1-1/8 & 1-1/4 front sway bar vs factory 7/8?

-
71DodgeDemon340

71DodgeDemon340

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
2,697
Reaction score
946
Location
Tennessee
anyone have any experience with the 1-1/8 or 1-1/4 front sway bar? Any improvement over the factory? Ive looked at hotchkis but their kit requires welding, not sure if they will even work with the lca tabs


Edit: i guess they wont work with the tabs for the sway bar links in the factory location. Is there any that do besides the factory bar?
 
Last edited:
Firm Feel does, I would call and confirm. Great guys, I've been to their shop. Clean, organized and they treat you like a friend not just some pain in the *** customer.

Firmfeel Mopar Suspension and Steering

Addco does too (which is what I have and bought log before anyone else made bars) but the hardware sucks, bar is decent. I bought the bar mount kit that is similar to the one pictured on the Firm Feel site from Energy Suspension. I have yet to fit the bar again with it though.
 
I used the Helwig front bar on my 73 Sport. It fit the factory locations perfectly. Just have to make sure the bar is installed correctly - upside down and it won't clear where it passes through the front member.
 
What year is the K-frame? 72 and down don't pass through the K-Frame like Super trucks 73-up.
 
I can let you know my impression of the Hotchkis bar in a few days. I’m in the middle of installing one on my 68 Dart
(And taking off a factory bar that had poly mounts and end links).
The Hotchkis bar does require you to use their weld on brackets for the control arms, and they have weld on brackets for the sway bar mounts as well. I’ll have mine back on the road in a few days. I got a second set of lower control arms and set them up for the Hotchkis install , rather than welding additional tabs on to my arms that have the factory tabs. I’ll probably sell them once the new setup has been tested.
 
MileHighDart said:
I can let you know my impression of the Hotchkis bar in a few days. I’m in the middle of installing one on my 68 Dart
(And taking off a factory bar that had poly mounts and end links).
The Hotchkis bar does require you to use their weld on brackets for the control arms, and they have weld on brackets for the sway bar mounts as well. I’ll have mine back on the road in a few days. I got a second set of lower control arms and set them up for the Hotchkis install , rather than welding additional tabs on to my arms that have the factory tabs. I’ll probably sell them once the new setup has been tested.
Click to expand...
:popcorn:Waiting for results Thanks
 
I have a hotchkis sway bar. It’s on a 73-76 Kmember with factory tabbed lower control arms. Bolted right in.

Of course improvement over stock. Any larger diameter than bar will. Its a significant increase in roll stiffness.

The ends holes have stamped cups on top and bottom to accept the end link bushings.

hotchkis11_22_10tvsbuildsm16-jpg-jpg.jpg


The bushing retainer at the kframe is a really nice fitted piece with reinforcements on it, aluminum spacers, and fitted channel bracket.

hotchkis11_22_10tvsbuildsm20-jpg.jpg


hotchkis11_22_10tvsbuildsm24-jpg-jpg.jpg
 
Its a 71 k member. Will look into firm feel, what diameter bar is factory? 1-1/8?

Also if so will i even notice an improvement going from 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 bar?
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Just checked its a 7/8 bar, man that thing is tiny

Picture is old but thats my setup
View attachment 1715210225
Click to expand...

The Hellwig #5906 will use the factory sway bar tabs. It's a 1 1/8" bar. I don't run that particular model, but I run the one they have for the 73-76's cars and it's a nice piece.

1971 DODGE DART Hellwig Anti-Sway Bars 5906

Looks like you've got brand new tires on there so it won't be an issue, but the sway bars that use the factory 67-72 tabs do limit your front tire width. Usually gets to be a problem if you go past a 235. But that typically means a 17" or larger rim too. No issues if you're going to run the 205/65/15's in your picture.
 
It will use the factory mounts on the k member correct?


Also that was a old pic, im running 225’s on tbe front now, is there any gain going to the 1-1.4 bar? Or is 1-1/8 plenty?

Btw the tabs on the lca arent factory, we installed them. But as far from what i remember we put them in the factory location
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
It will use the factory mounts on the k member correct?


Also that was a old pic, im running 225’s on tbe front now, is there any gain going to the 1-1.4 bar? Or is 1-1/8 plenty?

Btw the tabs on the lca arent factory, we installed them. But as far from what i remember we put them in the factory location
Click to expand...

As far as I know it uses all of the stock mounting locations, it's supposed to anyway. I haven't used that bar though, and my cars didn't have factory sway bars.

As for the sway bar size, it really depends on your entire suspension set up. Mostly on your torsion bar size. But with 225's there's no need to put a gigantic sway bar on there, you can definitely make the whole thing too stiff with the tire selection you have.
 
Last edited:
Damnit blu!!!!!!! I already have to deal with my god awful too low side stripes

:lol:

now my sway bar tabs are upside down and in the wrong place.

:BangHead:

Lol you scared me for a second
 
Last edited:
Heres a little info on my suspension setup.

(Not sure if it matters) Car weight with me in it around 3400 lbs
V8 torsion bars
Lca stiffening plates fully welded
Weld in sub frame connectors
Hotchkis tuned fox shocks.
7/8 sway bar up front


So is a 1-1/8 pretty much standard?

Or would that be too stiff?

I went from the 205 to the 225. The car handles great, but it still feels like there is a slight bit of body roll, i dont plan on running a rear sway bar, would it hurt to go bigger in the front without there being a sway bar in the rear?

I know its not a auto cross car by any means but if i can stiffen the front up a bit id be completely happy, i mean the car drives good now but i like to tinker. Lol.
 
Last edited:
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Damnit blu!!!!!!! I already have to deal with my god awful too low side stripes

:lol:

now my sway bar tabs are upside down and in the wrong place.

:BangHead:

Lol you scared me for a second
Click to expand...

Sorry! I posted before I checked myself. Can't remember all of it all the time. :realcrazy:

71DodgeDemon340 said:
Heres a little info on my suspension setup.

(Not sure if it matters) Car weight with me in it around 3400 lbs
V8 torsion bars
Lca stiffening plates fully welded
Weld in sub frame connectors
Hotchkis tuned fox shocks.
7/8 sway bar up front


So is a 1-1/8 pretty much standard?

Or would that be too stiff?

I went from the 205 to the 225. The car handles great, but it still feels like there is a slight bit of body roll, i dont plan on running a rear sway bar, would it hurt to go bigger in the front without there being a sway bar in the rear?

I know its not a auto cross car by any means but if i can stiffen the front up a bit id be completely happy, i mean the car drives good now but i like to tinker. Lol.
Click to expand...

With factory V8 bars it won't be too stiff with a 1.125" front sway bar. The front end was significantly more undersprung than the rear end was from the factory, so you probably still won't need a rear sway bar unless you have larger tires back there. I'm usually a fan of running them in pairs, but for your application I don't think it would be an issue.

If you had larger front bars it might be more of a concern, but a lot of that comes down to how your car is specifically set up as far as front and rear weight bias, wheel rates, roll centers, etc.
 
72bluNblu said:
Sorry! I posted before I checked myself. Can't remember all of it all the time. :realcrazy:



With factory V8 bars it won't be too stiff with a 1.125" front sway bar. The front end was significantly more undersprung than the rear end was from the factory, so you probably still won't need a rear sway bar unless you have larger tires back there. I'm usually a fan of running them in pairs, but for your application I don't think it would be an issue.

If you had larger front bars it might be more of a concern, but a lot of that comes down to how your car is specifically set up as far as front and rear weight bias, wheel rates, roll centers, etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks blu, so 1-1/8 would be a safe bet right?

Id have to measure my torsion bars to see what size they are.

I do have larger tires in the rear, the rear tires are 28” diameter and the fronts are about 26”

I know the sub frame connectors help a bunch, but was just curious about the improvement in a upgraded front swaybar. I put that 7/8 one in when i was building the car because there wasnt any extra in the budget. But know that i got breathing room i was thinking of upgrading it. Like i said i like to tinker lol
 
Last edited:
Ok so i measured my bars, they are .870 bars, so from what ive found those would of come on a factory 340 standard which im assuming is a standard transmission, i really dont plan on swapping torsion bars but would the 1-1/8 still be a good choice even with the .870 bars?
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Ok so i measured my bars, they are .870 bars, so from what ive found those would of come on a factory 340 standard which im assuming is a standard transmission, i really dont plan on swapping torsion bars but would the 1-1/8 still be a good choice even with the .870 bars?
Click to expand...

Yes that is fine

.87 bars also come with any V-8 air conditioning car too ‘67-‘76
 
Ok cool just trying to get others opinions before i make a decision, i talked with firm feel and they reccomended a 1-1/8 bar but said i also could go with a 1-1/4. Said he was running a 1-1/4 on his 75 valiant with 1” torsion bars and was running a 235 15” all around and it handled great, but i know every car is different
 
I know most of it is preference but does brand really matter hellwig vs firm feel? I mean they arent too far apart as far as price, also is the 1-1/4 bar even a thought? Or should i just stick with the 1-1/8?

Dennis at firm feel said that since i have the subframe connectors and good shocks the bigger 1-1/4 bar should work good for my setup, whats yalls thoughts?

Thank you all for your help!
 
Also whats the deal with the grease fittings in the sway bar bushing brackets? Is that for poly bushings?
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Also whats the deal with the grease fittings in the sway bar bushing brackets? Is that for poly bushings?
Click to expand...

Yes. Their sway bar bushings have a channel in them to move the grease all round the sway bar bearing surface.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top