C H E A P front sway bar idea for 73-76 A body cars....

[Kern Dog]

I love a good deal. I also love making something work on a car that wasn't designed for it. This sway bar cost me LESS than $100 to buy, modify and install.
The following here is a brief tutorial on how to make a front sway bar from a truck fit a 1973-1976 A body. I did this on a 1970 Charger but the same exact process works on The 67-76 A body cars with the 73-76 K members.
New sway bars are available for these cars but sometimes they are out of stock or as is the case lately, they are so behind with back orders, who knows when you'll get what you ordered
In 2000 just after I bought my first Charger, I was changing the oil in my '84 Chevy truck and I noticed that the front sway bar was similar in shape to the one in the Charger. The stock Charger bar is just shy of one inch in size, something like 15/16". The 1973-1990 Chevrolet 2 wheel drive ONE ton models came with a beefy 1 1/4" front sway bar. The trucks could be Long bed regular cab, long bed crew cab, flat bed regular cab or flat bed crew cab. These trucks look like this:

These bars are easily removed with a 9/16" wrench and a ratchet and socket of the same size.
It looks like this :

 

[Kern Dog]

The reason for this little project is a little about availability and a little about saving money.
I have modified something like 6 or 7 of these since 2001 to fit My own Chargers, a 71 Challenger and 3 or 4 A body cars.
These Chevy/GMC trucks are not super common but they do show up at the junkyards occasionally. The designation is C-30 for 2wd (C) and One ton (30).
The 3/4 ton C-20 trucks sometimes have the large 1 1/4" front sway bar but most that I have seen have the 1 1/16". That one is still a great choice for a light A body and all modifications to make the 1 1/4" bar work also apply to the smaller 1 1/16" bar.

Note the way that the ends of the bar turn back towards center. Those get cut off.

First off, get the car up in the air but the car does need to have the weight of the car on its suspension to get an accurate measurement.
I measured the center to center of the sway bar end link brackets on the control arms.

The 70-72 B body and all E bodies will be 39" as shown.

Mark where the 39" is on the ends....

In this case, 39" is right where the bar bends in. On A body cars, this measurement may be different, probably narrower. This is fine. The sway bar can be adjusted fore and aft a little bit and still clear the K member.

 

[Kern Dog]

The bar is tempered steel so you'll want to use a cutoff disc of some kind. I used a Skilsaw.

 

[Kern Dog]

Trial fit in the K member. This was with the bar as far forward as it could go. I had to cut a little more off of the ends to get them to sit under the LCA brackets and to fit the K member without rubbing.

 

[Kern Dog]

I decided to not use the stock K member brackets. I would have needed a filler piece to level out the void in the U channel recess.

I had some 1/2"x 1 3/4" aluminum stock....

 

[Tsully]

Watching this one!

 

[Kern Dog]

Trial fit # 2:

The Frame mount bushings have Zerks....No more squeaks!

 

[Kern Dog]

I cut the K member on the car just to ensure that the bar would clear. It turned out to clear by plenty....

I cut the ends of the bar again, test fitted and since it fit and cleared, I took my trusty DeWalt grinder and tapered the ends.

I left about 7/16" thickness remain before drilling for the end links.

The drill bits that I had could not do the job so I took the bar to my machinist.

He drilled 7/16" holes as requested. I tapered them with a die grinder and a steel bit. This was so the end link bolt wouldn't ever be in a bind during suspension movement.

 

[Kern Dog]

All together and it fits well.

Look at all the clearance to the bottom section of the K member. I didn't need to cut, spread and weld it after all.

 

[Kern Dog]

Cost for the bar at a self serve junkyard: 41$. Frame mount "D" bushings: $26. Machine shop to drill holes: $30 for a total of $96.


Firm Feel sway bar :
Front: 1-1/8" DIA.
SBFB83......$350. ADD $20 for 1 1/4" diameter.

Plus tax, plus shipping.


Hotchkis Sport Suspension Anti-Sway Bar Kits $287.99

Sway Bar, Black, Steel, Front 1 1/4 in. Diameters, Mopar, Kit
See More Specifications | Check the Fit

Not in Stock at Sparks, NV
Estimated Pickup Date: 7/19/2021
Estimated Warehouse Ship Date: 7/16/2021



Hellwig Anti-Sway Bars $218.99

Sway Bar, Gray Hammertone, Chromoly Steel, Front, 1 1/8 in. Diameter, Dodge, Plymouth.
See More Specifications | Check the Fit

Not in Stock at Sparks, NV
Estimated Pickup Date: 7/13/2021
******************************************************************************************************************************

Even the cheapest one, the Hellwig....isn't even available for 2 months and it is an 1 1/8" unit. They sell a 1 1/4" tubular bar that is supposed to be equally effective as the 1 1/8" solid.

 

[brian6pac]

I like it, I found this a couple years ago.

 

[sccachallenger]

Really nice work, how's it handle?

And thanks for the cost comparisons too!


Nice to finally see a good use for a chevy truck !

 

[brian6pac]

Looks like between the two you could make the old mopar handle a lot better on the cheap.

 

[67dartgtgo]

Niiiice. Thanks Kern.

 

[mopowers]

Hell yeah. Thanks for the excellent write-up!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Nice work!

 

[Kern Dog]

Really nice work, how's it handle?

The same setup in THIS car.....

Handles great. Neutral but will oversteer with some throttle.

The smaller 1 1/16" from the 3/4 ton trucks would pair well with 1.03 torsion bars and a smaller 5/8" rear sway bar.
This 1 1/4" bar in this thread is in my other '70 Charger with a 3/4" rear bar.

 

[niceolddart]

Thanks to both of you guy's for this info. My 95 V8 Dakota has a pretty fat factory front sway bar (1 1/8") but I want to install a rear bar. These posts give me the confidence I can cobble my own together with front/rear bars from different vehicles. Now I will check to see if the rear bar on my 98 Cherokee will work on the Dakota. I can save a lot of money this way. Thanks fella's

 

[Super-Cuda]

I love a good deal. I also love making something work on a car that wasn't designed for it. This sway bar cost me LESS than $100 to buy, modify and install.
The following here is a brief tutorial on how to make a front sway bar from a truck fit a 1973-1976 A body. I did this on a 1970 Charger but the same exact process works on The 67-76 A body cars with the 73-76 K members.
New sway bars are available for these cars but sometimes they are out of stock or as is the case lately, they are so behind with back orders, who knows when you'll get what you ordered
In 2000 just after I bought my first Charger, I was changing the oil in my '84 Chevy truck and I noticed that the front sway bar was similar in shape to the one in the Charger. The stock Charger bar is just shy of one inch in size, something like 15/16". The 1973-1990 Chevrolet 2 wheel drive ONE ton models came with a beefy 1 1/4" front sway bar. The trucks could be Long bed regular cab, long bed crew cab, flat bed regular cab or flat bed crew cab. These trucks look like this:

View attachment 1715730714 View attachment 1715730715 View attachment 1715730716 View attachment 1715730717

These bars are easily removed with a 9/16" wrench and a ratchet and socket of the same size.
It looks like this :
View attachment 1715730718 View attachment 1715730719 View attachment 1715730721 View attachment 1715730722

Great job Kerndog!

This is hot-rodding!!

 

[dartfreak75]

Very good job! Thanks for sharing. I like that idea i wish my lca had the mounting tab.

 

[abdywgn]

NICE! thanks for sharing!

 

[Standonit1972]

Awesome.

 

[Brooks James]

Good job sounds frigful .How about mocking up a stiff wire and find a guy with an exhaust pipe bender who can bend it with your template ??

 

[brian6pac]

Very good job! Thanks for sharing. I like that idea i wish my lca had the mounting tab.

Make your own, that is what it is about. A 1" piece of angle iron, drill a couple holes, bolt it to your lower shock bolt and you got a place to bolt a link.

 

[dartfreak75]

Make your own, that is what it is about. A 1" piece of angle iron, drill a couple holes, bolt it to your lower shock bolt and you got a place to bolt a link.

Yea thats a good idea would you need to weld it to the lca also?