Manual Steering sway bar options

[TomO]

Has anyone installed the Hotchkis (2268) or Hellwig front sway bar on a manual steering car? Any issues with the install? Time to ditch the I6 bar.

Also adding a rear bar while I am at it. Round-a-bouts are a real challenge at any reasonable speed.

Thanks,

TomO

 

[boxerdog]

Yes I have installed a Hellwig and it is tight but no real issues.

 

[TomO]

Update. My sons and I installed the installed the Hellwig front (5712) and rear (5812) sway bars. The front replaced a stock 6cyl sway bar. The front bar went in easy with the car frame setting on a pair of jack stands. Found some rusty and rotten bolts. Did not install the optional aggressive mount in the front lower control arms, just used the stock brackets which worked just fine. The bottom side lower radiator hose does just barley touch the sway bar. Put the front of the car back on the ground and put ramps under the rear tires. The rear bar fits nice and "close" to the rear end and ends up horizontally just below the axle tubes - nice fit and does not look out of place. I did notice the bar was 1/4" narrower then the inside of the control arms when the bar was mocked up using the control arm locations listed in in the install directions - yes, I read them. Clamping the bar to the control arm using C clamps made positing and marking holes a breeze. Drilling the 1/2" holes in the rear suspension lower control arms was a challenge until I ditched the all purpose drill bit and bought one for hard steel - Milwaukee Cobalt are awesome bits.

Result. Using a local round a bout, magnetic base protractor and my youngest son - @25mph we measured 25deg on the protractor. At that speed it felt like we were going to slide across the seat and felt like the drivers tire was off the ground. After install was a hell of a difference - @ 25mph felt solid in the seat and the car was definitely more under control - protractor measurement 20deg. Overall the car feels more under control and sure.

I kick myself for not performing this upgrade sooner.

Tom O

 

[Don Jacks]

Thanks for that info.It's good to know.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Holy cow, TomO! Your kids are all grown up, aren't they?

It's been a long time since we've connected, glad to know things are going well and the kids are participating in the upgrades .

Cheers! TomK

P.S. Was going through some stuff in the mancave and came upon your business card just the other day . Had to be from 12 years ago, right?

 

[TomO]

TomK - It's crazy how fast my kids have grown up! The boys are all about cars and have been in on the repairs and upgrades to my Impala. They enjoy it and it is important lesson they know how to stick with a project when its not fun to get to the fun part.

12 years...wow.

TomO

 

[1958 delivery]

6 cyl cars had front sway bar in 63? I know the earlier years did not have sway bar with 6 cyl

 

[303Radar]

6 cyl cars had front sway bar in 63? I know the earlier years did not have sway bar with 6 cyl

Being the heaviest engine, I guess it makes sense the 6 cylinder cars would have one.

 

[Don Jacks]

The 63 and later 230 inch 6's were lighter by almost 160 lbs than the older 235's were.The 63 230 came in at 440lbs.,the 235's were 620.

 

[1958 delivery]

6 cyl cars did not get a sway bar (early x frames) but when did they start?

 

[Jim Sullivan]

6 cyl cars did not get a sway bar (early x frames) but when did they start?

Maybe they were an option, but I've never seen one on any of the 1963 x frame cars I've come across.

 

[TomO]

My car is a St. Louis car and I will post the build date after work. Knowing the car's history, I doubt that it was added aftermarket. It is factory radio delete, manual steering, drum brake, 3spd manual, 2 speed wiper, heater and tinted window - fairly bare bones.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

I'm doing the suspension on my 1962 Biscayne, not sure of it's original engine but it did not have the tabs for a sway bar. I thought that might be the case with the lower model Biscayne regardless of drive train?

It does now. Or rather it will once I get back to it . I plan on changing out the lower A arms and putting on that sway bar recommended by many of you. Forget the brand right now. Bought two of them, one for the Biscayne, one for the SS car .

 

[1958 delivery]

6 cyl cars did not have, only V8 cars got sway bar BUT not sure if or when that might have changed.

 

[Toms63SSQB]

Phil told me that the 63 Chevrolet without the mounting tabs on the lower A arm was because it was either a 6 cylinder car or a Z11. Mine was probably a 6 cylinder.

 

[oldskydog]

Assembly manual will tell you.

 

[Phil Reed]

Thank you Tom!!!

 

[TomO]

OldSky cleared that up. Just for info. The bar I removed from the car matches 1963 AMA Specs of 0.675". The bar link tabs are spot welded onto the Arms. So V8 and I6 got the same bar.

The rear bar would have been REALLY nice to have back when I was in the VAMP Heads Up Series. When I push down on one rear corner of the car, the entire rear moves down instead of one corner - would leave with less twist in the suspension. The air bags in the springs worked but I think the bar would have been better. The front would have been nice too. I am talking about a 13.70 car so fairly tame.

Chose to install front and rear bar from the same company in hopes they are engineered to work together.