Factory rear swaybar

[chevyrestoguy]

I was junkyardin today, and found a 1976 Silverado 1-Ton with a factory rear swaybar. It's definately factory, as it's got the cast-iron brackets that connect the bar to the rear axle u-bolts. My question is, can this set-up be used on my '73 half-ton with the 12-bolt rear? I figured that it should because the spacing of the leaf springs is the same between both trucks.

I've never seen one until today. Then again, I don't have much need for anything under the rear of the 1-Ton trucks, so I never look.

[72C203503ONTHETREE]

The one ton uses the 14 bolt 10.5 inche rear, I think the axle tubes are thicker than the 12 bolt tubes so those brackets would be the wrong size.

[chevyrestoguy]

Didn't think about that. Makes perfect sense about the difference in axle tube diameter between the 12 bolt and the 14 bolt.

[LONGHAIR]

Even if you can make it fit, you have to be careful about randomly sticking a sway bar on the rear of anything.
They are designed to work as a set. When you add a rear 'bar to a vehicle that is already equipped with one on the front, you have to up-grade the front one too.An un-matched pair w/ too much rear, will cause a "push" (understeer)

[454HO]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

Even if you can make it fit, you have to be careful about randomly sticking a sway bar on the rear of anything.
They are designed to work as a set. When you add a rear 'bar to a vehicle that is already equipped with one on the front, you have to up-grade the front one too.An un-matched pair w/ too much rear, will cause a "push" (understeer)

Actually, too stiff in front is understeer. Too stiff in the back is oversteer. Overall 'stiffness' is a combination of the springs and the sway bar. Shocks can play into it as well, but they mainly control damping (compliance).

Most vehicles are set up with understeer from the factory because it is safer for the average driver. Understeer makes the vehicle feel like it wants to keep going straight even though you have the wheel turned. This tends to cause you to lift off the throttle and slow down in the turns. Oversteer on the otherhand is when the rear breaks loose and tries to come around.

When adding a rear anti-sway bar, in addition to inducing oversteer, what I would be (am since I just put an aftermarket rear bar on my truck) worried about is whether the inside rear wheel lifts off the pavement on a hard turn. If that happens, it means you are actually losing traction. And if you have an open differential, it's doubly bad.

If you do grab the rear bar from the 1-ton, grab the front bar (and U brackets) too. It should be the same 1-1/4" bar I put on my truck. I used new Moog bushings when I mounted mine, they are polyurethane which is stiffer than the stock rubber ones. The rear bar I have is from Belltech and it is 1-1/8". It also has polyurethane bushings.

[LONGHAIR]

454HO, is right. I had it backward. Either way though, you have to be careful about pick-up truck handling. Higher horsepower V8s, rear wheel drive and light weight rear ends make for "snap over-steer"

[86 GMG]

WOW thanks for the education i am planing to do this very thing aswell once i can start on the truck again. is there any other info we should know other than what 454ho said are the 1 ton 1.1/4 bars better or worse for 1/2 ton truck will they make it to stiff?