ok--Car is a 70 Duster--67 k-frame out of a barracuda--73 lower control arms with sway bar tabs-- I ordered a sway bar from addco for my duster and it does not work--Way too wide!!!! SO then I ordered one for 73 duster and doesn't fit--Not wide enough!!!! SO now any suggestions from you guy's would help--Also I have a trussed 8 3/4 rear end and would like to put one on the rear but it looks like all the bars use a u-bolt and they don't fit around my trussed area---Thanks I know someone must have gone thru this before--Steve
sway bar option???????????????
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Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
Your problem is in the parts you are trying to use. The late bar needs to run through the k-member. The early bar needs the early tab location.
If it were me, I'd use a 73-76 K member. They are the best for engine mounting and sway bar fitment.
The 67-72 sway bar design used longer lever arms that reduce its rate compared to the shorter arms on the 73-76 design.
The 67-72 sway bar design used longer lever arms that reduce its rate compared to the shorter arms on the 73-76 design.
You're going to have to match your K frame and sway bar tabs, so either
1. Get a '73-'76 K member to match the 73 LCA's and sway bar tabs and use a '73-76 sway bar
or
2. Get '67-72 lower control arms with sway bar tabs and run a '67-72 sway bar
or
3. Move the sway bar tabs on your current LCA's to the earlier position and run a '67 to 72 sway bar
If you have a MIG welder, moving the sway bar tabs won't take all that long. They're only welded on one side and they're really not welded on all that well, so cutting them off and welding them back on isn't all that hard.
I wouldn't cut up the early K frame to run the later sway bar. The later K's were designed to do that, cutting holes in the earlier one might make the sway bar fit, but the K member won't be as strong.
1. Get a '73-'76 K member to match the 73 LCA's and sway bar tabs and use a '73-76 sway bar
or
2. Get '67-72 lower control arms with sway bar tabs and run a '67-72 sway bar
or
3. Move the sway bar tabs on your current LCA's to the earlier position and run a '67 to 72 sway bar
If you have a MIG welder, moving the sway bar tabs won't take all that long. They're only welded on one side and they're really not welded on all that well, so cutting them off and welding them back on isn't all that hard.
I wouldn't cut up the early K frame to run the later sway bar. The later K's were designed to do that, cutting holes in the earlier one might make the sway bar fit, but the K member won't be as strong.
Public opinion never ceases to amaze me. To spend a couple thousand on a replacement that is made from a few sticks of tubing is OK. To butcher the K for a rear sump oil pan or steering rack is OK. To cut a couple of openings for the sway bar exactly like the factory did is wrong ?
Good luck.
Good luck.
Reddartowner
UCF Alumni....Go Knights!
My son's '68 Dart uses a Hellwig sway bar that uses tabs that attach to the LCA shock mount bolts. I'm sure it would attach to the existing LCA tabs also. Included brackets to attach to existing holes in the K member. Installed easily, works well. Here's the link to Summit:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HEL-5906/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HEL-5906/
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't hesitate to cut the holes, but I wouldn't keep the 67 k-member due to the idler arm. I don't believe the early K-member has the tabs for the frame mount brackets, but that's not a big deal to fab up.
Thanks guy's the addco front bar came with L-brackets to put in the shock mount bolts and then bolt the sway bar to them,I just wanted to use the existing sway bar brackets on the lower control arms and thought someone would have had one available already cause it's a pretty common thing (I thought) to use the 73 lower arms for the big ball joints--Thanks
The ones made out of a "few sticks" of tubing are quite a bit stronger than the stamped sheet metal stockers as long as the welds are good. I'm not going to get started on the bending moments of tubing, cross sections or anything like that. If done right, a couple sticks of tubing will be stronger and lighter than the stock K.
I wouldn't suggest butchering one for a rear sump oil pan or power steering rack either, obviously plenty of people do it. But, that's not the point. Just because they did it and run around with a weakened frame doesn't mean its a good idea. There are also ways of making those modifications so they don't reduce strength.
Cutting holes "like the factory did it" isn't going to be easy. The factory flanged the entire inside edge of the hole and added quite a bit of clearance by putting in a sizable radius around where the bar goes. That radius and flanging adds quite a bit of strength to the edge of the hole, which helps make up for the addition of the holes. Simply cutting a couple of big holes will reduce the strength of the K. Not to mention that they're going to have to be very large holes unless you add that radius.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but its a heck of a lot harder than just cutting some holes. It would be much easier to just find the later K member, or the earlier lca's.
Pictures of both K's for reference.
74DartSwinger360
The Brat Pack
For the rear end just use spring perches on top with shorter u bolts to mount the sway bar
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