Later Model Sway Bar on 60 Stepper

[wcorbett]

Yesterday I completed my sway bar upgrade on my mostly original 60 step side. I bought the sway bar off CL from a guy with a 67 C-10 who upgraded to a Hotchkiss unit. I knew I could make it work for me, because in the mid 80's, I had another 60 step that the PO (wife's uncle) had already done the mod.

This sway bar is the factory type that just runs the rear end through the large style bushing, and bolts to the A-arm. I don't know if it's application is late 60's or 70's, 'cause those aren't my years of interest. On the 67, the back would've been bolted to the top of the A-arm (i believe), in my case, its bolted to the bottom front of the A-arm. The front uses factory brackets to offset the rise of the frame behind the steering components. The front end of the bracket is 8.5" measured from the factory front bumper, and the hole is bolted through the bottom surface of the frame rail. The rear hole must be drilled and tapped into the frame. The frame is double thick there, so it is plenty strong enough, and there is adequate thickness to tap.

The rear brackets are bolted through the A-arm. The downsides of this for some might be the loss of clearance under the arm, but its pretty far out on the arm, so the tires would provide some "protection" there, and they really aren't any lower than where the ends of the rear axle swing arm mounts.

Additionally, in my case, it seems like the truck may have actually lifted about an inch in the front. I assume this a result of the "spring" properties of the sway bar, and it took some pressure off the 66 year old torsion bars that have undoubtedly sagged. The "rake" is still there, just slightly less.

My truck will live the rest of its life as a sleeper ranch truck (mild suspension and power upgrades focusing on drivability), so that small lift is no issue.

Driving with the sway bar is virtually night and day already, and that's prior to my coming Bilstein shocks I'll put on later this week (still have the 60 year old Allstate shocks on it).

Anyway, a pretty simple mod that makes a world of difference.