Sway Bars...how important are they?

[tripleblack]

I am considering dropping my 69. I was wondering just how important is it to have a sway bar?

[farside847]

I put one on in the front. Major handling improvement, I would recommend it even if you do not lower it. (my truck is stock height)

[69 Short Fleet]

^ I agree, it is one of the best and simplest upgrades to do on our trucks.

[pjmoreland]

In my opinion, the higher the vehicle, the more important the sway bar is. My old '67 had maybe a 3/5 drop with no sway bars, and it had hardly any body roll going around sharp corners at high speeds. I had a '69 that was stock height, and had no sway bar. It handled very poorly and had so much body roll that it felt like it was going to tip over.

[Longhorn Man]

It sounds like you already have one on there, but want to remove it so you can slam it to the ground.
If this is the case, take it off, get the ride height you want, then try it out. They were optional and many did not have them.
With that being said, my old GMC had no sway bar, and it handled like a overweight pig in slop. I swear the door handles were hitting the street when I cornered.

[tomatocity]

Originally Posted by farside847

I put one on in the front. Major handling improvement, I would recommend it even if you do not lower it. (my truck is stock height)

And if you thought the front swaybar was an improvement wait until you install a rear swaybar (for higher freeway speeds). Helps keep the rear wheels where they belong.

[tattoo]

does any one know what company makes a good set of front and rear sway bars for my 69 swb step?

[wessscott]

Early Classic Enterprise has what you want and all the advice you could ask for.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by tattoo

does any one know what company makes a good set of front and rear sway bars for my 69 swb step?

Factory GM front bars are top notch. Get one off a bigger truck for larger diameter. I did an article in the FAQ on this subject. It has plenty of pictures, part numbers, and interchange information. You should check it out...

[72str8flush]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Factory GM front bars are top notch. Get one off a bigger truck for larger diameter. I did an article in the FAQ on this subject. It has plenty of pictures, part numbers, and interchange information. You should check it out...

The FAQ is very informative. I would try the front swaybar and see how you like it afterwards to see if you would even need the rear.

[llegos]

I am going to get the ECE front and the GMCPauls rear once i get the money saved up for them. I plan on running a drop in a little while, is there harm in getting the sway bar for the drop if i dont have it lowered when the sway bar is put on?

[Hart_Rod]

I put a PST bar on mine and I'm running tubular a-arms, 2 1/2 dropped spindles and bags.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php3?t=174330
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php3?t=175454

[tomatocity]

Originally Posted by llegos

I am going to get the ECE front and the GMCPauls rear once i get the money saved up for them. I plan on running a drop in a little while, is there harm in getting the sway bar for the drop if i dont have it lowered when the sway bar is put on?

* With a front only swaybar: The front swaybar keeps the fronts wheels planted which allows a loose or oversteer condition.
* With a rear only swaybar: The rear swaybar keeps the rear wheels planted and allows a tight or push or understeer condition.
* The other component is the swaybar bushing and the material it is made of. The harder or less flexible material the bushing is made of the more active or effective the swaybar is.
* The other component is the size or diameter of the swaybar. The greater the diameter the more active the swaybar is.
* If you want to take the time and a couple dollars you can tune the swaybars for trucks suspension and your style of driving. I had a 92 Camaro that was sensitive to traction to say the least. 32mm front swaybar with PST red poly bushings and a 7/8" rear swaybar. For the rear I used rubber bushings during warm dry weather and poly bushings during cold wet weather. Surprising what a bushing can do to a short wheel base light vehicle.