Lewspike69

So I just swapped in a '92 rear end in my sport coupe '83 Camaro. It has a sway bar on it and as the post's title suggests, my car didnt have one. I want to know how to make this work for my car or if it can potentially hurt my handling. I understand that I have a relatively short stock bar in the front and wonder if this will conflict with a larger one in back (not sure of size on this rear)

Basically, where does the stock rear swaybar mount? I see two holes on my subframe on both sides, not sure of they are tapped. Is there a mount that goes in between?

Any photos or descriptions of how a stock setup is will help. I will post a picture of what mine looks like tomorrow


Thanks in advance

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Stock setup is, a sort of L-shaped slightly reinforced flat bracket that bolts to those 2 holes, and then the end link goes through a hole in the short arm of the L. The brackets are pretty short; if you can imagine that sway bar in a position where the ends are about level, then the end link holes are about 4" above it.

You could probably make something out of Home Depot strip stock.

The sway bars should be "balanced" for lack of a better word... too much front bar (like it is now) will make the car understeer ruthlessly (go in a straight line when you turn the wheel), too much rear bar will make it oversteer (car will want to spin out esp if you ht the brakes and yank the wheel at the same time). The factory builds em to understeer because that's generally safer, easier for an inexperienced driver to know what it's going to do and prepare for it. A car that spins out can be extremely unpredictable.

Best matches for these cars are usually something around 36F/24R, 34F/22R, 32F/21R. Deviate too far from that, esp in the too much on the rear direction, you can get into trouble REAL QUICK in a panic or high-speed maneuver situation.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Here's the end link mounting bracket:

http://www.top-downsolutions.com/cha...mount-brackets

The site furnishes all that your need if you search a bit.

Personally, I'd hit the bone yards and pick up everything I need.

JamesC

Lewspike69

How do you measure sway bars? Is it just total length from one side to the other in mm?

Based on this link https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...-sway-bar.html (not sure of the validity) I can assume my front bar from being anywhere from 27-30mm in length, pretty small right?

I can use swaybar mounts/ swaybars from 4th gens as well, correct?

rawley2

The sizes they are talking about is the diameter.

I am not 100% sure about the 4th gen bars fitting but any 3rd gen bar will.

Lewspike69

Wow yes I understand now... Millimeters... Don't know how I was thinking about total length. So it's just diameter of the bar?

The reason I ask is 4th gen parts are plentiful around here... 3rd gen not so much lol

Lewspike69

Anybody on 4th gen total compatibility?

antares57

iTrader: (8)

Check this out.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...-exterior.html

John in RI

iTrader: (167)

Fourth gen rear bars are tiny,... I think my 95Z got a 19 or 20 mm stock. I had an IROC 24mm rear sway installed on the 95Z for awhile but took it back off.

Most ThirdGen Z28 cars were 32mm in front and 23 in back. IROCs were generally 34 hollow and 24 in back.

The largest factory Rear sway = 25mm
The largest solid Front = 34mm and the largest hollow Front = 36mm

Install the largest rear sway bar you can find.

All Thirdgens "understeer", It's just the way they were designed. Go into a turn too fast and the front will PUSH every ( unless the car is modified from stock ! ) Installing a larger rear sway bar will combat this condition. Adding POLY bushings will also help. ( adding POLY = to adding another mm or 2mm to the rear sway.)

The 2 holes you see in each rear wheel well ARE the holes for the rear sway bar brackets & they should be un-tapped. Dude; You will not believe how much different the car handles once you get a rear sway bar on it !!

Lewspike69

Thanks for the info. I have to measure the one on my rear.
Are fourth gen brackets a direct fit? That's what I need. There are absolutely zero thirdgens in my local bone yards.

John in RI

iTrader: (167)

I'm almost positive that the brackets holding the sway bar to the rear axle housing are the same. The bushings must be properly sized for teh sway bar diameter - but eh brackets should be bolt-on and go parts.