Rear Sway Bar Retrofit Alternative

[opus10583]

Hi,

Not perfect, but much less "Mickey-Mouse" than the Addco:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0699456575

No connection or relationship other than reluctant purchaser, it's only 'a better solution by my philosophy'.

Ciao,
Mark

[boogiedude]

Looks like it mounts exactly the same way as the addco. What makes this a better solution?

[manoa matt]

With the Addco bar you must drill two holes in each rear frame rail and "try" to insert a "C" shaped bolt that secures a bracket up to the frame rail. The bracket then recieves the long bolt with the bushings and secures the ends of the sway bar. (Pretty sure I mounted your bar for you, were you texting at the time? haha)

The turn six kit uses an angle bracket that goes on the end of the short trailing arm bolt. The sway bar is then secured to the bracket. Much simpler and easier to install, but I can't comment on the performance of the mounting points or the stiffenss of one bar over the other.

[opus10583]

What makes this a better solution?

Hi,

For me: Not having to drill into 34-year old frame rails. And no croquet wickets.

Ciao,
Mark

[opus10583]

[...]
The turn six kit uses an angle bracket that goes on the end of the short trailing arm bolt. The sway bar is then secured to the bracket. Much simpler and easier to install, but I can't comment on the performance of the mounting points or the stiffenss of one bar over the other.

Hi Matt,

The angle brackets may be a weak link, indeed. But will be easy to replace or remove, without irreparable weakening of the frame rails. The links may be another problem item, but I've already identified Energy Suspension parts to replace.

Any increased rear roll stiffness will be a good thing, 'buh-bye understeer', I don't imagine that's a call one way or another.

Thanks,
Mark

[Kevin1]

The Addco sway bar was easy to install and it works very well. Bye-bye understeer is absolutely right. The installation of the turn six kit does seem like it would be neater than the Addco hardware. I don't recall the price for the addco kit. It wasn't too bad, but this one seems reasonable, too. If I hadn't already added a sway bar I would give the nod to this method of installation, all else being the same. Nice find!

[FiatMac]

The Turn Six kit says it is for '68 to '77. What is different about the later models that keeps it from being used on those?

[opus10583]

The Turn Six kit says it is for '68 to '77. What is different about the later models that keeps it from being used on those?

Hi,

The latter CS2/131 rear axle had a different center section design, is my guess.

Ciao,
Mark

[opus10583]

The Addco sway bar was easy to install and it works very well. Bye-bye understeer is absolutely right. The installation of the turn six kit does seem like it would be neater than the Addco hardware. I don't recall the price for the addco kit. It wasn't too bad, but this one seems reasonable, too. If I hadn't already added a sway bar I would give the nod to this method of installation, all else being the same. Nice find!

Hi,

The Addco mounting scheme left me cold. I held off on one of these because the picture instructions show something weird in the links, then I found the ES parts that would work. When it arrived it had two hardware kits, one of which assuaged my initial concerns.

Now I just need to install it!

Ciao,
Mark

[Kent124]

Post some pics of how it attaches when you're done

[amawds]

Just bought and installed the "turn six" rear bar. The end link bushings cracked just slipping them over the mounting bolts. The center bushings are good quality but the end link bushings are absolute crap. All bushings are polyurethane. Centers are translucent red, and very pliable. End link bushings are solid black, and might as well just be plastic. Also the bar touches the pumpkin on my 76. Additionally, the mounting bolts that bolt the brackets to the axle were too long. I had a shorter set on hand. Contacted the ebay seller about the issues, and we'll see what he does for me. If all he does is send me another defective set of bushings, I'll complain via paypal, and see if I can find some better bushings online with the same dimensions. If not I'll have some made. But even with crushed bushings the car feels much more precise. Though slightly annoyed, I'm happy with the purchase. I'll drive it with crushed bushings until I either get sent a better set, or get a better set made.

[opus10583]

Just bought and installed the "turn six" rear bar. The end link bushings cracked just slipping them over the mounting bolts. The center bushings are good quality but the end link bushings are absolute crap. All bushings are polyurethane. Centers are translucent red, and very pliable. End link bushings are solid black, and might as well just be plastic. Also the bar touches the pumpkin on my 76. Additionally, the mounting bolts that bolt the brackets to the axle were too long. I had a shorter set on hand. Contacted the ebay seller about the issues, and we'll see what he does for me. If all he does is send me another defective set of bushings, I'll complain via paypal, and see if I can find some better bushings online with the same dimensions. If not I'll have some made. But even with crushed bushings the car feels much more precise. Though slightly annoyed, I'm happy with the purchase. I'll drive it with crushed bushings until I either get sent a better set, or get a better set made.

Those links had me wavering for months on that kit... That guy is pretty squirrely.

I didn't buy the bar until I'd identified Energy Suspension parts that would replace the links: http://energysuspension.com/universal-p ... harts.html

Ciao,
Mark

[SLOSpider]

I like the mount of this bar better too. Now I just have to find one.

[opus10583]

I like the mount of this bar better too. Now I just have to find one.

Hi,

Here's the seller's page for the one I got:

http://myworld.ebay.com/hjmimports55?_t ... 7675.l2559

He had a few at one time.

Ciao,
Mark

PS: Still haven't gotten mine in; many distractions from my Spider last year and this winter's not been kind: hope to have this done by Spring.

[SLOSpider]

Thanks Mark I sent him an email.