Hey guys,

I'm trying to get some hollow swaybars made for the early A body, but I don't have a prototype to give the benders to work with. While I could attempt to bend my own with tubing, it sure would be nice to give them an actual model. This bar would be far lighter than the stock one, rigid as 1 1/8 bar, and weigh a measly fraction of the stock or aftermarket bars.

Anyone anyone?

Contact me and let me know

thanks!

MJ

I could send you mine if I get a deal on 2 of the tubular ones. Who are you looking at to get them made? I tried to contact TLS Steel, but they have stopped doing it, apparently.

You could get a group buy going on this too and charge a little for your time. My guess would be you'd have >10 takers without trying too hard. I looked at 1 3/8" bars with 1/4" wall thickness - about same rate as a 1 1/8" solid bar. I might help with design too as I have a few pointers for the 63-66 cars.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Menko, this is a terrific project. Count me in for assistance and an eventual purchase. I tried several times to install an Addco 751 bar on my '62. It theoretically fits '62-'66 A-bodies, and I've seen lots of them on '63-'66 cars, but just could not find a way to mount it properly and cleanly on my '62. Can you come up with a good bar design that works effectively and mounts cleanly (doesn't hit anything, doesn't hang down lookin' dumb and catching parking blocks, etc.) ? Don't forget to publicise intent with the Australians!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Lou, you've got exactly the same idea I have. I have been talking with Bob Reed, and we found a place in CA that will take over the job. Basically we buy the stock, and then send to the mandrel bender. The bender will then drop ship.

I'm not looking to make any money. I just am desperately in need of a bar. I ordered a Firmfeel bar, and that of course would make a great template once I get it mounted, but then I end up buying bars twice....

Dan--would you be willing to put on tabs similar to the factory on your control arms? That would probably be the setup I'd put together.

My whole complaint with the addco bar was how it would mount up, and not wanting to use the the shock bolt for a mounting location. Not to mention the mounting system.

I dunno, I guess I could buy the FF bar, use it as the prototype and then find someone else to buy it so that I can still have a hollow bar. Either way, I'll start making a list then.

God how do I always fall into these things

Ok fine, lets open it wider--Lou, how about a rear bar, say with the equivalant rate of about 1/2" solid bar? something smaller than the 3/4" addco bar. What have you designed on your car? We need to talk.

Interest:

Menko: Front/Rear
Dan: Front
Lou: Front/Rear?

menko-
you can count me in if the design works out and is indeed a clean install. no too worried about the rear bar. but... cost is also a factor.

-james

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Count me in on a hollow front bar for sure. Maybe a rear as well, but front for sure.

Why would you want a smaller (1/2" equivalent) rear bar???????

I wouldn't think it would do much, and you'd be stuck with understeer

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

OK, I goofed a little. I don't actually have a factory front bar, but I have a Quickor bar on my 66 Valiant and an Addco bar on the 64 Dart. Either one works fine on the 63-66 cars. Both required a little engineering to make bulletproof mounts with good ground clearance. I can send you either bar, but would prefer to send the 64 Dart Addco bar with some suggested mods.

Maybe Charlie has a factory bar off of his Bcuda?

In any case, this would be a great project I had thought of tackling myself.

FYI, almost every single person running a Mopar A-body for handling DOES NOT run a rear bar. This includes Ehrenberg's Green Brick and (almost?) everyone on Mopax. I have tried it on my 64 and 68 Darts, and it makes the car too tail happy, especially at high speeds where you really don't want that. Due to the design of the rear springs and whole chassis, they simply are not desirable, if you have the front/rear spring rates set up properly (near neutral steer). I would not waste my time on this, but if you want me to send you the rear Addco bar, I can do that.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Interesting....

I have the 1 1/8" front Addco and 3/4" rear Addco and have neutral steer with that setup. Of course I have the original soft torsion bars and original soft rear springs............

Seem you need to determine your anti-roll bar needs based on your springs.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

That's exactly why Ed. The soft springs counter it.

Lou, what front tbars are you running? I was trying to do the math and thinking .99 tbars with 1 1/8 front, your rear is going to be way off balanced. The rear springs I have are about 85 lbs/in, so that's why I was thinking a soft bar in the rear might be necessary.

Lou, lets talk on the phone about this. The hope that I was looking to do is get a bar that mounts to the factory tabs. Don't have tabs? No problem, I found a guy that makes them for about $35 shipped. So that's what I'm working from.

James, we have a later model bar available for a template, so the guys with the 67-72 should be a-ok.

Dan, what issues did you find with the addco bar? The mounts on the K frame or the end links?

Ok if you're interested, please post the following:

Name:
Year/Model:
Tabbed/non-tabbed LCA:

That might help figure things out. Of course my LCA are off the car right now...so that makes it a crapper.

Ed, since your Addco bar is the same as Lous, any chance you might part with it for a while? The guy I'm working with is in Bakersfield, and I think the bender is in LA. So maybe we could save Lou the hassle.

But again, anyone with a FACTORY bar would be the best.

MJ

Where in LA? I really don't want to take the bar off, but if it's close and they have a lift, maybe it would be possible to match the rear bar with EMT as a rough draft.


As a comparison between springs and sway bars:

For each axle, 200 lb/in springs (each wheel) are equivalent to a 100lb/in anti-sway bar. So you can figure equivalences from that.

Example
200 lb/in springs = (100 lb/in spring + 50lb/in swaybar)

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

I have a factory swaybar from a 1966 Barracuda Formula S if you are still looking for one. I'll have a 66 k member and suspension if you need/want it for your 62, its from a v8 car and has 10" drums. I would also be interested in a lighter swaybar.

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1966 Signet
Turbo Slant Six

Menko, grab that '66 Formula-S bar, it's what you're after.

As for nobody running rear bars...mmmmm...talk to Doug D.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I have talked to Doug, and he admits to enjoying oversteer quite a bit. This can be fun, and fine to drive, at relatively low speeds.

As speeds go up however, oversteer gets more pronounced, at least on the Mopar A-body.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

menko-
i was talking about a swaybar for my '63s. i am quite happy with the 1 1/8" FFI front, 7/8" addco rear bars, .920 torsion bars and '68 s/s rear springs in my '70. the car is a bit limited in top speed by the 3.91 gears. perhaps someday when everything is back in order and i make some track events i will sort it all out.
i originally intended on using a hollow/splined stockcar swaybar on the front with aluminum arms, roller bearing bushings and heimjoint ends on my '73+up k-member (swaybar bar thru the frame.) the front bar can be easily swapped out with this type of setup for trackday or street duty. may not take much more to fit something like that to an early a-body than the crappy addco bar (i've never thought about this application.) trouble is they are straight and only come in certain lengths unless you order custom. overkill for the street, but would be nice for a dual purpose machine.
years ago (93?) i was trying to calculate roll-couple distribution and come up with a killer suspension for my '63 dart. at the time pst and my local addco distributor selling "stock-type" swaybars could'nt tell me the roll rate. does anyone know an equation that will determine swaybar rates?

-james

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