ECE sway bar
 

I am looking to get an ECE front sway bar for my '69 GMC with a stock steering stabilizer and its stock hight. I want to know if that will interfere with anything? Also, i plan on lowering the truck eventually, so if i buy the bar for lowered trucks, would there be a problem with it at stock hight? Plus, i dont mind saving the 20 buck that comes with buying the lowered bar.

Thanks,

Steve

Re: ECE sway bar
 

There is a great FAQ on sway bars in general here is the link
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=72338

Re: ECE sway bar
 

thanks a lot for that. It doesnt appear that it would mess with the steering stablilizer. And, from that as far as i can tell, getting the lowered brackets would work on a truck at stock hight or no?

Re: ECE sway bar
 

I have a question do you already have a swaybar? If not I would do like the guy did in the FAQ and go get one out of a yard and just get the brackets from ECE.

Re: ECE sway bar
 

I just got a 1 1/4" bar from a '76 3/4 ton free (traded for my old bar). I painted it, bought new poly bushings (energy suspension graphite impregnated) and removed the mounts completely. I lined up the bar by mounting it in the arm bushings, marked and drilled the frame. Total cost: $36.00. I posted pics here. I'd suggest doing the same. Use the mounts until it's lowered. The difference from 1 1/16" with rubber is great.

Re: ECE sway bar
 

OK, I am a moron :slap myself: i dont know how i missed this before, but i HAVE a front swaybar on the front. I also noticed that the rubber is VERY worn, especially on the control arms, so if i got some new bushings on it would i notice a nice difference? I am pretty sure its a 1.25" diameter if my measurements/calculations are correct. Thanks for the info frizzle, are the energy suspension bushings good? Also, my question about the brackets for lowered trucks still stands

Re: ECE sway bar
 

You don't need a "lowered" bar if you get the low profile mounts or none at all like I did.

The bushings seem to be a high quality and so far so good. The graphite is supposed to prevent squeeks but the come with lube and have geasable fittings.

I haven't compared old rubber directly with new poly because I increased my bar size at the same time. All I can say is, if you're going to replace them, go with the Poly. You can find them for less than I paid too. I was just ancy.

Is your truck a 1/2 ton? I'd be surprised if it had a 1.25" front bar unless someone installed it.

Re: ECE sway bar
 

well, i measured the circumfance of the bar with a string, and put that up against a ruler, divided by Pi, and got 1.265 or something like that. Its been a while since geometry class, so i might have done something wrong in the process. Were stock sway bars listed in the glove box option sheet? if so, then this one is aftermarket cuz there is no mention of a sway bar in the glove box

Sway bar
 

This past summer I scored a 1 1/4 " front sway bar from a79 Chev 3/4 ton Camper Special truck. I ordered the special brackets and polyurethane bushings from ECE. I had the sway bar sandblasted and powdercoated black and installed it on my 72 Long box big block. I have done no other suspension mods to my truck yet and am running 235/70R15 Goodyear RSA tires on all 4 corners and I could feel the difference the sway bar made driving the truck around to the front of my house after I installed the bar. So I'm saying do it and you wont have any problems. Some board members said you might have problems using the lowered brackets without lowering the truck but I havent and I've driven her 500 miles since the install. Since I installed the bar I can take clover leaf turn here at 40 MPH and still feel right in control of the truck.
My plan is to go with a 2 1/2 " drop spindle and 1" drop coil in the front and a 5" drop coil in the rear with the super track bar and shock relocator kit. I am also going to install a ECE quick ratio steering box. I am expecting my truck to handle like a sports car after I get all that done.

Re: Sway bar
 

When I lowered my truck 3/5 and installed the 1 1/8" front bar [stock spindles], I was amazed at how much better it handled. I had 30x9.5 six ply tires on it, which are way too tall to be testing the autocross skills, but man it drove sweet. Now it is getting 5" lower than that, the lower CG should be even better.

Hey AlreadyG, in your sig., are you suggesting that we do correct the boss?

Re: Sway bar
 

You betcha !!!!!!!!!

Re: ECE sway bar
 

I always use a wrench on the bar to see what size it is. Just keep slipping wrenches over the bar till you find one that fits snugly, and look what size wrench it is.