Poorly designed sway bar mounts?

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MopaR&D

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After rebuilding the front end on my '70 Duster I installed a 1-1/8" front sway bar from Addco. It took some work, but I finally got it hooked up and mounted to the K-frame. However, my end-link "bolts" point forward instead of straight down, and when I bounce the car while looking at the mount brackets/bushings, they move. I'm guessing they're supposed to stay still. Also, I've noticed that body lean is pretty much the same as when I didn't have a bar. Anybody have any similar experiences with this, and what did you do to fix it?
 
I hope a tec jumps in here and gives you a answer.
I hope that you will find out something that will help me on my quest too.
My 66 valiant sure could use a sway bar even if I could do a fab on it.
 
After rebuilding the front end on my '70 Duster I installed a 1-1/8" front sway bar from Addco. It took some work, but I finally got it hooked up and mounted to the K-frame. However, my end-link "bolts" point forward instead of straight down, and when I bounce the car while looking at the mount brackets/bushings, they move. I'm guessing they're supposed to stay still. Also, I've noticed that body lean is pretty much the same as when I didn't have a bar. Anybody have any similar experiences with this, and what did you do to fix it?

The end link length possibly needs to be shortened or lengthened. Need pictures.

Link needs be almost perpendicular to the LCA sway bar tab and the sway bar eyelet.

That's all if the angle is off. Now is the whole sway bar too far forward. What bracket/method did you use to attach the sway bar to the K-member? Original type brackets with stock size sway bar? Or an adapter kit to use a convential U-strap held in poly bushings (those sometimes have slots to move them forward and back).
 
After rebuilding the front end on my '70 Duster I installed a 1-1/8" front sway bar from Addco. It took some work, but I finally got it hooked up and mounted to the K-frame. However, my end-link "bolts" point forward instead of straight down, and when I bounce the car while looking at the mount brackets/bushings, they move. I'm guessing they're supposed to stay still. Also, I've noticed that body lean is pretty much the same as when I didn't have a bar. Anybody have any similar experiences with this, and what did you do to fix it?

I've got the same issue with mine - and it's the Addco bar for cars that didn't come with a front sway. It's like the ends of the bar are too far out towards the wheels. The bar can't go any farther back and shortening the end links (by removing a spacer) would just make it worse in my opinion. It's difficult enough connecting the bar to the end links now. I gotta wonder if this bar was even designed specifically for the A-body, or if Addco simply said, "This one's close enough". The rear fits and works pretty well.

I'm frustrated too. Short of replacing it with a different brand, the only fix I see is rebending the bar - which isn't real practical.
 
I've got the 1 1/8" bar on my 71 dart that did not originally come with one. I fought with that damn thing for a couple hours one night til I got pissed enough to walk a way. The next night I reversed the installation instructions and installed the end links first and swung the bar up to the front mounts and held it in place with a floor jack. Took about 45 minutes and was much easier to line up the brackets and links.
 
I installed the Addco ACO-596, 1 1/8" sway bar on my 70 Duster w/73 up spool mount V-8 K-frame. The hardest part was drilling the LCA. I had mine on in a little more than an hour. The fit is good but the end link bolts do point a liitle forward. If you guys are dissatisfied I would call them. I spoke to the president of the company because he routinely answers the phones and talks to customers. When I received mine it was missing the mount bushings. I called and spoke to this guy, told him what the problem was, he apologized, then we got to talking cars. He told me who he was. I ended up talking to him for over 45 minutes. Told me if I had any problems to call and they would take care of it. Told me to call back the next day for the tracking number, when I did I asked the girl if he was the president and she said he was. She said he answers the phone from time to time. I received the bushing next day air.
 
I installed the Addco ACO-596, 1 1/8" sway bar on my 70 Duster w/73 up spool mount V-8 K-frame. The hardest part was drilling the LCA. I had mine on in a little more than an hour. The fit is good but the end link bolts do point a liitle forward. If you guys are dissatisfied I would call them. I spoke to the president of the company because he routinely answers the phones and talks to customers. When I received mine it was missing the mount bushings. I called and spoke to this guy, told him what the problem was, he apologized, then we got to talking cars. He told me who he was. I ended up talking to him for over 45 minutes. Told me if I had any problems to call and they would take care of it. Told me to call back the next day for the tracking number, when I did I asked the girl if he was the president and she said he was. She said he answers the phone from time to time. I received the bushing next day air.


That is cool!
 
I wouldn't be worried about it if the sway bar actually helped my handling. The bar is mounted to the k-frame with "vertical" brackets; there is an angle bracket bolted to the underside of the k-frame which the bar bushing/bracket is then bolted to. I doubt it's the best method to mount it because the brackets move/rotate with the bar when I jounce one side of the car.
 
I have both the 1 1/8 front and 3/4 rear on my 76 duster. I have the early
(68-72) K-frame. Here are some pictures installed. I love the way the car handles its better than the wifes 01 Sebring convertable.

swaybar 001.jpg


swaybar 002.jpg


swaybar 003.jpg


swaybar 005.jpg


swaybar 007.jpg


swaybar 008.jpg
 
That doesn't look quite right. I believe the links on both sides should be nearly vertical.
To me that looks like a compromise to use the shock bolt as the anchor.
Does anyone have a pic of a 70-72 LCA with the factory mount?
I'll bet its welded on farther out.
If you can wait till next Wed I can take pics from a pair I have.
 
That doesn't look quite right. I believe the links on both sides should be nearly vertical.
To me that looks like a compromise to use the shock bolt as the anchor.
Does anyone have a pic of a 70-72 LCA with the factory mount?
I'll bet its welded on farther out.
If you can wait till next Wed I can take pics from a pair I have.



:wave: Steve here. I talked with you at MoparFest on Sunday.

Here's a picture of the 66-72 LCA compared to the 73-76 LCA. The welded straps on the 73-76 piece were added by me. I don't think the one nearest the ball joint hole under the forging is necessary. It just added unsprung weight. I just added straps to connect the halves of the LCA. IMHO, the big plates are overkill and they overlap the flanges of the LCA which is adding a lot of unsprung weight.

LwrCntls.jpg


Pic of a 70-72 LCA with the factory mount on my 68 Dart Conv. But the car is on jack stands. So with the LCA flopped down it looks like they are more angled then they are.

lwrbjbolt.jpg


dartltsuspgen.jpg
 
Hi Steve.
Thanks for those pics.
Nice to talk to you too.
That is different than I expected. I thought the mount was farther out like that, but I didnt remember the mount was on the bottom and the bar was on top tho.
Also the angle of the link is reversed from the first set of pics. when under load the first (ADDCO?) would spread the sway bar, I think reducing its effectiveness. What do you think?
Maybe see you again at Spring Fling.
 
thanks for these Pics mod5v
In pic one you can see the 2 bolt holes that the factory bracket would have used. I believe the bar would be farther aft if a factory style bracket was used moving the bar slightly under the xmember.

Only my opinion but I think there may be too much stress placed on the xmember hole using the one small bolt in pic 2.
I'd like to see these side by side with a factory setup.

swaybar%20001.jpg


swaybar%20007.jpg
 
I think this design sway bar adapter runs the bar back a little more. I think it's a stouter way of doing it too. BUT it does make the mounts sit lower.

Mopar-SwB.gif


listed lots of places for sale: http://www.ultrarev.com/product.php?productid=41137

I ran an adapter like that with my factory sway bar until I switched to the 73-76 K-member

suswbrkt.JPG


Here the top view of the factory 66-69 B-body and 66-72 A-body sway bar bracket. Sorry don't have a better pic

SwayBar69BBody.jpg
 
No doubt that the K-frame mounts could be better and the LCA mounts too but that is what I had to work with and after trying several diffrent senarios to try and improve on the mounts I ended up with the way the kit instructed. With the design of the sway bar itself its hard to improve without welding brackets. And like I said it is a vast improvement over no swaybar.
 
Mod5v,
Could you consider a little upgrade?
Maybe drill for 1 size bigger bolt and add a big thick washer on the top of the Xmember?
I look at that big fat swaybar and think about all the power it takes to bend it, only being held by that one little nut and bolt.
 
When I get my wire welder down here I will weld the brackets on,but there is not as much stress in that area as you may think. The end links take most of the forces as one pushes and one pulls.
 
Bear in mind the ADDCO bar is designed to use their tabs on the lower shock bolt, not the factory tabs.

You could cold bend the bar to fit if you are striving for perfection.
 
When I get my wire welder down here I will weld the brackets on,but there is not as much stress in that area as you may think. The end links take most of the forces as one pushes and one pulls.

Cool,
I think welding them on is a good idea.
and yep, I do think there is quite a bit of stress there.
Consider that the sway bar is used to keep the body level, so all the leverage required to do that is translated to the body thru those 2 xmember bolts..
I believe the load is split almost 50/50 between the end links and the Xmember mounts.

Mine is just an Eyeball opinion, I'm not an engineer, so don't have any data.
My opinion comes from working a frame rack at a body shop for a few years where I bent and straightned alot of metal.
 
I have a Victory Performance sway bar on the way. Supposed to be here Tuesday. So I'll have something to add after I install it.
 
I was thinking on going with the Addco ( cost is a big issue). Any opinions on a difference between the 1" and 1 1/8" bars? My car is a 75 Dart Sport /6. Thanks as always...Dean
 
I received my V.P. swaybar today, and it doesn't really fit either. The problem is exacerbated by the fact the bar has more than one bend per side. This makes it way to wide, and it also seems to be 1.5 to 2" short per side.

P0002262.jpg


P0002265.jpg


P0002268.jpg
 
See mine didn't work out too well either with shock tabs. Luckily I have the factory tabs and ended up using those instead and things lined up much better. I'll have to get a pic of the current setup with the factory tabs.



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Remember the early model units that clamped around the strut rod? Suppose that is an option?
 
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