18" wheel with early sway bar/k member

[71duster06]

Good evening all,
I'm in the process of upgrading to the 4.5" bolt pattern but plan on keeping my 71 k member. With that being said are there recommended sway bar kits that will help provide more clearance? I know the 73 k member is preferred but I wanted to see what options I have first.
Thanks all
Kyle

 

[72bluNblu]

You'd be looking for a Hellwig #55917 front sway bar, or the Hotchkis front sway bar for the 67-72 cars. The Hellwig 55917 was actually designed with input from a member here to provide additional tire clearance because his 245's were hitting the stock sway bar. Both of those bars though use relocated front sway bar tabs, so if you have stock sway bar tabs on your LCA's they will have to be moved.

 

[JWRICH]

You'd be looking for a Hellwig #55917 front sway bar, or the Hotchkis front sway bar for the 67-72 cars. The Hellwig 55917 was actually designed with input from a member here to provide additional tire clearance because his 245's were hitting the stock sway bar. Both of those bars though use relocated front sway bar tabs, so if you have stock sway bar tabs on your LCA's they will have to be moved.

@72bluNblu - Do you know if there is a front bar for a 67-72 K-member that will work with the 18x9 +35 rims that you and I are both running? The Hellwig #55917 states that it will work with 18" rims, but comes short on the max allowable backspacing. Thanks

 

[72bluNblu]

@72bluNblu - Do you know if there is a front bar for a 67-72 K-member that will work with the 18x9 +35 rims that you and I are both running? The Hellwig #55917 states that it will work with 18" rims, but comes short on the max allowable backspacing. Thanks

I know the ‘67-72 Hotchkis sway bar will allow for at least a 6” backspace and 18x9’s with 275/35/18’s, 72BBSwinger ran that with his ‘71 K.

I have the later K on my car, where does the #55917 fall short?

Keep in mind that while I do have 18x9’s with a +35 offset, I also have a wider track width because of the 13” brakes I run. Compared to a set of 73+ mopar disks I only effectively have a +30 offset, which is about a 6.2” backspace. My closest limiting factor is the frame, not the sway bar. 72BBSwinger had a similar deal, I believe his 18x9’s were actually +35 but his brake set up made them effectively more like a +25 or a 6” backspace if you’re using the 73+ disks as a base reference.

 

[JWRICH]

Thanks for the additional reference to 72BBSwinger and his setup. I was curious because of how the Hellwig web page notes that bar as compatible with 18" rims "up to a 5.75 backspace" and my rims are a 6.38", so thinking they may interfere. But, the Wilwood kit I have also increases the track width, so I'll probably need to check a few more dimensions and see how things look.

 

[72bluNblu]

Thanks for the additional reference to 72BBSwinger and his setup. I was curious because of how the Hellwig web page notes that bar as compatible with 18" rims "up to a 5.75 backspace" and my rims are a 6.38", so thinking they may interfere. But, the Wilwood kit I have also increases the track width, so I'll probably need to check a few more dimensions and see how things look.

Interesting. I honestly don’t think I’ve heard the 5.75” backspace limit before, I wonder if that’s a new addition to the notes. But like I said I haven’t run the 55917. I have a Hotchkis bar for my ‘71 Dart and have the 73+ Hellwig bar on my ‘74 Duster. I also don’t recall anyone saying they had tire interference issues with the 55917, but they’re aren’t a ton of people that use an 18x9 up front and a lot of people use the Hotchkis bar or the 73+ K.

I know initially that the 55917 was designed with help of a member here, but I believe he was only trying to run 245’s. The tab location for the 55917 is pretty similar to the Hotchkis and the 73+ tabs, there’s really not too many places the tabs can go on the LCA without interfering with the strut rods, etc. But even a small difference can be pretty important when you get up to 18x9” territory.