ImBatman

The instructions for the rear sway bar are really bad and definately don't help if your car was not origionally equitp with one. I have the mounts bolted to the frame. The bar has several curves in it, is there a top and bottom? I have tried it both ways but I can't get the top nut on the end links coming off the T/A's to have enough thread to grab ahold of. In other words the end link bolts don't seem to be long enough. Am I missing something? :confused:

Lohkay

Sounds like you have the rearend jacked up. :p: Put the car back down and you should have more than enough thread....if you can't, use ramps.

rdrman

Last year I decided to install poly bushings and had the same problem,I was reinstlling it the way it came out...wromg..flipped it over cured it ..the way it was oringinal in the tabs on the end were not perpendicular to the end links and deformed and bent them.I flipped it over and then the tabs for the end links,replaced the links ..so yes I think they can be installed backwards... I had to jack-up the TA to catch more than 1 thread :seeya

KJL

I put a 5/8" dia bar on my "72". The bar is offset a bit to clear my spare tire carrier. If I recall, the only thing I had to do was jack the trailing arm up to somewhat level. Are you using the bushings that came with the kit? You may need to get some thinner bushings.

gkull

When you have a good back spring the only good way to correct the problem is to space the bar down from the frame. I told someone on this forum I was going to take pictures and I never did get them scanned.

But anyway go to a metal shop and have them cut you two pieces of 1X2 heavy wall box tubing mild steel about 5 inches long. Drill two holes in each block to line up with the existing frame taped holes. Buy four bolts long enough to bolt your spacer between the sway bar and the frame. It seems to me that I used 3.5 inch grade 8's.

The sway bar works so much better when installed more level to the ground. I told VB&P about it years ago and told them that the blocks should be included with the kits or even a mention of it in the directions. It wasn't until I bitched that they even said that the 460/550 springs were and inch shorter.

jcanney

I had to jack up my T-arms.

redvetracr

I have a "simple" question, How come no one wants to "step up" and buy a GM "factory" rear bar,the kind designed for the car? the kind that "fits' in the car?? GM / Chevrolet has more experience designing suspension parts (that work) for these cars than ALL the Vette aftermarket suppliers put together.
...redvetracr

71coupe

I didn't think Chevy still made stuff like that for C-3's anymore. Is it an original sway bar or is it a repo?

BSeery

Where are they, how much are they, where are the part numbers, and who stocks them?

With the aftermarket, all of those questions are answered already. People by nature are lazy. If we have all of the questions answered by one or two sources, we don't go looking further.
Plus -- GM parts are notoriously (sp?) hard to find and pricey.

redvetracr

71coupe,I doubt that Chevrolet sells sway bars BUT a sway bar is not a wear item and there is NOTHING wrong with a good used bar, you can still buy all the mounting hardware,if not from GM then from the repro guys. i have a few rear bars i would LOVE to sell that are actually GM bars and that actually fit a Corvette chassis, BUT it seems that it`s easier and cheaper to buy an aftermarket (Generic) bar that is NOT for a Corvette and that takes quite a bit of work to get to fit than it is to buy what was originally designed for the car.
Just my .02 cents worth! ...redvetracr

KJL

71coupe,
what are the diameters of the rear sway bars you have? I am currently using a 5/8" dia rear bar with a 1-1/8" front which I am very pleased with.

71coupe

The diameter of my rear sway bar is 0 :eek:
- it doesn't have one. The one on the the front looks pretty wimppy too. This is next on my list of things to do.

KJL

Redvetracr,
What dia are your rear bars you would like to sell?

BSeery

yeah -- what he said.

redvetracr

I have three rear bars i want to sell all GM factory bars, one 9/16 used big block bar comes with T-arm mounting hardware (some new/some used). I also have two 7/16 rear bars one new NO hardware, one used with T-arm hardware. Contact me direct for more info. redvetracr@aol.com

73 LS-4

As everyone else has mentioned, the rear suspension will have to be compressed ( at ride height) before everything will bolt up easily). What I did is to place the jack stands under the frame and then used the floor jack to raise or lower the suspension to make it easiest to mount the bar and remove the old bar in my case. One thing you will notice with a VB rear swaybar is that your rear wheel travel will be much less since it doesn't have the pivot point like a factory rear bar, at least it was in my case. Makes it more difficult for me to make it up my real steep driveway that I have to hit at an angle but it still has a better approach angle then the 86 does.

:cheers:
Pat Kunz

Tom454

I have a 70 BB coupe with the factory rear sway bar. The bar is anemic. It measures 1-35/64... not quite 1-9/16. Seems like a coat hanger would be just as good, but, hey, what do I know?? I'm not a suspension Guru. To my knowledge, GM/repro does not sell anything larger than 1-35/64 (<9/16) that fits the factory mounting end links. So, I bought a VB rear sway bar and had exactly the same problems with mounting as described. When the car was let down, the top of the bolt bent to accommodate the steep angle. I made my own sleeves, and bought longer (hardened) bolts etc etc. They bent as well. When I contacted VB, they were not interested in discussing my problem, so I took the bar off and it currently sits under my bed. I did get it installed, but the angle between the end eyes and the bolt was so far out of whack (even with the car sitting on the ground) that it was an obvious mis-match. It looked like such a "Bubba" that I just couldn't leave it on the car. I think the spacer idea might be the fix.. as long as it doesn't cause other (exhaust?) interference problems. I'm gonna check into that idea.