sway bars

[thetoystore]

ok i have built a custom frame for a 69 camaro with shockwaves all around and 18in wheels. i need to know where i can get a custom swaybar made or just alot to pick from to see what i can use for my application. thanx for all your help

[Bryce]

speedway engineering

[thetoystore]

thanx that was perfect

[JRouche]

Yup, I just got done installing one of their bars. You will like the folks when you call, I forget her name but she is spot on. Cant wait to drive it. JR

Oh yeah. If you go with them dont use their rod ends. For the same money you can get some QA1 rod ends. I did use their bar mounts though. Nice pieces. I used the low profile one and drilled and tapped it for a zerk fitting to grease the bronze bearing. I also grooved the bearing slightly in a curved pattern to distribute the grease. Dont know if thats needed but it actually works. How do I know, well, I had to remove the bar after I installed it cause I screwed up and the grease had traveled down the grove just fine.

[thetoystore]

how long are the arms from the bars? and how long should the rod ends be to connect the bar to the arm? and what is the best mounting spot on an a arm for the sway bar to be?

[JRouche]

how long are the arms from the bars? and how long should the rod ends be to connect the bar to the arm? and what is the best mounting spot on an a arm for the sway bar to be?

The arms from speedway are un-drilled. So what you do first is determine what rate you need. Dont ask how you get there, I dont know, Maybe start with the stock rate and figure in the modifications you have. Like spring rates of the front, any changes to the rear.

The sway bar is the last tuning tool for the suspension. After you have all the other numbers (rates of springs, roll center, car weight, fore and aft weight ratios and so on) then maybe you can get close to the bar rate you need. It was a crap shoot for me.

So anyway. The arms are un-drilled. So you go on their web site and look at the various bar lengths that will fit within your parameters. And you can get bent arms but they are limited for length and rate. I used straight arms.

So for example, I knew I needed a 39" bar for the links to line up. And I wanted around 300lbs for the rear bar. So you match up the bar, they come in all kinds of diameters and lengths. So my set up was a 39" bar in .120 wall, I drilled the arms at 10" and that gives me 300lbs. Now that was my rear, I had the room to mount the bar fore and aft so the 10" arm length was easy.

On the front you are limited to placement of the bar. And I will mount mine forward of the suspension and on the frame rails. So I may not have as much flexibility as to bar rates. But its still gonna be more choices than an off the shelf bar of an unknown rate.

Oh, and you are looking to keep the arms parallel to the horizontal line of the car (road surface on a regular car). And the links should be at 90 degrees to the arms. Any help?? JR

[thetoystore]

that was great info^^. and exactly what i needed to know.