Chris@VetteFinders

You know when you try to put the new end links on? Well, there are 4 poly bushings and because they are new (vette brakes) I can't get the nut on the other end. What is the secret to compressing these new bushings so I can get the nut on?

Stingy74

Longer bolt?

PS: My VHS tape is coming.

Pedro'74

Rhys,

As Rick suggested, it's easier to do it with the suspension in normal "ride" position. I did it with the car on the ground.

The rear sway bar wasn't difficult, since it's not that thick. I used a "band clamp" to compress the bushings.

Now, the front was a real pain--the bar is too thick! I used a jack to hold the bolt and compress the lower bushing, and a big pry bar to push the sway bar down compressing the other bushings.

Hope this helps...

-Pedro

Chris@VetteFinders

I went and cut the spacers. I couldn't stand it any longer. Its done now. Thanks for the suggestions. I ended up cutting about 1/8" off.

Tom454

Rhys-
I just gotta know... when I tried to install my Vette brakes rear sway bar, because it is designed differently than the stock bar, the only way to get it mounted was to "allow" the bolt to bend. Look closely at the bolts... did they bend where they go through the eyelet?

Chris@VetteFinders

No they didn't bend the bolt itself, but the bolts are not perpendicular to the ground. They are pointing slightly to the rear of the car at the top. I can try to take a picture if you want.

Shutdown1

Rhys,


If you're like me you are going to be pulling that VetteBrakes front sway bar back off anyway. It clunks and squeaks everytime you hit a bump in the road. Regards

'74 Turbocharged 350, "Molested to Perfection", class of 71

Chris@VetteFinders

Actually, I've had the front sway bar on for about a year. I have been without the rear though. Just had too many other things to do. I think the only thing that squeaks on my car is the a-arm bushings.

Tom454

Thanks for the offer Rhys-

I must have gotten a "lemon" bar or something. I even bought a selection of hardened bolts of different lengths and they all bent. There must be something different about my bar because it will not go in without bending the bolts. Doesn't matter if I have it sitting on the tires or not- the bolts still bend. The angle between the bolt and the eye is so steep that it just bends the bolt. The link bushings end up getting squashed into pie shapes and they get all mangled. The bar looks real nice though, lying under my bed.

Chris@VetteFinders

You sure you are not overtightening? Did you adjust the bushings that bolt to the frame? Meaning, slide them toward the front of the car?

Nomad78SA

Glad to see you got them on Chris. I had a pain getting mine on also but one of my kids gave me a hand and presto, got the nuts started. Mine was up on jack stands in the garage with no body when I did them. Did not have any weight on the frame to help out. Used a come a long to pull up the rear sway bar so I could start the bolts. Whenever I want to have fun, I go out and mess with the vette.hehehe
Neil in Tenn

Chris@VetteFinders

Yeah, fun fun.

I got my insulation done today and all my carpet back in. Everything but my passenger seat. I have had all that stuff out of my car since late october trying to fix a water leak. I think I got it licked finally.

Neil, that reminds me, make sure you check the spot where the front fender attaches to the main body just below the windshield. There should not be any gap. Nake sure the nose does not droop and pull that seam loose.

Tom454

Rhys-
"You sure you are not overtightening? "

Yup- with the wide selection of different length bolts, I could set the length any where I wanted.
So- over tightening wasn't even an issue.

"Did you adjust the bushings that bolt to the frame? Meaning, slide them toward the front of the car? "

The brackets in my kit are not adjustable more than 1/8".

In order for this bar to work, I would have to drop it down away from the frame about 2.5 inches... lowering the center of its pivot line to simulate what the factory bar mounting links do. This would cause interference with other stuff. I have a Vette Brakes 360lb fiberglass spring (big block rate). Maybe this has something to do with it, but I don't see how.

I spent hours just laying there on the floor trying to figure out how to make it work... giving Vette Brakes the benefit of the doubt, the geometry of this bar is just not right. I bought it at Carlisle from them.... the box had already been opened... maybe someone put the wrong bar in the box.

Maybe a picture of your mounted end-links would actually help?

Chris@VetteFinders

Alright, I'll take one tonight.

Gator81

Hi, guys,
I recently upgraded my '81 by replacing the bushings with poly and replacing the end links on the stock front bar (1.125") and by adding the rear bar kit (.75"), all with Vette Brakes stuff. I had no problem at all with either the end links on the front bar or with the bolt alignment on the rear bar. I did notice that the rear bar bolt (end link) is not a great design; it must be pivoting somewhat as the T/A moves up and down. The stock GM design is much more elegant, with it's free-pivot end links. But I couldn't find those, so I just used the VB system. I suppose it will probably work just fine.

There's no bending of those bolts on mine. I just adjusted the brackets forward/backward at the frame mounting points until I had what appeared to be the least amount of deflection in the end link bolts, then tightened down the brackets. They must have had nearly a half-inch of longitudinal adjustment with those slotted holes. Maybe (Tom) your brackets were mis-manufactured? Could you get the relief it needs by elongating the slotted holes?

And I have zero squeaking. Used lots and lots of Tef-Cone lube in the assembly... :seeya

Chris@VetteFinders

Tom, do these help? Hopefully I can begin to pay back all the help you have given me.

I really should have coated all my bolts with something when I reassembled the car. Now they are oxidzed!








[Modified by Rhys, 5:57 PM 12/17/2001]


[Modified by Rhys, 5:58 PM 12/17/2001]

Cajun99

Rhys..that's exactly what I did when I installed the same bar on my '75. Went on without a problem. I also slathered plenty of the supplied lubricant on the bushings and haven't heard a squeak or clunk yet. Same results with the matching front bar I put on.

Tom454

Okay...

I lied... there is 1/2" adjustment at the bracket. Short term memory? Who needs it.

Anyhow, I tried it again, and no matter where I mount the bracket, the angle between the bar and the bolt is so steep that as soon as I jack up the car, and the trailing arm drops down, the bolt bends at the top and the bushings get crushed into a pie shape.... even the poly bushings. In order for this bar to work, I would have to drop the center of rotation of the bar down about 2-3 inches, but then it would hit the muffler.

I measured the offset of the factory bar, and it is about 4 inches. This is what lowers the center of rotation of the factory bar, in addition to the factory end links. The VB bar that I have is straight across at the ends.... no offset. The main (long) part of the VB bar does have a very slight offset built into it.

I can't tell from the pics... are the ends of your VB bar straight across, or do they have a kick to them like the factory bar?

Finally, I am going to throw one more variable into the equation... I have the "offset" trailimg arms so I can use jumbo tires. Maybe they are different than the factory trailing arms... maybe they move the link bolt forward. This would cause the problem. I bought everything from VB and they failed to respond to my questions about this.

Chris@VetteFinders

I'd suggest calling "Chris" down at VB. My bar is exactly as you described. Straight on the ends and a slight offset in the long part of the bar. Fwiw, I have not jacked mine up since I installed it.