Sway Bar on a 66 decision price vs labor and time

[msg]

Ive read a bunch of threads in the FAQ and definitely want to add one to my stock height 66 that had a font disc conversion from a 1972 donor I think. I wanted to go for the more bang for the buck and go to local pull a parts but Im striking out. Spent a few days looking and come up with nothing. There is one a friend found local to him from a 1983 3/4 ton and said they wanted $100 to pull it themselves and would include the brackets to the frame that they would drill out the rivets. But I would still have to do a good bit of clean up and paint and also need new bushings so Im thinking to shop for a kit.

The kits Ive seen range from a total after tax and shipping of $222 (LMC), part #34-2501
https://www.lmctruck.com/1960-66-che...ance-sway-bars

Classic Parts $177
https://www.classicparts.com/1963-72...tinfo/74-806/#

and cant find a bar at all on Early Classics just the bushings and brackets which look to be close $100 shipped for those.

Has anyone recently found a good 1 1/4 inch heavy duty sway bar kit that is a good price and fit for a 1966 with power steering? Also the shape of the bars vary in the kits Im seeing. Is there a best fit style?

Here are the pics of the one found for $100 pulled.

[jayoldschool]

Exactly why you want to get something like this from a U Pull It yard.

[Clyde65]

73-91 c20-30 will work great!

[msg]

The problem Ive had is not finding any yards with a 73-87 donor. Those that have them are already picked. That $100 offer on the junk yard part I mentioned just has me thinking that its going to be more cost effective and less time consuming to buy a kit like this for $150 and have everything I would need and have it painted already.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/c...7423/overview/


What has me confused is the design of the bar compared to the chevy style that has a few extra angled bends to it vs a 45 degree like that CPP from Summit has. The reviews seemed good. Is there any benefit to the handling and the shape of that 1 1/4" bar?

heres the CPP one...

[msg]

vs some of the other shapes Ive seen like this. Does the design matter that much in the handling?

[jayoldschool]

I wonder if I can use the front bar from the 2500 G van I have sitting at work...

[cwcarpenter98]

The bar from the junkyard will bolt directly to your control arms without any drilling. You might have to drill the frame, but that's going to be the same no matter which bar you choose.

I got the bar from an 80s c20 out of a junkyard and it fit and works great. If I was doing it again, I would get another junkyard bar

[rcnutt]

I'm running the ccp one and it's nice. It uses end links instead of floating ends in bushings on the lower arms. Install was easy and the price was about 120 to my door.

[msg]

Thanks rcnutt, I did some searching for cpps site and saw the install instructions. Good to know someone on this site with that setup and that likes it.

[msg]

pic of the instructions diagram

[rcnutt]

My truck is pretty low so I used a shorter grade 8 bolt (cut the center spacer in half too)and shortened the end link to level it. I've run the stock chevy truck sway bars on a couple of my other trucks over the years and I like this design much better.

[msg]

Any noticeable difference in the handling performance between the 2 designs?

[jayoldschool]

That end link style bar is the same as B body cars from 77-96. You could probably use one of those and just fab frame brackets for it. Big ones can be found on Caprice/Roadmaster wagons, Impala SS, and Caprice 9C1 cop cars.

[rcnutt]

Originally Posted by msg

Any noticeable difference in the handling performance between the 2 designs?

Both make huge gains in handling....I was able to dial in the ccp one....so that was nice. They both work well

[chev-obsession]

$100 for an 1.25” bar seems steep to me but I also a cheapo lol. My 65 did not come with a sway bar from the factory and was super loose with power steering / disc brakes. I was able to find a 1.25” bar from an 80 something C30 for $45 at a wrecking yard. Came with all the brackets and clamps, I bought moog bushings to replace the worn rubber bushings. Adding the sway bar was the next best upgrade I did after adding disc brakes.

If the $100 bar is the only one you can find, I would imagine you’d be in the same ball park money wise or even a little less than going with a new aftermarket and won’t have to pay shipping. It’s a great upgrade and an easy bolt in component. If it’s not something you need right away I’m sure that you’ll find one for less $$$$ if you look hard enough, just depends how bad you want it. If I were you I’d get the $100 and try to talk them down in price. Hope that helps your decision.

[msg]

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

$100 for an 1.25” bar seems steep to me but I also a cheapo lol.

Im a cheapo too, that price is more than I wanted to spend on a used. That price though includes everything, all hardware pulled by them. But then Id have to get the parts in shape for paint then paint it as well. Plus I can imagine how careful the guy pulling it will be, probably hack the brackets up pretty good.

They did say that for $50 they would pull it minus the mounting to frame brackets..the extra $50 was to include those.

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

If the $100 bar is the only one you can find, I would imagine you’d be in the same ball park money wise or even a little less than going with a new aftermarket and won’t have to pay shipping.

If I were to just get the bar and bushing brackets from the yard its $50
Then buy the mounting brackets for around $30
Then buy new bushings around $20 for the Masterpro ones at Oreilly
Then some new bolts probably $7ish
Then the time to sand and prep the bar and bushing brackets
Then to paint it

It adds up to about $115ish not including the labor to prep it, which does beat the CPP price of $150. If the old design has an advantage in its handling over the CPP I could be swayed.

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

If it’s not something you need right away I’m sure that you’ll find one for less $$$$ if you look hard enough, just depends how bad you want it. If I were you I’d get the $100 and try to talk them down in price. Hope that helps your decision.

I definitely can wait, this is a slow rebuild but if adding it in now is easier I thought Id search for it at the yards as well as those honda civic door weatherstripping. Ive struck out on all I tried locally in 5 different yards..



On the honda I did get a passenger door seal that was in great shape but it cost me $34.07. $2.99 per ft x 10ft. The driver side was crushed and the door wasnt opening. I fought it for over an hour. Had I known they were that much I wouldve left it alone. If I hadnt put so much time into the driver side battle I would not have bought the passenger side. Just didnt want to leave empty handed at that point.

[chev-obsession]

Are you sure that your frame doesn’t already have the brackets that you need? My truck had the brackets to mount the sway bar and had the holes drilled in the a arms.

Not to be rude, At the end of the day If your just using this truck as a daily driver or weekend warrior I don’t think your going to notice a difference between one bar or another. Not having one vs installing one is a huge night an day difference. Especially a heavy duty bar.

-hope that helps

[cwcarpenter98]

I got my bar from Cagle's U pull it in Cartersville for $20. I'm not sure if there's another bar in that yard or if the frame stands would be extra to have them cut the rivets out. If you're close, that might be a good place to check

[msg]

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

Are you sure that your frame doesn’t already have the brackets that you need? My truck had the brackets to mount the sway bar and had the holes drilled in the a arms.

Not to be rude, At the end of the day If your just using this truck as a daily driver or weekend warrior I don’t think your going to notice a difference between one bar or another. Not having one vs installing one is a huge night an day difference. Especially a heavy duty bar.

-hope that helps

The lower control arms do have the holes thank goodness but the frame doesnt have the riveted brackets on the frame so I will need to drilll those. Heres a pic before the coils were installed



No rudeness at all, you nailed the usage its more of a weekend warrior cruiser use with the occasional road trip and haul if needed. Knowing the 2 different designs offer the same quality of ride does help to to know for sure, thanks!

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

I got my bar from Cagle's U pull it in Cartersville for $20. I'm not sure if there's another bar in that yard or if the frame stands would be extra to have them cut the rivets out. If you're close, that might be a good place to check

Thanks Christian for the tip! Im in Newnan so its close to 80 miles to get there, if I needed a lot more stuff at this point I would widen the search. I gave it a 40 mile radius search when I was looking over the last 2 weeks.

[bigmoe]

I used the CPP bar as well. I haven't driven it yet but when I put one on a previous project I noticed a big difference just going straight down the road. It no longer wandered back and forth with every crease in the road.
I'm pretty sure it was just a bit over $100. Looks powder coated too.

[lilpoindexter]

I used a 1.25" one from a big ol 8lug 2wd squarebody suburban on my '78. On my '63 Im going to use the 1.125" bar from the 5 lug '86 suburban that i got the whole front end from.