rear sway bar, do you need it?
#1
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rear sway bar, do you need it?
This weekend i noticed that the driver's side stabilizer link for my rear sway bar was snapped. Do you even need the sway bar on in the rear. i read in my manual that it was an option part, and not every third gen has one. should i fix it or take it off
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Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element
1/4: 16.1@85.7
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Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element
1/4: 16.1@85.7
#2
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No u dont need it unless u plan on tumbling the vehicle off the cliff. Of course u need the rear sway bar, thats the most important thing on your suspension. Trust me its not an option, its a must.
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92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Flat top pistons,Bore over .30 Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners Home aid cold air induction, Air foil,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system, and a 3 inch cutout,Zoom multi friction clutch, T-5 tranny,billenstien shocks&struts.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
New paint job(hawaiin orchid purple)Cast alluminum ZR1 rims w/ 275 tires.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"
Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.
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92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Flat top pistons,Bore over .30 Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners Home aid cold air induction, Air foil,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system, and a 3 inch cutout,Zoom multi friction clutch, T-5 tranny,billenstien shocks&struts.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
New paint job(hawaiin orchid purple)Cast alluminum ZR1 rims w/ 275 tires.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"
Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.
#3
I can see it now. A part breaks... Hmm, I don't need this, so you take it off and throw it away. Just fix it. An end link is like 4 bucks and takes 30 minutes of your time, and only takes that long because you have to jack up the car and the bolt is so long.
#4
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I don't know about being the most important thing on your suspension, but Jza is right, it's a really cheap part, and is extremely easy to fix. Now a lot of people who use the cars strictly for drag racing remove both front and rear sway bars, for better weight transfer. But, if you do a lot of street driving, I wouldn't recommend it. My truck has no sway bars, and handles like a log truck pulling three trailers with flat tires...
Oh well, it goes pretty fast in a straight line...
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- 85 Z28 In Progress
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Oh well, it goes pretty fast in a straight line...
------------------
- 85 Z28 In Progress
Road Racer
- 85 S10 350/350
Drag Racer
- 85 Nissan 200SX (yes, it's Japanese)
Circle Track Car
- 91 Lumina 3.1 Euro
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#5
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You definitely want it if you care about handling. I had mine off for a while while I was doing some suspension work and it makes the car unbalanced, the car tried to fishtail all the time without warning.
#6
Supreme Member
You don't need the rear swaybar. But it does help you're car remain stable through the corners. My '68 Chevy II doesn't have a rear swaybar, but it does have heavy duty coil over style shocks and heavy duty leafs. Do yourself a favour and keep that Firebird stuck to the road and fix the rear swaybar.
#7
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what the hell lets all drive without swaybars and hope for the best after all these guys are comparing cars with their truck. We use springs truck use leaf springs big difference.
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#8
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fixed it yesturday, it was a pian to get off. it took forever to get off until i used a power saw. I think i bought the car with it like this, becuase i always felt a clunck when i put the car in gear. better now
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Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element
1/4: 16.1@85.7
------------------
Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element
1/4: 16.1@85.7
#10
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Car: 82 camaro SC
Engine: 350
Transmission: 700r4
They are nice to have, and I would replace the end link. However, you don't need it. My 82 did'nt have one until 3 years ago. Without it you car will push like crazy if you have a big front bar.
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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro
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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro
#11
With a 34MM hollow front bar, and No rear bar, My car pushes like Nothin else
but that will be fixed as soon as I can Find my damn calipers and measure the Bar i got to order bushings.. hehe )
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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver
Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype
but that will be fixed as soon as I can Find my damn calipers and measure the Bar i got to order bushings.. hehe )
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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver
Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype
#12
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
The rear bar doesn't help as much in cornering as it does in straight line accelleration. The bar helps keep the right tire planted on the ground.
I still use a rear bar on my race car.
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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car
87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season
Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
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Best 60 foot: 1.662
Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association
87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley
I still use a rear bar on my race car.
------------------
Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car
87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season
Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662
Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association
87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley
#13
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How do you fix a bad tranny mount, where is it?
------------------
Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element
1/4: 16.1@85.7
------------------
Steve
88 Firebird TBI,TH700R4 - Open Element, Cat Delete, K&N filter 14*4 element
1/4: 16.1@85.7
#14
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No reason to be so damn cynical vortech305. I didn't know it would make that big of a difference for being coil or leaf springs. And anyway, I did say my truck handled like crap, and I wouldn't recommend it, so have a nice day a**hole...
------------------
- 84 Z28 In Progress
Road Racer
- 85 S10 350/350
Drag Racer
- 85 Nissan 200SX (yes, it's Japanese)
Circle Track Car
- 91 Lumina 3.1 Euro
Daily Driver
------------------
- 84 Z28 In Progress
Road Racer
- 85 S10 350/350
Drag Racer
- 85 Nissan 200SX (yes, it's Japanese)
Circle Track Car
- 91 Lumina 3.1 Euro
Daily Driver
#16
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its called sense of humor,u know ha ha. Geez u cant make a joke anymore without someone taking it personal. Thats why this whole damn world dosent get along. LACK OF COMMUNICATION.
#18
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Car: 92 RS Camaro
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.08
Re: rear sway bar, do you need it?
Good Drifting Trick is to take the rear sway bar off a stock car to break the rear easier. On my monza (1 1/4 front/ 3/4 rear) I would take the rear off to do stunt type driving and to get a crowd going when my old car club would go to a drift/autoX event. We had a 88 turbo conv Rx7, 87 n/a rx7, 85 rx7, 78 monza, 92 mr2 and the little monza which has an almost identical suspension in the rear of a camaro would drive circles around the rest.
#19
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Car: 88 IROC, 76 Malibu Classic
Engine: 350 TPI, 350
Transmission: 700R4, 4-speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt ????
Re: rear sway bar, do you need it?
i've seen a lot of third gens with disconnected rear sway bars. from my experience, the rear anti-sway bar helps prevent rear weight transfer from going entirely on one wheel (outside wheel) and bringing the rear end around from inside wheel spin. really bad cases will make the inside wheel come into the air just a little bit so it'll start spinning.
my rear anti-sway bar has a broken end link too, but on the passenger side. i don't drive mine yet though. how do you take those old end links off anyway?
my rear anti-sway bar has a broken end link too, but on the passenger side. i don't drive mine yet though. how do you take those old end links off anyway?
#20
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
Engine: LG4 305ci 4bbl
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 10-bolt open diff.
Re: rear sway bar, do you need it?
i noticed that my Bird handled much better when i added the 24mm rear sway bar. i added the 36/24mm bars and it handles WAAAAY better then it used to.
as for the old endlinks, they were rusted so bad on the stock front bar that i just cut them off....it's quicker and less of a headache.
as for the old endlinks, they were rusted so bad on the stock front bar that i just cut them off....it's quicker and less of a headache.
#21
Re: rear sway bar, do you need it?
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