Should I install a front sway bar?

[bonsaiwino]

I got a '79 carbed Spider in August. Had both bumpers removed, but haven't decided whether to lower the rear end. Interested to get some opinions about whether or not to install a front sway bar & if there's a particular source that guys are happy with. As always, I greatly appreciate everyone's input. All the best, Don (Pa.)

[So Cal Mark]

your car came with a front sway bar. I carry an Addco 1" upgraded front bar. If you do the front upgrade it's best to add a rear bar

[bradartigue]

Before you replace the sway bar you already have just change out the rubber parts, it really does help when all of that rubber is new. The bumpers are easy to put back on to the car.

[Tobi]

I did the front and the rear bar and the car feels neutral most of the time.
Anyway, some times I wonder if it would have made more sense to keep the original front bar and upgrade the bushings to
pu bushings and ad the rear bar. The Adco front bar is not an easy install, it takes some customizing.
It is easy to keep the bumpers off

[vandor]

I like swaybars because they improve the handling but have very little effect on ride quality. The stiffness of a bar is related to the diameter to the fourth power, so the 25mm front Addco bar is 2.5 times stiffer than the 20mm stock bar. You can't get that much roll resistance by replacing the bushings on the stock bar. A bit of trivia: the 1985.5 Spiders had 22mm front swaybars.
If you want your car to handle better than swaybars are an easy way.

[bradartigue]

You can't get that much roll resistance by replacing the bushings on the stock bar.

That's assuming the bushings are good. Most I see are worn to the point of the bar rubbing its retainers. Seems to be an often overlooked area of the suspension - and an easy fix.