anyone use this front sway bar on their 67-72 abody?
- Thread starter abodyjoe
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abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
oh man i went on their site and blew up the picture of that bar installed. no freaking way i'd be able to live with that thing hanging down like that. that is just horrible looking..
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
yea i can't put a chin spoiler on this dart. it wouldn't go with the overall look of the car. its a bare bones car and thats how jamie wants to keep it.
Not sure what you're talking about. The Hotchkis bar hangs down what, an extra 5/8" compared to a stock 7/8" bar? It doesn't go up and over the lower radiator support brace, but at the mounts it's really only lower because of the extra diameter of the bar. Keep in mind that picture you blew up is taken from an angle with the camera lower than the car, looking up at the car on a lift. I think what you're really looking at is the difference with the contrasting bright sway bar mounts and hotchkis sticker. Take a look at some of these stock sway bars...
A Mr.Norms GSS with the sway bar painted silver. Sticks out like a sore thumb! But this is a professional photo too. Lots of light.
Another stock bar, but this one is black. Yeah, it's in there. Which brings up another point, you practically have to be laying on the ground to see these things. With normal lighting like this you can barely see it.
Another one with a stock sway bar. It's there.
And a couple of Hotchkis bars. This is a glamour shot, lots of light, and from a low angle. But still, if you pulled the sticker off and painted the hangers black? You wouldn't see much.
Another one. Way more representative of how you actually see these cars. The sway bar is completely in shadow. And, if it weren't for the Hotchkis sticker and those shiny mounts, you wouldn't see a thing.
I think you're putting far too much emphasis on it. If you painted the hangers a semi-gloss black and pulled the Hotchkis sticker it wouldn't be that obvious. Heck, while it would be a shame to spray over that beautiful gloss black powdercoating, a semi-gloss on the bar itself and it would be a lot hard to see.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
i don't know.. that Hotchkis bar looks like a snow plow or something under there to me. i just don't like it.. the stock style is far less noticeable in my opinion.. plus if its not going to work with my stock end link tabs i'm not using it.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
I'm a little late to this party but I'll throw my two cents in.
Yes, I have that monster Hotchkiss sway bar on my '68 Dart, and I love it. Don't really care what it looks like, I works great and the car is a blast to drive. I also have the PST 1.03 T-bars, and together its the best thing I've done to my car. Car feels super.
Anyway, yeah, it does hang down a little lower that the original, mostly I think because of the diameter of this bar, and the mounts have to be larger (lower), to hold this bar. It is a little lower that the bottom of the K-frame, so the only problem I've noticed is now my floor jack cant be rolled under the K-frame because it hits the sway bar. I could raise my front end up a bit, but for now I drive the front wheels up onto a couple of 2"x8"s, before I try to roll my jack under the K. A small price to pay for such a great sway bar. An no it wont work with your factory '70 sway bar tabs.
I believe it would work with '73 up arms if you had those. I used the weld-on tabs that came with the bar.
I love it, and I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
Yes, I have that monster Hotchkiss sway bar on my '68 Dart, and I love it. Don't really care what it looks like, I works great and the car is a blast to drive. I also have the PST 1.03 T-bars, and together its the best thing I've done to my car. Car feels super.
Anyway, yeah, it does hang down a little lower that the original, mostly I think because of the diameter of this bar, and the mounts have to be larger (lower), to hold this bar. It is a little lower that the bottom of the K-frame, so the only problem I've noticed is now my floor jack cant be rolled under the K-frame because it hits the sway bar. I could raise my front end up a bit, but for now I drive the front wheels up onto a couple of 2"x8"s, before I try to roll my jack under the K. A small price to pay for such a great sway bar. An no it wont work with your factory '70 sway bar tabs.
I believe it would work with '73 up arms if you had those. I used the weld-on tabs that came with the bar.
I love it, and I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
my68barracuda
Well-Known Member
You do realize that Hotchkiss bar has a large diameter because it is hollow. Hollow bars are lighter than smaller diameter solid bars. It’s like a lot of things, a trade off.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
yes i know that..
dano
Evil Handy Man
The Addco bar tucks up like stock or possibly a bit higher and mine mounted to the factory tabs. Pics here on someone else's install. Looks like they updated their hardware. Paint the nickel plated gold stuff black and you'd hardly see it. I plan to weld the bar mouts to the 90* angle bracket on mine. On sale at Jegs and their picture it wrong, the Summit one is correct.
Addco front sway bar problems
1969 DODGE DART Addco Performance Anti-Sway Bar Kits 150
ADDCO 150: 1-1/8" Front Sway Bar 1967-69 Barracuda | JEGS
Addco front sway bar problems
1969 DODGE DART Addco Performance Anti-Sway Bar Kits 150
ADDCO 150: 1-1/8" Front Sway Bar 1967-69 Barracuda | JEGS
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abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
here it is compared to a stock bar. defiantly doesn't look like it would work with factory sway bar tabs.. maybe the 73-up style but not a 67-72 in my opinion.
67dartgtgo
Well-Known Member
Firm feel makes a very good tubular 1 1/8” stock type replacement bar.
Firmfeel Mopar Suspension and Steering
Pricey but an excellent bar.
Their solid bars are 1 1/4”.
Firmfeel Mopar Suspension and Steering
Pricey but an excellent bar.
Their solid bars are 1 1/4”.
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Correct, the 67-72 hotchkis bar will not work with the factory 68-72 sway bar tabs. It will work with the factory tabbed 73+ LCA’s.
LovetheA's
Well-Known Member
Did you go with the Hellwig front sway bar referenced previously in this post? It’s solid thick like about 1” or more and a very nice setup. Bolts right in to a 67-72 a body that originally came with a sway bar with stock tabs and tucks up tight like the factory bar but way thicker stronger for better handling. That requires the least modifications.
Carl
Carl
I run Helwig front and rear on both my 68 Barracuda and 69 340 Swinger .
Fit is perfect and handles like a dream.
Unless you are Autocrossing I cant imagine needing more. And notice where I live ....we have lots of corners in them mountains.
Fit is perfect and handles like a dream.
Unless you are Autocrossing I cant imagine needing more. And notice where I live ....we have lots of corners in them mountains.
AJ/FormS
68 Formua-S fastback clone 367/A833/GVod/3.55s
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Helwig on my 68 Barracuda as well, with 1.03 bars. I'm on the flat prairie, but it proves it's worth in the cities and towns all the same. I wouldn't dream of running without it.
My skidplate hangs lower
. That plate protects my roadrace pan, which also hangs below the K. I got tired of welding up the pan.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
Yes I did. I sold that snow plow looking thing bought the hellwig. It's just like a factory one only thicker and came with everything I needed. Fit right onto my lorwer arm tabs like it should Very happy with the fit and improvement it Made. I may paint it black down the road because the silver kinda pops but it's still nowhere near as out of place looking as that hotchkins one was going to look.
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my68barracuda
Well-Known Member
Solid sway bars have been around about forever, and if that is the look you want, its your car. Newer tubular way bars are beyond a doubt lighter and most likely stiffer.
Video: Strength Testing Hollow Vs. Solid Sway Bars - OnAllCylinders
Video: Strength Testing Hollow Vs. Solid Sway Bars - OnAllCylinders
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
Yes I fully understand that like I stated earlier. But that one hollow sway bar is hideous looking the way it's designed to fit and totally doesn't go with the theme of the rest of our car. The solid one that fits like a stock one was much better for us.
Cool. Thanks. I agree the Hotchkis looked rough stickin out like it did. Snow plow. LOL
It looks a lot better, too.
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