1960 Impala Suspension Upgrade

[donlew]

I would like to explore upgrading the suspension on my car. This is a new car to me and it seem to sway a lot. So much so that if you were to turn the wheel left to right going at any good speed it feels like it could easily get uncontrollable away from you. There seems to be a rather recent installation of a sway bar applied to the trailing arms of the rear suspension. It just feels loose and lunges & dips in the turns. You can just tell it is a 64 year old suspension design.
Does anyone have experience with suspension upgrades that will tighten this up?

Thanks, Dons60

 

[La Hot Rods]

Does it have an anti sway bar on the front?

 

[donlew]

1st picture is a bar that was in the trunk when purchased. The 2nd is of the front susp. as it sits now. I does not look like there is a sway bar on the front.

 

[La Hot Rods]

I would start by installing one on the front.

 

[donlew]

Does the pic of bar in trunk look like a front sway bar?

 

[Don Jacks]

No sir,the one in the picture is a rear bar.

 

[donlew]

Well,it must have been replaced with a different type. I will get a picture of the rear bar that's installed now.
I will research a front end sway bar to see if that helps.
Thanks for the reply and information

 

[boxerdog]

A rear bar with no front bar is usually not a good recipe. If you have options and are keeping the rear bar, get the largest practical bar you can find for the front, 1" at a minimum.

 

[donlew]

Thank you
I attached a picture of the rear bar that is on the car now. Not a good picture but maybe you can enlarge it and see what that bar is. It looks totally different from the one that's in the trunk.
Thanks Dons60

 

[pvs409]

Looks like your car might have been a factory 6 cylinder car( GM did not install front sway bars
on factory 6 cylinder motor cars.)

Buy and install a front Addco #706 - 1 inch sway bar - its a bolt on - works great….

if your car does not have sway bar mounts on on the lower A frames it was a factory 6 cylinder car- the Addco #706
sway bar comes with mounts the can be added to lower A frames without the factory mounts

 

[nana1962409]

The one installed on your car is made by hellwig and I believe it is part number 5812. I have one on my 1962 impala and like it.

 

[pvs409]

here his the Addco # 706 sway bar.

Addco 706 Addco Performance Anti-Sway Bar Kits | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Addco Performance Anti-Sway Bar Kits with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Sway Bars at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

I have this bar on my 62 impala 2 door hardtop 327 motor with factory power steering

 

[JWahlstrom]

My '64 came with no sway bar, and was the worst handling car I'd ever driven. It felt like it would roll over on its side just turning out of a driveway, and required both hands and concentrated effort to keep it in a fairly straight line on the freeway, which was far from relaxing or enjoyable. Overtaking trucks was harrowing, especially over dips in the road or around curves. The car pitched and rolled like a cork on the sea.

I installed a Hellwig front sway bar and that helped tremendously, then adding a rear bar and control arm bushings tightened it up some more. New front springs and control arm bushings came next, with noticeable gains. This spring I added 4 more body mounts like convertibles have and that improved the overall feel, too.

 

[donlew]

PVS409 My vin starts with 01837. I believe this is code for the V8. I will look further today. Thanks so much for the pics. They help a lot.

nana1962409​

I'm trying to figure out why the previous owner would remove the rear sway bar & install a different one.

JWahlstrom​

What you explain is exactly the way mine feels. I'm looking into shop for a complete suspension up grade.
Thanks to you guys for the help.

Dons60

 

[donlew]

PVS409 I just looked and there are the A-arm mounts and all the holes in the frame. I plan on upgrading to a Borgeson steering box that requires a notched radiator. Do you know if this Sway bar will interfere with the steering box?

Dons60

 

[pvs409]

I would start with the front Addco 1" sway bar like my pictures above -it fixed my 62 and no rear sway bar needed.....
those frame mount brackets are the stock sway bar brackets(did not use the Addco frame sway bar brackets)

All V-8 cars are have the frame pre drilled from the factory for the front sway bar brackets (if your sway bar is gone, check your
frame for 2 mounting holes (like the mounting location in my pictures) on each frame section

the 1' Addco sway bar is larger than the factory V-8 front sway bar and its power coated black....
No other modifications needed in my opinion from my 62's unless you want to spend lots of $ -

Easy to try the front sway bar and see how it works......then decide.........................

011837 is a 1960 factory V-8 car

Paul

 

[pvs409]

PVS409 I just looked and there are the A-arm mounts and all the holes in the frame. I plan on upgrading to a Borgeson steering box that requires a notched radiator. Do you know if this Sway bar will interfere with the steering box?

Dons60

I refuse to buy another radiator for $ 800 when I have 4 core 409 brass or large griffin 409 style radiator in my 3 -62's

I am about to test fit another model Borgeson steering box on one of my 62's (Borgeson changed their design to fit better on 4 core radiators or any radiator ) Measuring from the box frame mounting holes the front of the Borgeson box looks like it will clear by about 1/2 inch to my radiator. Their instructions do not say the sway bar has to be moved....

I sold a Borgeson box that I bought 7+ years ago that did not fit my 62s

I can check on my factory or Addco sway bar -but the factory sway bar and the Addco mount in factory location just larger.

 

[donlew]

There are holes in the frame for a sway bar and mounting tabs on the A-arms. Unless it was somehow damaged I can't imagine why anyone would remove the front bar and add a rear one.
On the Borgeson steering box I was hoping to tighten up the steering. Maybe the sway bar will help this.

Thanks again for the reply. All this is really helpful.

Dons60

 

[Barry Taylor]

Maybe the car was drag raced! People would remove the swaybar to free up and lighten the front end!

 

[donlew]

What are the advantages of upgrading to new tubular A-Arms with adjustable coil overs. I would like to put some new wheels and tires on. I think I would like the look of 18's on the front and 20's on the rear. I also like the look of a dished wheel maybe not to deep. Also a little wider wheel for the rear. The car in the attached photo is not mine but it does have wheels that look like what I would want.
I'm not looking to have the car real low but would like to see a good looking stance.
Thanks, Dons60