Check these out. $45 from Summit and you're done!
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-5-5135G/
I've ranted before at what total pieces of junk the Addco mounts are, and I'm glad to see I'm not the only only one.
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| Sway bar mount redesign question.--- Now completed + photos https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43447 |
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| Author: | wjajr [ Sun Jan 30, 2011 1:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Sway bar mount redesign question.--- Now completed + photos |
I’m trying to make a new mount for an Addco anti sway bar to eliminate their crummy angle iron attachment method. There is too much force applied for one bolt to handle. I have looked at what Lou did by through bolting, but 1967 “K†member is constructed differently with a large hollow blind area making such an attachment difficult. Searching around, another aftermarket sway bar company uses a bracket which is welded to “K†member at several locations. I think this is a superior method as the forces are transmitted to the “K†member over a large area as the bar is flexing.. My plan is to have some sheet steel bent on a brake to mount my bar in a similar manner. The question is, what gage steel should I use? I have looked under the 300, Nytro, and LeBaron, and the attachment brackets look to be quite rugged, so I’m thinking perhaps 1/8†would be strong enough. Lighter if possible, I’m not fluent in sheet steel gage speak. Look [url=http://www.hotchkis.net/_uploaded_files/2238522385f22385rinstructions188file.pdf] here[/url] for like mounting to 67 A Body to see what I’m thinking.. Bill |
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| Author: | Dart270 [ Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:01 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I rework and weld all my sway bar brackets using heavy angle and plate steel. 1/8" minimum. I did this on my '68 Dart but probably don't have pics and it's in MN. I cut a notch in the K behind where the Addco brackets went, welded them to 12 ga steel plate, and recessed the Addco brackets into holes in the K and welded them and then the plate underneath. Lou |
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| Author: | Old Car Scott [ Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Check these out. $45 from Summit and you're done! http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-5-5135G/ I've ranted before at what total pieces of junk the Addco mounts are, and I'm glad to see I'm not the only only one.
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| Author: | wjajr [ Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Old Car Scott, Good find. That kit has 15/16" bushings. My Addco is 1 1/4" dia. After looking around the net, there doesn't look to be a kit with mount & 1 1/4" bushing. So I shall make my existing 1 1/4" bushing fit the mount some how. They are close in dimension, so It should work. Thanks. I hadn't seen that kit at Summit, just a lot of bushings. Bill |
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| Author: | Old Car Scott [ Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:37 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Yeah, I know. I wish they offered just the brackets without the sway bar bushings/mounts but for $45 I guess it's not bad. You can probably use the insulators from the crappy Addco mounts. |
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| Author: | wjajr [ Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:56 am ] |
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Old Car Scott, actually those Addco bushing retainers are more rugged looking than what are pictured in the kit. Most likely the parts will marry nicely. |
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| Author: | wjajr [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:13 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Old Car Scott, I took your advice, purchased the anti sway bar kit from Summit. It had to be cheaper than getting a shop to bend up some stock to make a home made bracket. Gone is the dreadful one bolt per side Addco attachment method. With this 15/16th†bar Summit mounting kit, I was able to integrate my existing 1 ¼†bushings & their keepers with just a little hogging out of their holes. Also I had a bit of a clearance problem with lower ball joint arm & and its forward mounting bolt hitting the end of the sway bar when wheels were fully turned to stop. That problem was solved by grinding the squared off corner on the end of the bar, and changing out Addco’s 3/8 x ½ x 5/8†spacer separating upper & lower bushings on the end link for a longer Hillman 3/8 x ½ x 1†steel spacer I got from Lowes. This modification lowered the end of the bar in relation to lower control arm just enough so there is no clearance issue. The lower control arm casting just kisses the end of the bar when wheel is turned hard onto its stop. I have to say that this new mounting method (more like the factory’s mount) is real solid in comparison to Addco’s sloppy mess using two 90* angle irons connected to “K†frame by one bolt each. Pardon the mess from multiple projects at one end of the car. The two photos show the new mount. Nothing like black parts on black parts for easy viewing--- the new Grade 8 Bolts do show up real nice though: [img]http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/wjajr/Dart%20Brakes/100_1405.jpg[/img] [img]http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/wjajr/Dart%20Brakes/100_1406.jpg[/img] Below shows ground off corner of bar, and new longer spacer, old spacer adjacent to right: [img]http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/wjajr/Dart%20Brakes/100_1407.jpg[/img] |
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| Author: | Dart270 [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Looks great, Bill! That short spacer definitely looked to short anyway. Lou |
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| Author: | Old Car Scott [ Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Very nice!! Looks like the way to make the Addco swaybar really do its job! Thanks for the pictures and explanation, interesting to see the clearance issue with the LBJ. |
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| Author: | wjajr [ Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thanks Scott. After sitting on this project for a while awaiting disk brake parts to arrive from the Rock, I have been thinking that perhaps a little longer end link may be in order. I am going to look through “Energy Suspension’s†massive list of items for a link about an inch or so longer. This would place the bar’s end well below any interference point with the lower ball joint, but not too low as to cause ground clearance issues. Had I known of better designed bars at the time of purchase of that Addco bar a few years ago, I would have spent the extra few bucks for something else. Reverse engineering is a pain in the neck, takes a lot of time farting around, and can be expensive. Why Addco can’t produce a decent mounting system for these bars is beyond me. Bending up two, three point attachment brackets, can’t be much more expensive than their heavy gage angles, and a million times stronger than their one bolt per side connection to the “K†member flange method. |
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| Author: | emsvitil [ Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Addco uses the heavy gauge L brackets because they are NOT specific to individual cars.......... They mix and match until they get something that sort-of works. |
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| Author: | Old Car Scott [ Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I was wondering if you used any of the existing holes in the k-frame as guides for drilling holes for the new brackets? Looking at mine theres two holes on either side that could be drilled for use with the stock swaybar mounts, just wondering if thats where you started. Couldn't tell exactly in the pictures. |
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| Author: | wjajr [ Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Yes, I used both existing factory holes, and drilled a third hole inboard from the “K†member’s front or leading edge using the bracket as a template I believe that the two outboard factory holes are used for a factory mounted bar. I have not seen a factory bar on an “A†Body, so can’t be 100% sure. Be advised this was for a 67 “K†member, which I believe, excepting where the “Idler Arm†attaches is the same as 68 & 69 model years. Someone with more experience in “K†members perhaps can shed more light on their year to year differences. Bill |
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| Author: | 65valiant310 [ Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I wish someone would make new brackets for the early a addco bars. good job! |
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