POL Front sway bar install

-
Projectile Dart

Projectile Dart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2017
Messages
593
Reaction score
553
Location
Long Beach, CA
Has anyone tried installing one of these front sway bars? I got it in a pile of parts I bought that consisted of the entire front end components of a 71 dart (they were swapping everything to coilovers and rack and pinion)
I was welding up the k member from that car to prepare it for my dart and I decided to mock up the front sway bar to make sure everything looked nice. I mounted everything up according to the witness marks on the tabs and it seems like it was sitting like this. I am not too convinced with how effective it'll be installed like this but maybe the previous owner installed it wrong?
Either I try to find a way to add a support bracket and weld it to the k member, or I swap it out for a different kind of mount.

Thoughts and opinions appreciated but please don't say "just buy a hellwig" unless you're willing to send it to me for free. The point is to make this work

Screenshot_20240712_140057_Chrome.jpg


20240712_135606.jpg


20240712_135601.jpg


20240712_135557.jpg
 
that is nowhere near correct for 67~72

the mounts go under the K out toward where the strut rod is and there should be a little stand off to space it down.

ETA: that looks like a rebagged addco, so going in just know that the hardware is clunky at best. and you may need to remove the K to rad cradle strut/brace thingy.

but before you do anything, measure it up and make sure it's the right width to start!
 
I agree with you. It looks terrible. I just did a 'visual' check and with the bar way up here, it looks like it would clear the rad support bracket but if I were to mount it under the rad then there will likely be a clearance issue because the sway doesn't have the hump in the middle
do you happen to have any pics of the stock location of a factory sway bar? I keep on getting the 73 and later style in my searches
Bonus points if the pictures are detailed/focused on how they're mounted to the k frame
 
If it helps, I have a factory front bar from a 69 Dart. It isn't installed, but it might help with size and shape. I can get pics tomorrow if needed.
 
Just did a quick full mockup and as it sits, there is about 1/8th clearance from the bottom of the sway bar to the top of the radiator support bracket
How important is that support bracket?

20240712_152209.jpg


20240712_152202.jpg
 
what's the C2C on the eyes for that thing? i can measure it against what i have sitting right here. but just looking at that (unless it's perspective playing tricks), it doesn't pass the eyeball test for stock pick ups on the 67~72 arms.

the bar does move... so how much it moves would be the question.

so the stock bracket looks something like this: \__| when looking at it head on and it's kind of triangular-ish in shape from the bottom. it mounts with two bolts in the front of the lip of the K and one in the back (i think?) then the "strap" portion mounts to that with the bushing.
 
I will see if I can find pictures of that online. My k has 2 holes that are not being used so those might be the factory locations of the bracket that you're talking about. But I don't see any 3rd hole anywhere.
This bar is 44.5" center to center of the ends. I'm fairly certain that is wider than stock because these mount to the shock bolt rather than the factory location
 
hm. well, it's not 73~76 for sure, and it's short for 67~72 by about 3" (story of my life, that)

44" puts it about dead nuts to the shock mounts, which is a typical aftermarket pick up so that tracks.

fwiw here's a pic stock set up shameless stolen from here:
Messages Image(1967749317).png

Messages Image(3554720681).png
 
Projectile Dart said:
I agree with you. It looks terrible. I just did a 'visual' check and with the bar way up here, it looks like it would clear the rad support bracket but if I were to mount it under the rad then there will likely be a clearance issue because the sway doesn't have the hump in the middle
do you happen to have any pics of the stock location of a factory sway bar? I keep on getting the 73 and later style in my searches
Bonus points if the pictures are detailed/focused on how they're mounted to the k frame
Click to expand...
These are of my 1970 340 Swinger. I bought it in 1987 with only 59,*** miles, so I think it's all stock. Let me know if you need a closer shot of anything. Rick

SwayBar1.jpg


SwayBar2.jpg


SwayBar3.jpg


SwayBar4.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top