I wanted to know if anyone else out there has the Hotchkis sway bars installed on their car. I installed a set on my 88 Camaro and I thought they would be great. Well I had a lot of problems especially when they tried to reinvent the hardware. The front sway bar bushing brackets are not lined up correctly and are not offset like the factory. On top of that I have my struts knocking into the sway bar when I make extreme turns for example in a parking lot. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't just me or the fact I installed them on a V6. I thought maybe the front bar was hitting the struts cause of the spindle size or something but I highly doubt that is it. Let me know if you have a similiar experience.

 

I say takem back and get spohn bars 500 dollars for those things.

 

Not that this advice helps your current situation, but should you return the Hotchkis, you might consider simply hitting the bone yards until you find a hollow 36, solid 24 combo. The last pair I purchased was $50, then maybe another $25 for powder coat. To that I added greaseable bushings and 1LE endlinks. I don't suppose I have more than $150 in the whole swap.

JamesC

 

Well I had looked into just purchasing new bushing for my old bars which I have since tossed. I could not quite get an accurate measure of which size bars I had using the wrench and tape measure method, which led me to getting new bars. I had looked at Spohn's sway bars and they looked impressive just not as large at the Hotchkis ones. I had installed a Hotchkis panhard rod before the sway bars and I had seen my brother install Hotchkis' rear lower control arms which looked pretty good. So basically I wanted to keep the theme the same but have been rather unimpressed with the product. I am going to contact Hotchkis and see what happens cause for the amount I paid for these things from Summit they should fit perfectly.

 

The hotchkis front bar is bigger cause its hollow the spohn is solid chrome molly.

 

I never knew that but it does explain the difference.

 

Well my bar still rubs and I found that apparently I put the wrong end links on the front and rear. I didn't know that the shorter end links go in front and the taller in back. The instructions Hotchkis gave me didn't really inform me about that one. So I went to remove the end links and swap them, no such luck. One nut on a end link would not come loose or tigten. So basically I am stuck. I have been talking to Hotchkis hoping they can find a reasonable solution for me. Hopefully they will fix what they couldn't tell me in the instructions, I'll keep you posted.

 

jusr get them from www.p-s-t.com..... i did they are like 149 each
and they are solid not hollow

 

Hotchkis is sending me new end links so I can just torch off the nut that isn't turning. Only problem I have is Hotchkis thinks these front sway bar bushing brackets are fine. Their brackets are straight in line while the holes are offset on the car. They keep saying that the bar was bent so that the inline bolt configuration can be used but I think that's a joke. TDS has the brackets I should be using so who knows. I can't wait til I can actually have the end links on the correct bar so maybe I can feel the difference.

It's a little past returning these suckers so I don't think I am about to just toss out $400. I'll stick with these and make them work.

 

Yup and end up being stiffer than the 36mm hollow bars.

Kat

 

T*r/J I much rather have a hollow bar, if you know anything about physics and such.

 

That I do and the way the forces are appiled though the bar. I enjoyed Physics alot when I took a few classes in it

Kat

 

I would have to disagree...

A solid bar can be stiffer in comparison with a hollow bar of the same size... But a bigger hollow bar will be lighter AND stronger.

Stronger... AND lighter?

...

Oh yes.

Give me hollow any day.

I like the best of both worlds.

 

It all comes down to price and hotchkis bars are way too much I rather have the 36/24 combo I have now. I might just buy a bigger rear bar tho they did that in some thirdgen test and it helped alot I think it was car craft and they had all hotchkis parts.

 

I never really did much research which probably was part of my problem. I had experience with a lot of Hotchkis parts and I already had their panhard bar so I figured I wanted to match. Maybe a silly reason to buy it but at least they are working with me and sending me new end links. I am thinking of getting the TDS 36mm front sway bar bushing brackets though. Hotchkis claims they bend the bar differently so you can use the in line bolt hole brackets they have. I still have no idea how even if you bend the bar differently you can get something to bolt in properly that has offset holes to begin with and give me in line holes. Take a look from the brackets TDS provides...First bracket is for 83-92, second is 82 only.

 

These are the 1982 Camaro front sway bar brackets. Hotchkis thinks with their special new bend to the bar this bracket should bolt in properly even though the holes on my car look like the bracket above, go figure.

 

i just removed my hollow bars for the solid ones......huge difference...but thats just me

 

Irocdan: I'd love to find out how the hollow ones feel once I get my replacement end links. I had the solid stock ones so I'll wait and see.

 

u got it.....my suspension is all done except for my sfc's