How much does a Sway Bar actually help?

[70 longbed]

Gonebad,

Write to NeonLarry. He has a great write up with color pics and everything. I had all the information at one time, but have lost it, and the pics. It was a great write up. As a matter of fact, would like to see it again; how about it Neonlarry?

[neonlarry]

Check out this old post for more info on rear bar.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...hlight=swaybar

[neonlarry]

Here is the write up 70 longbed is refering to:
Parts List: IROC rear sway bar
Frame brackets
End links or Energy suspension end links(preferable see below) I got mine from Auto Zone or Pep Boys
sway bar bushings or E/S bushings( I got E/S grease able ones from http://www.suspension.com/)
all the above are available from the Camero unless you use the E/S stuff
You will need to buy/make
2-Heavy Duty 3” U-Bolts( I got these at NAPA)
A piece of flat stock to go on the U-Bolts for the sway bar bushing to mount on ( you’ll see what I mean when you take the Camero bar off their U-Bolt brackets are wider)
Spacers to mount the frame brackets ( the Camero frame is about 2” wider)
4-Grade 8 Bolts for the frame brackets


When putting the bar in I had to bend the brake line brackets out from the axle a little bit so I could get them to clear the U-Bolts. I also had to trim one side of the U-Bolt brackets to allow plenty of clearance between them and the brake lines. Just pop them in a vise and use an angle grinder. The hardest part of the whole install is drilling the hole in the frame for the frame brackets or rather figuring out where to drill them. The way I did this is to bolt the sway bar on the axle and put the Camero end links and frame brackets on the sway bar. With the Sway bar arms parallel with the ground you’ll notice the ends of the bar turn down and the end links angle back a little. You want to mount the frame bracket at that angle. What I did was to hold the spacers up to the frame and line them up with the frame brackets and then clamp them to the frame aand use the spacers themselves as a drill guide and drill the holes( you’ll notice I didn’t say line the holes up with the holes in the frame bracket just the angle) ( the reason for this is that the end links are not necessarily the right length) . Once you have the holes drilled take the frame brackets and the end links off the bar and bolt the frame brackets and spacers to the frame. Then assuming you had the truck jacked up let it down and set the sway bar arms parallel with the ground and measure the distance between the bar eyes and the frame bracket. Then depending on whether your going to use the Camero end links or get some E/S links either adjust the length of the center barrel on the Camero links to fit or go to your local Auto Zone and get a set of links that fit (note ignore the length stated on the package this has nothing or very little to do with the measurement you just took take your ruler with you and measure the actual distance between the mounting points). All that’s left is to bolt on the end links and enjoy.
It defiantly made a difference on mine but I also changed the rear springs and shocks. The PO put new heavy duty rear springs and shocks on the truck(it came with heavy duty springs) only trouble is he used heavy duty front springs. I put some heavy duty 4” drop springs in, they should actually be softer than what was in there but it still corners flatter than before.

[70 longbed]

Neonlarry,

This is still on my to do list. I need to pull the bed to finish the tank I put in and this would be a good time. Do you still have the spacers, grade 8 bolts and bushing perches you had from the earlier posts. Let me know what you want for them and how to get the money to you.