Re: Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation.

by SonOfTheGrim Thu May 11, 2017 2:07 am

I have been reading and watching things about swapping ring and pinions for weeks just for the info. I watch mechanics and machining videos for fun. I still may not be confident doing the adjustments myself but ya gotta try eventually.

Now as for the backing plate trick, I'm doing that. Great idea since all my brake stuff is brand new and the new axle's brake stuff is pretty much trash; cut rubber line, crushed hard line, and leaking slave cylinder. I never would have thought of that if you hadn't said it.

The only thing I'll need to get done is having the axles redrilled or get adapters. My dad's got a friend that can probably do the axles.

by SonOfTheGrim Sat May 20, 2017 2:01 am

Today I got my lower control arms out and modified for the swaybar. They are fully boxed and shimmed. Probably a bit overkill but they won't flex now.
Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34630703091_1e2cf39b2e_z

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34630703091_1e2cf39b2e_z

by SonOfTheGrim Sat May 20, 2017 2:22 am

Here are the pieces I made with measurements if anyone else wants to do this. Took me about 4 hours figuring it out as I went. I don't know what gauge steel I used but its what I had and was similar in thickness to the control arms, probably a bit thicker.

2 1/2" holes 4.5 and 9.5" from center of the bushing.
Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34600420272_f62d2d343d_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34600420272_f62d2d343d_o

2 strips of steel 22"~ and 1.5" wide, tapered at the ends to fit into the control arms. I didn't make my pieces exactly 22" so I had to find the holes but if you make them 22" the 4.5 and 9.5" measurements will work here too.
The 1/2" holes are centered in the 1.5" strip so 1/2" on either side.
Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34762205285_bcd9a95802_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34762205285_bcd9a95802_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34600423332_dea16a5a2c_o

The shims to keep the control arm from collapsing with the bolts installed is 3/4" tubing that I cut a little more than 2" but I had to grind them down a bit so 2" should work. Check before the final welds.
Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34600421602_ec5ed29963_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34600421602_ec5ed29963_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34630709441_b992865101_o

Then clamp everything down and weld the crap out of it. I put the 1/2" bolts through both holes to make sure everything lined up and left them until I tacked it all down.
Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34630703091_3704bcecd2_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34630703091_3704bcecd2_o

I'll get a picture of the swaybar installed soon, hopefully under my new posi rear end.

by fasrnur Sat May 20, 2017 4:15 pm

Thanks for sharing sir. Very nice job and I for one appreciate it. I want to do the same thing and now I know how it's done. Keep up the great work.

by SonOfTheGrim Sat May 20, 2017 4:54 pm

No problem and thanks for the compliment. I was just winging it.
My next project is gonna be my single sided crossmember so I can use the long tube headers I got. My whole exhaust needs to be redone or replaced.

by fasrnur Sat May 20, 2017 5:12 pm

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 Drivew11

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 Dscf4011

You're welcome sir. I couldn't afford the store bought crossmember when I did my exhaust, so until I can, this is what I did.

by SonOfTheGrim Sat May 20, 2017 5:16 pm

That's exactly what I had in mind. Or make one from scratch. What thickness steel is that?
My other thought was flattening the exhaust tubing a bit to fit under the bar. Wonder what effect that would have on performance.

by fasrnur Sat May 20, 2017 6:44 pm

I honestly don't know. I found a piece of square tubing at the local scrap yard and cut it into a channel and then had a buddy weld it in for me. As for the tubing, maybe use some oval tubing to go under the x-member?

Maybe these guys would have something you could use?
http://www.racemufflers.com/Straight-Oval-Tubing-s/2005.htm

by SonOfTheGrim Sat May 20, 2017 9:14 pm

That's what I was thinking. Of course everything they have seems to be stainless but I can probably achieve the same thing with a press. Of course now the gears in my head are turning over making a crossbar from scratch. I think it'll be fun.

by pila Sat May 20, 2017 10:20 pm

Nice job on the control arms, and the piece welded in the cross member !! Very Happy

by fasrnur Sun May 21, 2017 12:03 am

I do my best to make as much as I can on my own as it appears you do too sir. Thanks pila!

by SonOfTheGrim Sun May 21, 2017 12:21 am

Thank you both. Honestly my diy attitude comes from my desire to save a buck wherever I can. I'm a certified cheapo and my time is free to me. Plus I like learning new skills. When I started this car I couldn't weld but now look at me. I couldn't shape panels and didn't know a thing about small block engines either.

by SonOfTheGrim Mon May 22, 2017 11:57 pm

Here it is with the bar installed. Everything lined up perfectly. It couldn't have fit better.
Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34021398223_4f2aebcf4e_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34021398223_4f2aebcf4e_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34021395903_a932e4328c_o

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 33988248264_92b06df23d_o

I haven't driven it yet because my intake manifold is off as I am in the middle of plugging the exhaust crossover channel but hopefully tomorrow I will take it down the mountain and test out the sway.

I also went to the scrap yard today and found a piece to mod my crossmember for my headers.

Man the bottom of my car is ugly...

by thatfnthing Tue May 23, 2017 8:34 am

Very nicely done, sir!

by SonOfTheGrim Thu May 25, 2017 2:49 am

I've had a thought: with all this stiffening and linking of the rear end, how important is it to match the front? I have better shocks and cut springs in front which makes it a bit stiffer but do I need to be on the lookout for a bigger sway bar up there too? I don't want to turn this into a drift car!

My goal the whole time has been to fix the boatyness that these cars have and I've thought that it was coming mostly from the rear, but with a 7/8" rear sway bar is that going to overpower the wimpy 5/8" front bar?

by fasrnur Thu May 25, 2017 7:20 am

I went with a rear sway bar from a 96 Imapala SS and a front one from a second gen Trans Am. It made the car handle real nice.

by Hawk03 Thu May 25, 2017 8:45 am

Nice work on the control arms! You should make a template and sell the inserts.

I have lowering springs on the front along with 8" wheels. In the rear I have the Impala sway bar and 9.5" wheels. I just ordered the below sway bar to stiffen up the front, it seemed a little loose when I was driving it over the weekend so I'm hoping the bigger sway bar will help.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330657224503

by fasrnur Thu May 25, 2017 8:28 pm

I have the Impala sway bar in the rear and an 1 1/4" front sway bar and it tighten mine up a bunch. No longer does it feel like driving a couch. lol

by SonOfTheGrim Fri May 26, 2017 1:00 am

I measured my front bar today and it's 1" diameter. I thought the stock sway bars were smaller, like 5/8". There's even one on eBay that the seller measured to 5/8.

So maybe I don't need to look for a different sway bar after all. But I'm curious, is this a stock bar or did someone upgrade in a previous life?

by SonOfTheGrim Fri May 26, 2017 1:05 am

Oops, just checked the sway bar here and it's from a 65 chevelle. I thought it was from a G3.

Hawk, that is a fancy GOLD bar! Selling the inserts is an idea. Might see what kind of money I'd have to charge to make it worth it.
Fasrnur, that's exactly the feel I'm trying to work on.

I may still get a bigger bar but for now I'll try what I've got. For the record, new GTO stuff is cheap on eBay. I keep finding stuff I want to try on my car.

by SonOfTheGrim Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:39 am

Rear sway bar measurements and adaptation. - Page 2 34359794043_2e9d352c06_o

Got my new axle installed finally with minimal issues. Still got to do a couple things while I'm under the car like modding the exhaust and patching the hole I put in the gas tank while modding the exhaust...

On a side note, does anyone know of an epoxy or JB Weld-like substance that will hold up against gas or am I just going to have to drop the tank and weld it up?

Also, does anyone know how much limited slip additive is needed for an 8.5 auburn diff?

by clanceman427 Thu Jun 08, 2017 9:24 am

Nice work! I'm looking at your picture and I'm puzzled by how the car is raised- where are the jackstands positioned in this picture? just curious. Or is there a forktruck behind the camera's view??

by bigredlaguna Thu Jun 08, 2017 9:37 am

If you haven't bought the oil yet, there are differential oils that already have the limited slip additive in it. As far as the places I looked myself, the additive came in bottles that were much too big. It was less hassle and money to just get the oil with it already mixed in.

by SonOfTheGrim Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:51 pm

That's levitation Holmes! No I've got the jackstands behind the axle on the frame. In those big holes when the rail flattens out. I prefer that jack point over the ones in front of the axle for some reason. It did make getting the axle in and out a bit difficult...

I already have the additive and gear oil too. The bottle of additive says to put the whole bottle in and then top off but I did that with my s10 when I put the camaro diff in it and it completely disabled the posi. I had to drain about 2/3rds of the oil and replace it with straight gear oil for the posi to lock up.
I would just go with that measurement but that was a 7.5" axle and this is 8.5". I'm thinking I'll just start with 2oz and add more if I get too much wheel hop.

by brownbomber77 Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:56 pm

That's exactly what I used to do. Melt out the bushings, leave the stock shells, sandblast, weld in to box the arm, same thing with the inserts. Then I'd lube up and install polyurethane bushings. It was a little time consuming, but for the stuff I had lying around, certainly made it easier to sell.

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