back type sway bar interferes with the calipers hence the reason most go with the 73 up sway bar set up.
 
the 1973 up sway bar passes through the k member were as the 72 back sway bar did not so unless your k member has been changed you may have to go with an aftermarket sway bar for your application. if you car has disc brakes with front mounted calipers the 72 back type sway bar interferes with the calipers hence the reason most go with the 73 up sway bar set up.

Just completed the disc brake swap and mounted my calipers to the rear so that I don't close off the option for a sway bar.
 
It would be easier to use a 69 sway bar and move the tabs if need be...

Are you suggesting cutting the tabs off and rewelding them on? I would only be concerned about getting them relocated in the right place for the geometry to work. But the thought had crossed my mind. Basically looking for anything easier than swapping out the LCAs. Or just continue to run with no sway bar for the time being.
 
Helwig sells a bar with tabs that mount with the lower shock bolts. its a bit larger diameter bar also. We used it with no issues on my sons 70.
 
Are you suggesting cutting the tabs off and rewelding them on? I would only be concerned about getting them relocated in the right place for the geometry to work. But the thought had crossed my mind. Basically looking for anything easier than swapping out the LCAs. Or just continue to run with no sway bar for the time being.
if you cut off the tabs, assemble everything and have the tabs hanging from the end links, you should be able to line them up where they want to be
 
the best bet if relocating the tabs is remove
the old tabs and buy the 72 back sway tabs
and weld them on the two styles of tabs are
different in how they attach to the lower arm
 
Are you suggesting cutting the tabs off and rewelding them on? I would only be concerned about getting them relocated in the right place for the geometry to work. But the thought had crossed my mind. Basically looking for anything easier than swapping out the LCAs. Or just continue to run with no sway bar for the time being.
Yes I was...sounds like different tabs is the better option...
 
Most aftermarket bars come with brackets that bolt to the lower shock bolts. You could leave the tabs on, or cut them off, but you don't need to weld anything if you don't want to.
 
Don’t cut the tabs off!!!

Just buy a Hellwig #55917. It’s a 67-72 bar but it uses a custom end link location to improve tire clearance. That location is basically the same as the ‘73 up sway bar tab location. So you can just bolt that #55917 bar straight to the ‘73+ tabs. You may have to change the length of the end link slightly, but that’s easy, no welding.

Alternatively, you can also use the Hotchkis sway bar for a 67-72 cars. It also does not use the stock 67-72 sway bar tabs, and basically locates the bar in the same place as the 73+ tabs.
 
Get the car level in the air, full weight on the tires (i.e. suspension loaded), install bar parallel to body and set the tabs. you'll need to play with end link lengths to get it right.
 
Don’t cut the tabs off!!!

Just buy a Hellwig #55917. It’s a 67-72 bar but it uses a custom end link location to improve tire clearance. That location is basically the same as the ‘73 up sway bar tab location. So you can just bolt that #55917 bar straight to the ‘73+ tabs. You may have to change the length of the end link slightly, but that’s easy, no welding.

Alternatively, you can also use the Hotchkis sway bar for a 67-72 cars. It also does not use the stock 67-72 sway bar tabs, and basically locates the bar in the same place as the 73+ tabs.

looks like I covered the aftermarket option in post #3:thumbsup:disagree if you want but if he cuts the 73+ tabs off 72 back tabs will have to be used to use the 72 back factory bar
 
looks like I covered the aftermarket option in post #3:thumbsup:disagree if you want but if he cuts the 73+ tabs off 72 back tabs will have to be used to use the 72 back factory bar

You didn't "cover it" at all. You alluded that there might be aftermarket bars that would work. Then you said the "best bet" is to cut the tabs off, which is completely untrue.

There ARE aftermarket bars that will bolt right up. The one's I provided part numbers for. And, if he wants to run a factory bar what he should do is remove and sell his tabbed LCA's, because they're worth 3x what a plain set is worth. He could buy new tabs and pay himself a $100 to weld his own on a plain set of LCA's. Cutting the tabs off and using the hokey bolt on tabs is a flat out terrible idea. Cutting the tabs off and welding on aftermarket tabs is a bunch of extra work.

Or just buy one of the aftermarket bars that will bolt right up to the 73+ tabbed LCA's he already has installed on the car and call it a day. Not only will there be no welding involved, he'll get a better sway bar than the factory every used. That seems like a better bet.
 
You didn't "cover it" at all. You alluded that there might be aftermarket bars that would work. Then you said the "best bet" is to cut the tabs off, which is completely untrue.

There ARE aftermarket bars that will bolt right up. The one's I provided part numbers for. And, if he wants to run a factory bar what he should do is remove and sell his tabbed LCA's, because they're worth 3x what a plain set is worth. He could buy new tabs and pay himself a $100 to weld his own on a plain set of LCA's. Cutting the tabs off and using the hokey bolt on tabs is a flat out terrible idea. Cutting the tabs off and welding on aftermarket tabs is a bunch of extra work.

Or just buy one of the aftermarket bars that will bolt right up to the 73+ tabbed LCA's he already has installed on the car and call it a day. Not only will there be no welding involved, he'll get a better sway bar than the factory every used. That seems like a better bet.

I think you need a lesson in reading correctly You reworded everything I said
 
The later model K member has some large openings/cut aways so the bar can be threaded through the middle of it. You could cut those openings in your K member. This shorter fatter bar with its shorter end links is the better design. It doesn't hang low out front and look bad like some of the aftermarket bars either.
 
I think you need a lesson in reading correctly You reworded everything I said

Ok, let's go back line by line and cover all the things you DIDN'T say, because that's BS..

the 1973 up sway bar passes through the k member were as the 72 back sway bar did not so unless your k member has been changed you may have to go with an aftermarket sway bar for your application. if you car has disc brakes with front mounted calipers the 72 back type sway bar interferes with the calipers hence the reason most go with the 73 up sway bar set up.

So here you mention the '73+ bar not fitting with a '72- K member, and you "MAY" have to go with an aftermarket sway bar. No mention of the location of the sway bar tabs being different, or incompatible with the factory bars. And when you mention "going with the 73+ sway bar set up" you don't mention going with an aftermarket 67-72 bar (not 73+) or changing the K member for the factory bar.

And no mention AT ALL of the sway bar tab locations, or which bars can be used with those locations.

the best bet if relocating the tabs is remove
the old tabs and buy the 72 back sway tabs
and weld them on the two styles of tabs are
different in how they attach to the lower arm

Ahh, NOW you mention that the tabs are "different". You don't say how they're different. Or which tab locations will work with what sway bars, factory or aftermarket. And then you still suggest cutting off the '73+ tabs, which is completely unnecessary if you actually know anything about the aftermarket sway bars available.

looks like I covered the aftermarket option in post #3:thumbsup:disagree if you want but if he cuts the 73+ tabs off 72 back tabs will have to be used to use the 72 back factory bar

And here you tell him again to cut the 73+ tabs off and use the '72 back factory bar. Again, completely unnecessary.

You NEVER mention-

-That the Hellwig #55917 bar, which is a '67-72 aftermarket bar, will bolt right up to his car just the way it sits right now with the '73+ sway bar tabs and the '67-72 K frame.

-That the '67-72 Hotchkis sway bar will do exactly the same thing.

-That cutting the 73+ tabs off is stupid, because he can use the Hellwig or Hotchkis bar without cutting anything.

So no bud, I didn't just reword what you said. I told the OP exactly what sway bars he could use if he didn't want to cut or modify his car at all from it's current set up, which you did not.
 
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Ok, let's go back line by line and cover all the things you DIDN'T say, because that's BS..



So here you mention the '73+ bar not fitting with a '72- K member, and you "MAY" have to go with an aftermarket sway bar. No mention of the location of the sway bar tabs being different, or incompatible with the factory bars. And when you mention "going with the 73+ sway bar set up" you don't mention going with an aftermarket 67-72 bar (not 73+) or changing the K member for the factory bar.

And no mention AT ALL of the sway bar tab locations, or which bars can be used with those locations.



Ahh, NOW you mention that the tabs are "different". You don't say how they're different. Or which tab locations will work with what sway bars, factory or aftermarket. And then you still suggest cutting off the '73+ tabs, which is completely unnecessary if you actually know anything about the aftermarket sway bars available.



And here you tell him again to cut the 73+ tabs off and use the '72 back factory bar. Again, completely unnecessary.

You NEVER mention-

-That the Hellwig #55917 bar, which is a '67-72 aftermarket bar, will bolt right up to his car just the way it sits right now with the '73+ sway bar tabs and the '67-72 K frame.

-That the '67-72 Hotchkis sway bar will do exactly the same thing.

-That cutting the 73+ tabs off is stupid, because he can use the Hellwig or Hotchkis bar without cutting anything.

So no bud, I didn't just reword what you said. I told the OP exactly what sway bars he could use if he didn't want to cut or modify his car at all from it's current set up, which you did not.

Don’t recall him asking which aftermarket bars to use
he asked if the factory bar would work and I replied no you may have to use an aftermarket bar. I didn’t recommend any cutting that was recommended by someone else. I plainly stated if he cut them
they would not work in the 72’ back position.
So yes bud you reworded and failed to read the whole thread. And who are you to say cutting the tabs are the wrong thing to do? Maybe he doesn’t want an aftermarket bar ever consider that?
 
I have an odd question. First, a little background - when I built my car, the guy that reconditioned my K-member swapped the original LCAs (with no sway bar tabs) for a set of LCAs that did have mounting tabs. It was not until later that I realized that he used LCAs that are 73 and up because the tabs are more inboard and the sway bar I had bought (meant for my 69) would not work. My question is, if I buy a sway bar meant for 73 and up, can it be mounted under my 69 given the LCAs that I have on the car? Or are there are issues that come into play (like K-member design or something like that)? Would appreciate some advice from FABO. Thanks.

There aren't any "easy" solutions for that problem. You have mismatched parts and none of it is easy or fun to change. 72blu points out some bolt on solutions which might work, but personally I wouldn't go that way since you'll end up with just another layer of mismatch on top of what you already have. The clean solution in my book would be to swap to a late model K frame and tuck the anti-sway bar up inside like the factory did but that option requires a lot of work. You could source a set of orignal LCA's that work with the anti-sway bar that you already have but those outboard tab LCAs are getting a little hard to come by. You can modify a set of non sway bar LCA to work with your outboard anti-sway bar but that work is best left to a pro fabricator. It isn't an easy job to make look good but I suppose it is on the bottom of the car so if it is a hack job maybe nobody cares. I would never cut the tabs off the arms you have now, that just seems stupid. LCAs with factory tabs on them are becoming scarce so if they are in good shape you should sell them to fund the other parts you need. Good luck, no easy choices in that mess.
 
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