front sway bar

[Alex1]

My truck did not come with a sway bar and i was wondering if I purchase a performance one, is it a bolt in deal? are all the correct holes drilled from the factory?

[LONGHAIR]

The holes should be there for a "stock" unit. So, if you purchase an aftermarket "hi-performance" piece, it will depened up whether it was designed to fit the original locations or not.

[BowTieOgre]

There are "L" shaped frame to sway bar brackets that are riveted to the frame on a truck that came stock with a sway bar and the "U" shaped brackets that go around the bushings are attached to them. You can buy them in the aftermarket for $150 or so plus shipping or justdo what I did. I went to the local junkyard and bought a 1.25" sway bar (with bushing brackets) off of a '76 Camper Special for $15 and spent another $36 on new Moog bushings. You dont NEED the frame to sway bar brackets as you can bolt the "U" shaped ones directly to the frame. In the case of a lowered truck you can score a little more ground clearance doing it that way.

* You will have to drill holes for the bolts if you decide to nix the riveted brackets.

[S10Fan]

Originally Posted by BowTieOgre

There are "L" shaped frame to sway bar brackets that are riveted to the frame on a truck that came stock with a sway bar and the "U" shaped brackets that go around the bushings are attached to them. You can buy them in the aftermarket for $150 or so plus shipping or justdo what I did. I went to the local junkyard and bought a 1.25" sway bar (with bushing brackets) off of a '76 Camper Special for $15 and spent another $36 on new Moog bushings. You dont NEED the frame to sway bar brackets as you can bolt the "U" shaped ones directly to the frame. In the case of a lowered truck you can score a little more ground clearance doing it that way.

* You will have to drill holes for the bolts if you decide to nix the riveted brackets.

After a frustrating trip to the junkyard yesterday, your post was the very information I was looking for. Thank You.

Of course, if you had posted this information Thursday I could have saved 20 bucks in gas.

[justcuz]

The L shaped bracket keeps the mounting surface for the bar flat so the bushing does not bind. In BTO's picture it looks like his bar goes through the a arm bushing enough to move it forward a little, maybe enough so it is bolted to the flat section of the frame. My 72 does not have a factory sway bar either, but I am going the other way with one ton front springs and probably will not use one at all. I live in So Cal and do a lot of off roading, all my stuff is capable of going down a dirt road.