Locating sway-bar tabs

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TomKelly

TomKelly

71 Dodge Swinger 2Dr 318
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Arlington, TX
I am rebuilding my front suspension and doing some improvements along the way. I am going to poly bushings and I am going to weld in the stiffener plates from PST. I also am adding an anti-sway bar which means I need to weld the tabs onto the lower control arms where the links will be attached.

The instructions from Hotchkis only show a picture of the suspension all put together with a note that says to locate these tabs to provide 1/8" clearance from the strut rod. I don't want to put the whole suspension back together and then weld these tabs in place. I'd like to know where to locate them on the LCA when its disassembled.

I've contacted Hotchkis tech support and they told me they'd get with their engineers to get location information. No dice so far an it's been a few weeks. Not too impressive.

Anyone have some measurements from features on the LCA or maybe a template diagram that would help me weld these tabs in the right location?

71 Swinger 2dr HT, 318-2bbl, 904, drums
 
You pretty much have to put the suspension back together and have the weight on the wheels to properly locate them. I don't know of another way, unless somebody has an exact measurement.
 
I made a fixture that will locate sway bar tabs on lower control arms that don't have tabs to the stock '73-'76 locations. You'd have to make the tabs and weld them on. If you (or anyone) else is interested in borrowing, PM me.
 
Wouldn't the factory have a known location for these? Surely they welded these on the LCAs at the same place every time. You can buy LCAs that have these on them. What happens there?
 
The factory probably never needed any specifications, to weld on sway bar mount tabs in their stock location.
Factory tabs are welded on, the lower portion of the arm, by the ball joint stud hole.
Pretty much welded on by the shape, and bends of the tab to locate it.
Nothing critical about it.
Here's a picture of what factory tabbed 65-72 LCA's look like, if it helps you out any.
 

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  • 65-72 LCA's A Body 001 (Small).jpg
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'73-up are in different location from earlier years. The tabs are different too. Be sure to match the ones that you are using.
 
Not to step on anyones toes here, or come across as a know it all, but does anyone really think the guy that was welding tabs onto these LCA's actually had a measurement, needed for that job.
On 73-76 A bodies the tab is pretty much in the center of the LCA, and it's just eye balled where it would go.
The end links of the sway bar wouldn't even care at all if it was a bit different when everything is bolted up.

The guys on the welding assembly line were probably half drunk, and half stoned, all the time when they were doing these things back in the 60's, and 70's, anyway.
 
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Well, I hauled off and did the welding without knowing exactly where to put these tabs. But as it turns out, theres a ridge on the side of the LCA that seemed like a perfect location so I used it. Don't have the suspension reassembled yet, so maybe it ain't right. But it certainly seems like the correct location.
 
I have a 1970 340 Duster that I literally just had the same dilemma. I had the control arms off to box them, to cut off the factory sway bar brackets (purchased the Hotchkis 1.5"), and to weld on the new brackets. What I did was install the strut rod in the control arm (I used Hotchkis's adjustable ones) and aligned the bracket with the top edge of the arm, leaving the 1/8 gap. It worked perfectly. What you are trying to accomplish is to have the links vertical while sitting at ride height. That's why Hotchkis says to do it on the ground. Looking at your photos, I'm afraid you might be a little to far inboard. You won't know until you have the weight on the suspension. Nothing will look right until you get the car back in the tires, so don't try and mock up your front brackets until then. Also, Hotchkis says to weld the mounting brackets to the K-member but I was able to get 3 bolts in each bracket. One lined up with a hole from the OEM bar and I drilled the other 2. Worked great!
 
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