Sway bar on street strip car yes or no

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couper 340

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should i put a rear sway bar on my 75 duster with leaf springs caltrc 727 no trans brake 3700 stall and 10'' slicks small block. yes or no ?
 
It really depends... Do you actually drive it more on the street? Or are you more serious about hitting the track? Swaybars are very effective at keeping a car flat when cornering... You can go around corners quicker with more control & less tire squeal... Generally a car with properly selected sway bars is a safer street car...

However at the track they can effect weight transfer & traction...

Personally I drive on the streets allot more than I race & the .01-.10 difference at the track isn't something I'll trade street safety for... If I truly need the improvement in ET I would make disconnecting the swayers a part of my track prep routine...
 
That’s why the stock style above axel sway bar is super nice as you can unbolt and swing it up against the frame. When I installed mine, I used 2 heim joint on each side with the same ID as the sway bar and push button pins, drilled a small hole in the frame where the heims held the sway bar up with the pins in the frame and in the sway bar.
 
It can be beneficial on the street. Just take the end link off one side when you race it.
 
This is a terrible idea folks. Leave in on or disconnect both.

ymmv
No, disconnecting one side completely eliminates anything the sway bar can do. Both ends must be connected for it to have any affect.
 
This is a terrible idea folks. Leave in on or disconnect both.

ymmv


Why?

I have an adjustable style with dog one links. I just take off link off at track. On a higher speed road-course a rear sway bar can make the car tail happy.

never issue in 10 years
 
This is a terrible idea folks. Leave in on or disconnect both.

ymmv

That's an even worse idea. With both sides unhooked it can swing down and make contact with the track. If it's the common aftermarket style that mounts to the bottom of the axle with the links forward, that could be a bad bad thing. Like jammed into the gas tank at 100 MPH bad.
 
Not sure why there is so much debate here.......he asked if he should install one, meaning it's not on the car yet and his car by his description sounds like a track only car or at worst a street/strip car and either way the answer should be a 100% consensus NO
 
There's only ONE instance where disconnecting one side MIGHT cause an issue. That's on an offroad vehicle where you might see full droop or full stuffage. That's not happenin on a drag car.
 
Not sure why there is so much debate here.......he asked if he should install one, meaning it's not on the car yet and his car by his description sounds like a track only car or at worst a street/strip car and either way the answer should be a 100% consensus NO
I agree IF it's a 100% strip car.
 
I agree IF it's a 100% strip car.
I disagree.....and to be honest I actually think that some or many on this site are bordering on clueless when they make the comments they do. A rear sway bar on a street/strip car is ridiculous and is 1000% not needed and anyone that thinks so maybe needs to leave the old car industry because they might be too scary for you and in reality THEY DO NOT HANDLE BAD WHATSOEVER WITHOUT ONE.
 
I disagree.....and to be honest I actually think that some or many on this site are bordering on clueless when they make the comments they do. A rear sway bar on a street/strip car is ridiculous and is 1000% not needed and anyone that thinks so maybe needs to leave the old car industry because they might be too scary for you and in reality THEY DO NOT HANDLE BAD WHATSOEVER WITHOUT ONE.
I was agreeing with you that it's not needed on a strip only car.
 
I was agreeing with you that it's not needed on a strip only car.
I know that, and when you read how he described his car you can only come up with 2 possibilities of what it is.....either a strip only car or a street/strip car and in my opinion a rear sway bar and a front sway bar too for that matter would be an absolute no.
 
Not sure why there is so much debate here.......he asked if he should install one, meaning it's not on the car yet and his car by his description sounds like a track only car or at worst a street/strip car and either way the answer should be a 100% consensus NO

yep, no sway bar..strip, or street/strip
 
Yall all say no rear sway bar on the strip....and I agree 100%, but I have to add this tidbit. I've seen FIRST HAND a rear sway bar added that made one hook harder and speed up. Just once. We still advised the guy not to add it but he was dead set on it and did it anyway. It was a late 70s Z/28 whose rear suspension is not light years different than our Mopars.
 
Yall all say no rear sway bar on the strip....and I agree 100%, but I have to add this tidbit. I've seen FIRST HAND a rear sway bar added that made one hook harder and speed up. Just once. We still advised the guy not to add it but he was dead set on it and did it anyway. It was a late 70s Z/28 whose rear suspension is not light years different than our Mopars.

was wondering when someone would remember that a hard leaving, body twisting drag car can benefit from a sway bay bar , thats the reason they make them for drag cars , not everybody needs one tho , I dont !
 
was wondering when someone would remember that a hard leaving, body twisting drag car can benefit from a sway bay bar , thats the reason they make them for drag cars , not everybody needs one tho , I dont !
So now we're going to shift direction to ARB'S (anti roll bars) ? It sure doesn't sound by the OP's vehicle description, albeit it limited, that he has a hard leaving, body twisting drag car and long before I would consider a ARB setup I think sub frame connectors should be installed.
 
was wondering when someone would remember that a hard leaving, body twisting drag car can benefit from a sway bay bar , thats the reason they make them for drag cars , not everybody needs one tho , I dont !

they make anti roll bars for such cars. Much sturdier and thicker. The two bare little resemblance in functionality regards a high horsepower, lopsided leaving drag car
 
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