I recently removed a set of sway bars from a 1991 Firebird. I'm wanting to install these on my 1982 Camaro. The problem i have is, the rear sway bar measures .690(11/16). The only options for bushings that i have been able to find are 3/4, 15/16, and 1". Should I use the 3/4? Wouldn't those be too large?

 

You might consider measuring the bar in milimeters with a dial caliper. That will get you a closer fit to the correct size for aftermarket poly bushings.

 

are the End Links the same size as the ones in the front? When i removed the rear, it looked the same.

 

Yes.

JamesC

 

Here are the Bars i got today. I cleaned them up and sanded them down. I shot on a couple coats of Flat Black and sealed them with Clear Coat. Got the Brackets and everything. My Sport Coupe doesn't have a rear Sway Bar and the Front one is 1/8" Larger.

 

Never heard of a .690" sway bar for these cars. That's about 17.5mm.

Take a set of wrenches to them, and use them to measure the spot where the bushing goes.

If in fact it's .690", throw it away, and go get another one. The stock ones in early cars were 21 or 22mm, and in later ones as much as 24mm. (Z28s and TAs and such, not Berlinettas or SEs)

Usually with the aftermarket bushings, you get the largest one that's still smaller than the bar. They make them, as you found, in 1/16" increments.

 

11/16 Wrench will NOT fit and a 3/4 will fit but is a little loose. Just a LITTLE loose. 18MM is will also fit it about like the 3/4.

 

Prolly 18mm then... I think that was the smallest one any of these cars ever got, but I could be wrong; I've never actually seen one, but that's prolly because they only came on 6-cyl cars, which besides just seeing em driving down the road, I've never really seen one up close, and I suppose it's possible they put even smaller ones on some 6-cyl or 4-cyl cars somewhere and I wouldn't know about it...

Might be better than no bar at all, but if I was going to spend money on bushings and put forth effort to put a bar on, I'd sure try to find a better set than that.

Aftermarket bushings come with their own brackets. They're usually MUCH thinner than the stock ones. Unless you go with direct replacements like Moog or something, which you'd have to look up by application, you won't be needing those stock brackets.

 

I too think that 18mm was the smallest, but Spohn shows the smallest as a 19 (for whatever that's worth). Note in the following link that the ES front bushings require the OE brackets (I believe, TDS uses the OE for their 36mm greaseable as does Spohn), while the rears come with a bracket .

http://www.spohn.net/shop/1982-1992-...s-Accessories/

JamesC

 

The bar is for the Rear. The Front is 30MM.

 

I ordered 30MM for the Front and 19MM for the back. we'll see what happens when they arrive. Hopefully, they're the right ones.

 

You sure? Here are my front and rear poly links.

One on the left from Energy Suspension for the front.

One on the right from Spohn for the rear.

 

Note on Spohn's web site that both front and rear have the same part number (D-19-406). Spohn's links are apparently prothane. I know there are some differences in the ES vs. Prothane trans mount (for whatever that means in this application).

JamesC

 

I guess ES has the swaybar more level with the road.

Note: The ES red poly bushing itself is slightly taller (about 1 mm) than the Spohn (Prothane) one.

 

Dang, I meant to edit my above comments by adding that the GM 1LE links are the same front and rear (the only difference in the 1LE and regular bushings is that the 1LE is nylon. I used them for a while, but much prefer the one's I purchased from Spohn):

http://www.top-downsolutions.com/pro...products_id=65

JamesC

 

Well, i have since found a 36MM Front Bar and all i have is the 19MM Rear. I'm Currently keeping my eyes open for a good 24MM rear bar.

 

Good plan.

 

Don't forget to install sfc's (if you haven't already)

 

I haven't installed Sub Frame Connectors, but they're on my list. Are you saying that I should have them installed BEFORE installing the 36mm/24mm Bar Combo?

 

Doesn't matter which one you do first...just saying that sfc's will also definitely help with handling.

Good luck.

 

a lot of people on this board prefer the 36/19 combo

 

Here's a 24mm for sale

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/thir...ml#post4735910

 

I think i'm gonna go ahead and TRY the 36/19 Combo. I Need to find myself a good set of Control Arms first though. I hate to install this on Control arms that have an oblonged hole. Seems thats all i can find around here. Besides, I intend to replace my Control Arm bushings, so i'll wait for all the planets to be in line before i install the new sway bar combo. I can tweek it from there with a good baseline.

 

36/19 is going to make the car UNBELIEVABLY tight... that is, when you attempt to turn the car and exceed the traction limit of the tires, the front will slide first, meaning the car will try to go in a straight line. The steering will ALWAYS feel sluggish, like the car isn't responding to the wheel. I don't think you'll like it.

 

Well, i might find a 24MM bar for cheap before i find a good set of stock control arms at this rate. it seems that all i see are ones with the oblonged hole. if i had access to a Machine Shop, i'd get a set and fix em BETTER than new. I just moved to a new National Guard unit and we don't have ANY shop yet, so i have to wait for my Machine Shop. BTW, that's what my MOS is, so i can handle the project. I just hope that i don't have to wait that long to get this thing setup the way i want. I'll probably lose patience and BUY a set of Tubulars for $400.

 

If there's anyone on here that's running this setup, please share some insight with me.

 

All of the arms I have seen have oblong holes. I think that they are made that way for clearance and won't hurt the way the swaybar works.

 

I've always imagined that the hole was egged by wear from the end link itself. At any rate, the holes are round in after market versions of the a-arm.

JamesC

 

It would make sense that if the holes end up wearing that way then the end links are binding in the hole. Anyway, Like I said, I have yet to see a factory GM arm, even from other vehicles that the hole wasen't oblong. If it wore that way I couldn't tell but even if it did then it was needed for enought clearance.

 

The egging may have more to do with poor OE bushings than the a-arms or the end links. Note in the following link that the ES bushings are supposed to fit into the hole on both sides of the a-arm--the 1LE nylon bushings that I once used certainly didn't do that. At any rate, whatever the cause, the problem is common.

BTW, for whatever the info's worth, my Parts and Illustration Cat. shows the hole round.

Curious, I went looking for pics. Check the a-arm pics in post #10 of the following link (There are other pics as well if you're willing to wade through them, but they're all round):

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...t-my-87-a.html

JamesC

 

I found a pair. I had Business in Alexandria (125 Miles south of here) and checked their U-Pull-It yard. They had a 1984 Firebird there. It didn't want to give up it's Control Arms, but i was persuasive. The Springs didn't want to come out of the pockets and most of the bolts were frozen. It took me a little extra work, but i got em.