Sway Bars - front only or front and rear

[Coach]

Hey everyone, I need to put a front sway bar on my 67 C10. Question is, should I do front and rear? I have heard pros and cons, some say the ride gets really stiff with front and rear. The majority of my driving is around town, just trying to eliminate all the body roll in turns and lane changes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[pdawg]

Hey Coach,

I plan on doing the exact same thing on my '72. I had purchased front & rear 'performance' sway bars from Brothers because they looked like they used the factory mounting holes/brackets on the lower control arms.... they don't! Misleading pictures so beware. why would I want to drill new holes & use a tacky angle bracket! I plan on selling those off as it's too costly to return them from Canada & purchase the Hotchkis front & rear bars. They have a nice installation video & they use the factory mounts. They are pricey though - especially with our .75 cent dollar, but I think it'll be worth it. I know some other forum members have utilized bars from other applications with great success too. It involves a combination of salvage yard hunting & new mounts / bushings. My problem up here is availability of these parts. Simple front sway bar brackets I found on line for under $20 US, would cost me $70 to ship here, which is nuts! Hopefully our economy turns around & I will go for the front one first in the spring, as my son has my garage tied up again with his '77 Corvette! Let me know how you make out.

[davepl]

My truck came equipped with a front only and I added a rear aftermarket bar. Hard to compare, as everything else was rebuilt at the same time. But I think it handles and rides pretty well for what it is (a 3/4 old truck).

I can only assume it reduces body lean significantly.

[67ChevyRedneck]

ECE also sells the factory mount style bars. I have their big bar, It's 1-1/8 or 1-1/4, I forget. I've never felt the need to run a rear bar on my truck so I don't know what, if anything, it would do for regular driving, but the front sway bar made a SIGNIFICANT difference in just daily driving. I took it off after years of use when I dropped my truck and wanted to paint it, so it was off the truck for a few weeks, I could tell a difference with and without it.

Also, an install tip I've found useful, it's much easier to install the bar with the suspension at ride height and install the A-arm mounts first (loosely) THEN do the frame mounts. Then snug it all down.

[Ekliptix]

I did the 4/6 ECE drop kit at the same time I installed their front sway bar. Night and day difference over stock. Corners much more flat now. I'm upgrading the poor KYB shocks ECE includes with CPP shocks that I've already received. Will report the improvement in ride/control.


I have the rear sway bar kit waiting to install from CPP. I have no expectations, so I can't say anything about the rear yet.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Ekliptix

I'm upgrading the poor KYB shocks ECE includes with CPP shocks that I've already received. Will report the improvement in ride/control.

Don't get too excited, I did the same thing... I don't think anything changed up front, but the rear was a little less "bouncy." And I HATE that the CPP shocks don't come with an upper cover. That's the only bad thing about the static drops, they don't ride as good as factory height... but the truck looks sooooooooooooooooo much cooler!

[Ekliptix]

For shocks, the only other option is the RideTech onces, as far as I know. $$$. I was reading that this fellow went from the KYBs to ridetechs and was happy with the improvements. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=569960&page=9

[67 chevelle]

Front sways are a must , rear help also , our trucks tend to body roll quiet a bit , my 67 also came without a front bar .

My ccp front shocks lasted 2 weeks before they leaked all the fluid out , thought it was brakes , but no crap quality "new" shocks

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Originally Posted by Ekliptix

For shocks, the only other option is the RideTech onces, as far as I know. $$$. I was reading that this fellow went from the KYBs to ridetechs and was happy with the improvements. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=569960&page=9

We appreciate the good references! Id be more than happy to help you out with any technical questions you may have about our products. I will tell you that the RQ shocks mentioned in previous posts have been discontinued but we do carry the HQ shocks that have a single rebound adjustment knob so you can fine tune your ride quality. The are a mono-tube style design and have a 1-Million and 1 Mile warranty.
If I can help you out with measurements or part numbers feel free to let me know. You can reply to the forum, send me a pm or even contact me directly.

[LongBox]

Strictly speaking, a "sway" bar does not increase ride stiffness at all. What it does is cause the two lower A arms to move together more than they did when there is no sway bar. With a sway bar at the front, the front end of the truck will lean less in curves, but the rear will continue to lean, as it does not have the bar. This results in increased understeer, or "plowing" at the front.

If you add a rear bar, the rear will also tend to lean less, and the truck will move to a more oversteering attitude in turns.

Simple way to look at it:with lots of understeer (stiff front bar only), you will go off the road front first if you lose it in a turn. With oversteer (a stiff rear bar), you will go off the road rear end first if you lose it in a turn.

If you do this right, with quality shocks, wider rims and better tires, your truck will handle much better in curving road situations. Will never be like a Mazda Miata or a Corvette though.

[Ekliptix]

Thanks for commenting, John. ECE also recommends RideTech shocks for their kits: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=711463&page=2

I see the more affordable RQ stocks are still available on Summit, so I may try to get a set in the proper size (TBD) since it sounds like they're not manf any more.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Originally Posted by Ekliptix

Thanks for commenting, John. ECE also recommends RideTech shocks for their kits: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=711463&page=2

I see the more affordable RQ stocks are still available on Summit, so I may try to get a set in the proper size (TBD) since it sounds like they're not manf any more.

No problem! There are still a few RQs floating around out there, our dealers who stock product such as Summit may still have some in stock. That would be your best bet. If they don't have them, let me know and Ill see if I cant find you some.

[HO455]

Not knowing what other vehicles you may drive (You may have a new ZO6 ) I recommend putting the big 1 1/4" bar on the front. There will be no regrets about that. And you can do it low buck OEM or go aftermarket easy. Then drive it, if you driving it hard enough to start notice other short comings, come back and look for more answers. There are several great threads in the suspension section on ways to make these trucks work better when pushed hard.

[garyd1961]

I added a factory front sway bar to my C10 and it made a world of difference. It handles like a different truck and I plan to leave it as is, without a rear bar.

[tdangle]

Interesting conversation. I have only the front from the factory. Never understood why they didn't put a rear sway bar on a truck designed to haul campers which are really top heavy. I would love to know how much improvement in the handling with a rear sway bar on a 3/4 ton with leaf springs.

[LongBox]

tdangle: I believe the reason for no rear sway bars on these trucks is because with a full load, the rear end becomes much heavier than the front. On a fast or sharp turn, that weight causes a lot of centrifugal force, which would tend to cause the back end to lose traction and spin out.

Think of it this way: on a hard right-hand turn, say, the weight is all transferred to the left side of the truck. This causes the spring to compress, and, at the front, the A arm to move upwards. With a sway bar, the bar twists upwards too, and tends to pull the right side a arm up, which helps level the truck. The same thing would occur at the rear with a properly engineered and installed sway (anti-roll) bar.

However, because the sway bar tries to lift the inside suspension, it also tends to lift the tire, which reduces the grip. If too much occurs, the truck will lose grip at either or both ends, and it will slide off the road.

You can compensate for this with wider rims and tires, with better rubber compounding. Better shocks also help. But remember, the guys who wanted great handling and fast cornering did not buy pickup trucks, they bought sports cars.

[kaycee]

Took a sway bar (1 1/4" might be 1/8")out of a 75 1 ton + new poly mounts ,it bolted right in . Total cost was about $30 for everything . World of difference over stocker

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by kaycee

Took a sway bar (1 1/4" might be 1/8")out of a 75 1 ton + new poly mounts ,it bolted right in . Total cost was about $30 for everything . World of difference over stocker

If you got that sway bar from a 1975 1 ton its a 1 1/4 bar which is the best one for a C10-C20. My first truck had no front sway bar and I had owned it for 5 years or so before I installed a 1 1/4 front sway bar. I could tell the difference in the handling in the first 100 feet of driving after it was installed.

[brad_man_72]

Longbox knows what he's talking about.
If you just want to reduce roll add a rear sway bar. If you want your truck to handle properly the answer is quite a bit more complicated.

[James the III]

I've never liked the helpless feeling of a plowing vehicle (understeer)
I like a light oversteer at the limit .that I can control with modulation of the brake and gas..
I've found once you know your truck is plowing you are already in trouble.

[indymachinist]

Sway bars absolutely can cause a change in the feel of your trucks ride.

There will be very little difference over an obstacle like a speed bump or seam in a road where both wheels react the same, but a pot hole or other one wheel event will feel different. As one wheel goes up, or down, it is now trying to take the other one with it.

[LongBox]

Originally Posted by indymachinist

Sway bars absolutely can cause a change in the feel of your trucks ride.

There will be very little difference over an obstacle like a speed bump or seam in a road where both wheels react the same, but a pot hole or other one wheel event will feel different. As one wheel goes up, or down, it is now trying to take the other one with it.

Absolutely correct. A one-wheel impact will result in a harsher ride with a sway bar or bigger sway bar.

[Lattimer]

I have the factory front bar with poly bushings added, and I later added a Hotchkis 3rd gen Camaro rear bar to the back. I have it mounted to the trailing arms, and the way I mounted it I think its a bit less effective than it could be. Its a bit father forward than most would mount it, which I think limits its ability to control the roll. I think any more control that it has would be bad, so I think I stumbled onto a fairly good thing.


That being said, it flattened the truck out a LOT in corners compared to just the front, and for general driving its much better. It does put you into a bit of oversteer, which helps a bunch in the handling feel.

Downside is that adding any power in aggressive cornering breaks the outside tire loose very easily. You have to stay steady throttle or let off a bit, you can not throttle up through a turn. I have an open diff, I can imagine that a posi would be a bit different. Its not like I'm on a track or anything, this is on and off ramps and some twisty country roads.

Overall I see more benefits than anything, and I wouldn't want to remove the bar.

Between the sway bars, poly bushings, decent shocks, and a slightly performance oriented alignment, I have the truck where it will handle like a modern low end sedan. Thats about 200% better than stock but absolute garbage compared to a good custom suspension setup....

[James the III]

A trick to tune a bar is to drill some holes in the bushings... simple and cheap..
but it's a take a little then test, then a little more than test.. type deal..

[Andy4639]

I added the front bar on my 71 several years ago and have it lowered 3" up front and 4" normally in the rear. I to had the Camaro rear bar on mine but when I bought the No Limit shock relocators for the rear it was in the way so I took it off thinking I would replace it later. That was 4 years ago and haven't missed it at all with the shocks being moved out board of the frame made a big difference in the handling of the truck.
No it's not a corvette but it's a lot better than stock.