Sway Bar Installation



And, how not to! Show a fellow member how you did it, here
Post Reply
User avatar
Faulkner
Posts: 5031
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 6:59 pm
Location: Upper Darby, PA
Contact:

Sway Bar Installation

Post by Faulkner »

Here's another "how to" article by Stefan Steinmaier. -Dan
One of my major concerns this winter was to improve the handling of the Sport Fury. During the general restoration a couple of years ago, all the ball joints and bushings had been replaced, all the hangers had been reworked and the caster and chamber were readjusted. Nevertheless in harsh curves the body “rolled” very strongly and sometimes it almost pulled me out of the seat. The solution showed up a couple of month ago, when I got an original Sway Bar with all hangers and bushings. The only parts that didn’t fit were the brackets to the frame. They had been cut off and therefore I had to weld them on again. Here’s the pictures of what I did:

71.jpg
My SF didn’t have a sway bar, so I had to find the right place for the brackets.
72.jpg
With a tape and some plastic straps, the sway bar comes in position.
73.jpg
The bolt of lower control arm strut is a good reference point and allows a precise adjustment.
74.jpg
The original bracket is in the right position, or is it not? I have to check the clearance in all directions now.
74a.jpg
Last check – everything still in the right position?
75.jpg
A new bracket is on the frame.
76.jpg
Clean the welding seam
77.jpg
Good enough for now. Later, after the first test drive I’ll do it better (hope I don’t have to change it)
78.jpg
With hanger and bushings on the right and left side – it already looks pretty good.
79.jpg
80.jpg
The little hole on the right corner or the bracket is a perfect reference point.
81.jpg
Drivers Side
82.jpg
Passenger Side
83.jpg
Clearance between Frame and lower control arm strut
84.jpg
85.jpg
The moment of truth – does the sway bar move freely in extreme situations?


The first test drive revealed a significantly improved handling of the car. Especially in curves the chassis doesn’t roll so much anymore. The Sport Fury shows a lot more stability, gives a more precise feedback from the steering wheel and better road-holding. What I like the best on the sway bar is a more comfortable ride for driver and passenger.
"If it's new, Plymouth's got it!"
pilotusmc
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:09 am

Re: Sway Bar Installation

Post by pilotusmc »

is an aftermarket sway bar available or maybe use one off a different more modern car?
User avatar
william0431
Posts: 293
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:41 pm

Re: Sway Bar Installation

Post by william0431 »

I have this same question. I have been looking for a while for an original but they are fairly rare as front sway bars mostly only came on the wagons. I have been researching them for a while and a fellow on face book by the name of Charlie Poole (easy to recognize his profile pic is his baby blue 59 Ply) posted one time that he used the sway bar from a 69 Chrysler Newport, he used the frame tabs off the 69 and welded them on the 59. On that same thread James Rawa posted that 65-68 C body bars work and attach to the struts just like a stock bar using parallel clamps. Other than that, that's all I have seen about later model sway bars being used.

I would be really interested to see what you come up with. As I would like to add sway bars to my cars.
Post Reply