front sway bar for a 69-72 4x4 w/leaf springs

[Terrysch]

Help!

I am paranoid about safety ever since I almost died in an accident.
Have already put an addco rear sway bar on my
1972 GMC Jimmy 4x4 w/leaf springs

But the Addco front sway bar that was supposed to work does not work on a 4x4 like Addco listed it did. Talked to Addco direct, they now agree and had me return it. Probably just designed for a RWD, not a 4x4

Hellweg had one, their 7431, that would have worked but they have discontinued it.

Has anyone put a front sway bar on a 69-72 4x4 ?
If so, from what company and part number?
Has anyone put a sway bar on a 69-72 from a later model c/k series?
Or from another truck?
Any modifications needed?

Would appreciate any help I can get.

Terry

[cbeerman]

I believe you can get a setup from a square body you just have replace the front crossmember. If you have an early dana with 2.75" axles you need the coresponding spring perches for 76 eariler because the 77 later danas and 10 bolts have 3" axle tubes.

[Bigdav160]

I installed the addco 141 bar kit on my Suburban. I don't see how it could fit a 2WD

I have a 2 inch lift and did have to make a couple changes. I made sway bar extension brackets for the frame and installed longer sway bar links.

[Terrysch]

tt

[special-K]

My truck had a later factory sway bar installed by the previous owner. I think the sway bar they sold you would have worked if your truck was a '73-'87 with the necessary crossmember. Mine had a piece of c-channel installed for a crossmember but others will use the 73-87 crossmember. I put new springs on a few years ago that lifted the truck 4" and at that time I eliminated the sway bar. I have been driving these 67-72 4wds all my life as well as the 73-87s. I have never noticed any difference in handling between the two with or without a sway bar. My '72 handles just as well as when it had the sway bar. Actually better because it has new shocks now. Go ahead and put one on your Blazer, but you can relax about driving a dangerous vehicle in the meantime. There is very little body roll with the leaf spring front end.

[Stocker]

You mentioned the Hellwig 7431 bar was discontinued, but a quick Google search comes up with several vendors offering it. Maybe they are in stock but not being re-supplied by Hellwig as inventory is sold out. Might be worth checking into.

Also, you might want to disconnect the rear bar until you sort out the front bar. I have never run just a rear bar with no front, but there's supposedly a chance it could cause the vehicle to oversteer, which is not a good thing as far as safe predictable handling.

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by special-K

My truck had a later factory sway bar installed by the previous owner. I think the sway bar they sold you would have worked if your truck was a '73-'87 with the necessary crossmember. Mine had a piece of c-channel installed for a crossmember but others will use the 73-87 crossmember. I put new springs on a few years ago that lifted the truck 4" and at that time I eliminated the sway bar. I have been driving these 67-72 4wds all my life as well as the 73-87s. I have never noticed any difference in handling between the two with or without a sway bar. My '72 handles just as well as when it had the sway bar. Actually better because it has new shocks now. Go ahead and put one on your Blazer, but you can relax about driving a dangerous vehicle in the meantime. There is very little body roll with the leaf spring front end.

I agree! If your dead set on a bar though, Roger Koop sells the complete square body setup in the parts board from time to time. I wouldn’t worry about it though.

[Terrysch]

Really appreciate the replies. Thanks!
Keep them coming.

Understand the comments on handling.

But I am really installing the sway bars to minimize the chances of a rollover.
This is actually the main reason that sway bars have been added to vehicles.
Safety. I said I was paranoid.
When a rollover happens it is a sudden event, there is no warning.

Not expecting any handling improvement.
I am a mechanical engineer that worked for vehicle companies my entire work career. But a hands on one that is now retired. For those companies and me, safety is always first.

But more importantly, I am an amateur gearhead, who is really glad I joined the forum!!! Great people.

[Stocker]

IMHO, decent predictable handling is a significant component of safe driving. It doesn't need to involve cornering at the limit.

A sudden rollover with no warning doesn't seem to make sense to me unless you are in an accident, maybe got hit by another vehicle or drove off the road. Sway bars are not likely to alter the outcome.

Good luck in your search though, I hope you find what you're looking for. Have you tried places that have listings for Hellwig 7431? Jegs, Summit, 4WP, & SD Truck Springs all show them.

[Terrysch]

Mike,

Yes, way too many. Even checked again today to make sure.

JEGS, Summit, SD Truck Springs, Amazon, eBay, 4WD components sellers.
All of them told me they do not stock Hellwig sway bars, but order them directly from Hellwig.

Have called and directly talked to Hellwig in California. They are the ones who verified it has been discontinued.

I only called the other companies again as along shot that one of them might have just one in inventory.

Most of us are good drivers and won't push handling of our trucks or cars to the limit.
But on the road, stuff just happens, including sometimes having to swerve because you have to do so. Plus our c/k trucks have high centers of gravity.
Again, sway bars were added for a reason. Safety.

Terry

[Terrysch]

Did check 4WP.
Speedway does not carry Hellwig sway bars.

Maybe a forum member knows someone I did not check.
But did both Google and Bing searches.

The sites that show having them just have not yet removed it from their web sites.

[Bigdav160]

And your problem with the Addco bars was?????

[Terrysch]

No issue with the rear sway bar.
No problem with the installation.
On Jimmy now.

The problem was with the Addco 141 front sway bar.
It would not fit on my 4WD.
Looks like it would be fine for a RWD front axle.
Supposed to be for both a RWD and a 4WD.

You included 2 pics of your c/k truck?
One for the rear.
One for the front.

Is your c/k a 4WD?
If a 4WD, what Addco sway bar did you use?

Terry

[Bigdav160]

Yes, K20 Suburban 4x4 and a 141 bar kit

I have a two inch lift so you can see I had to add frame brackets and longer links.

The rear bar usually points to the rear but I had to reverse it because of the exhaust routing.

[franken]

I think I'd go with a factory 4x4 front bar and make brackets to connect to the crossmember. The crossmember is riveted and I dislike people removing the rivets and bolting things back on the frame.
4x4s handle differently than 2x4 and have a higher center of gravity, which are things you have to compensate for in driving style.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by franken

4x4s handle differently than 4x2 and have a higher center of gravity, which are things you have to compensate for in driving style.

Yes, and there's another point to consider with a 4x4. IF it's driven off road, more articulation may be called for -- and sway bars reduce articulation. They are intended for highway use and work very well, on pavement.

[special-K]

Sway bars are for limiting body side roll, meaning "leaning" when cutting wheel side to side. A four corner leaf spring solid axle 4wd resists doing that by it's own nature. They handle like a sports car, only higher center of gravity which puts a lower limiting point on speed. And that's the rollover issue, not body roll. Sway bars are a good idea, but I see the benefits as so low I don't bother with them any more.

I had two K3500 SRW 6.5TD/5spds at one time. A '92 and a '95. I put a rear swap bar on the '95 and could tell no difference. I keep them if they are there, but stopped adding them. I usually use a spacer when lifting a truck that has one on the front. But mine was a homemade deal just to have something that gave no benefit, and probably in the way at some point, so I removed it.