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68nate
09-28-2011, 10:37 PM
Started mounting my Hotchkis rear sway bar on my 68 firebird tonight so I can get my exhaust built next week. I can't bring myself to drill holes in my floor for the mounting bracket when I have a welded in square tube crossmember between the frame rails directly above. Thinking I need to make some custom mounts to bolt in to the unused holes in crossmember pictured.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/09/011-2.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/09/015-1.jpg

What do I need to consider as far as the position of the bar and angle of the links? I was kinda thinking I would try to keep the bar level with the car and the links as straight up as possible.

Any input from the suspension wizards would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Nate

opnwide
10-04-2011, 11:24 AM
I agree. I am about to do something similar to my minitubbed trans am. I'm not sure if you'll need longer endlinks or not. I can't tell from the photo, but I would have to guess YES.

TheBandit
10-04-2011, 11:37 AM
Can you take a sideview shot? It certainly looks like you could make and weld in a simple bracket extending from the crossmember, but I wouldn't use the two holes as the mounting points. If that's what you're planning, I think you'd be better off mounting it to the floor because the two bolt holes aren't positioned well for the type of loading they'd see.

Hotchkis
10-06-2011, 08:30 AM
Nate – Thanks for purchasing Hotchkis (http://www.hotchkis.net/) products for your ride. It looks really nice underneath. If you change the location of the upper end of the link, you could put the sway bar in serious bind during suspension articulation. If you fabricate a new bracket, try to keep the top of the link in the same location as it is with the bracket we supply.

68nate
10-16-2011, 08:19 PM
Nate – Thanks for purchasing Hotchkis (http://www.hotchkis.net/) products for your ride. It looks really nice underneath. If you change the location of the upper end of the link, you could put the sway bar in serious bind during suspension articulation. If you fabricate a new bracket, try to keep the top of the link in the same location as it is with the bracket we supply.


This is what I came up with. The arms of the bar are at the same angle as the bottom of the rocker and the links are 90 degrees from the bar.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/085-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/065-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/064-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/061-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/059-1.jpg

68nate
10-16-2011, 08:31 PM
here is a better shot of the bracket

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/10/083-1.jpg

Hotchkis
10-18-2011, 08:36 AM
Nate – Nice fab work there! Looks like you even gave ample room for the grease fitting.

68nate
10-19-2011, 07:30 PM
Thanks! Off to the exhaust shop tomorrow to get the exhaust built. Hoping to get some shakedown time in yet before winter arrives. Can't wait to finally drive this thing again.

Thanks for your input- greatly appreciated!

Nate

Bryce
10-20-2011, 04:58 AM
Good job nate!