I have this on the suspension board but I haven't received any replies yet....
I have a 1 1/8" front sway bar with a 1" bar on the rear is this a good set up? My Camaro was only equipped with a front sway bar when I got it.
Thanks

 

I think the rear is way to large.
It must be aftermarket.
I THINK you have a combo approaching oversteer, at the wrong time.
Example.
My 1974 Corvette.
I have a 1 1/4" front
Rear will be a 5/16"
The front is the 1974 Factory FE-7 size. The rear is Factory sized for/from the 1978 Corvettte FE-7 size.
TO ME, I've known/been told the "REAR" is to just KISS/COMPLIMENT the front bar size, NOT DICTATE how tight to hold the rear.
You have to have some twist in the body.
You also have to control the "twist" in the body during cornering.
AS an FYI, D!ck Guldstrand does not like rear sway bars. He prefers to use a very stiff rear spring in his racing applications.
I take his advice very strongly.
I mean he has raced & won at Lemans and he did build some of the "winninest" racers of all time.
Like Mark Donohue's Trans Am Camaros of the 60's & 70's.
What else I'm saying is that you are on the street, not the race track.
Why beat up your car body & yourself for macho sized sway bars.
My Corvette does have the most aggressive factory rear spring (7 not 9 leafs). My 1967 Camaro has the 1969 Z-28 rear springs (4 leafs, not 5).
I just pulled my front/rear sway bars for the Camaro from storage.
I think it's 1 1/8" front & 3/4" rear.
I also have a convertible Camaro. I need the strength to control flex.
I KNOW I'm gonna have a rough ride. I hope it's not to "wrong" & gotta buy a thinnner sized bar.
I'd try to find a Z-28/WS6 suspension & dulpicate it or just buy the rear 7 swap to see.
I have my eye on a 1990 Z-28 rear sway bar.
I'm gonna measure it to see if thinner/thicker than my current F41/Y99 Firebird rear sway bar. I know my current front bar is thicker than that 90 Z-28 bar. I measured mine to a 90 Z and my Firebird was thicker.
What type of shocks ya using?
Gas or tunable ones?
Also new springs or old ones?
My Corvette is all new springs.
My Camaro is also all new springs.
All Factory HD suggested numbers.
Thos GM engineers do knwo their stuff & they do have better resources than me & "guessing" being macho in spring choices.
I try my best to listen/seek out knowlegable folks for their suggestion.
They have way more real street years than I ever will.
This also includes the people whom sell this stuff to me.
They want word of mouth sales from me & a very pleased customer, too.

 

I agree, the rear bar seems too big compared to the front. Is that rear bar an aftermarket bar? The 1" rear should translate to a 25mm rear... and I'm pretty sure no f-body came with a rear bar that size... I thought the max for a stock f-body bar was 23mm!

Also, the front bar is too tiny... how'd you get a 1 1/8" front? That works out to be a 28mm bar, and f-bodies receivied either a 30mm, 32mm, 34mm, or 36mm front bar. Hunt down an 85-up v6 f-body in the junkyard, and you'll get a 34mm front bar.

 

The only 2 matched combinations I know of are 30mm front/20mm rear('91 RS) and 36mm front/24mm rear(GTA).

There are probably more combo's but those are the only 2 I know of personally.

 

1in rear sway bar is from a 9 bolt disk rear OE.
You shouldent have any problems as long as the end links are adjusted correctly, this is true with any rear sway bar. The reason people have twisting and bending is because the end links are not adjusted correctly and hey doesent that beefy anti sway bar just look killer??

Ked, bring the smack down


SSC

 

I got the rear 1" from an IROC the front one was already gone, I can however get a 1 1/4" front one from my cousins IROC that he is parting out.
The listings that I have for sway bars are:

Front:
1 1/8"
1 1/4"

Rear:
3/4"
7/8"
1"

What size rear bar do you guys recomend for the 1 1/8" front bar that I already have?

 

I just got a complete set from a 90/91 'Roc. Workds great. No over/Under steer and the rear stays planted in turns. Body hardly rolls even going too fast through turns.(have been known to take on ramps at over 70 MPH)But tires also factor in to that on ramp stuff. The 'Roc bars I got the stock RS front was as big as the 'Roc REAR. The front was a whole other story. I think its 1 1/4 Not positive though. Another good thing I got with those bars was the Wonder bar free of charge from thirdenparts. I ordered the Sway bars, and both front power window motors $173 I think the total came to! Not bad.

But I love the 'Roc sway bars that are on there now. SOOOOOOO MUCH better then the factory RS.

 

Well it depends on the ride you want. You want a crisp reaction and the stiffness get the 7/8 but if you want a more lazy feel get the 3/4.

Me personally I would get the 1 1/4 and the 7/8 combo. Good solid feel.

 

AHHHHH HA. TOM IS FINALLY WRONG .

The 1500 15th anniversary Trans Ams also included upgraded WS6 suspension with new 25mm rear sway bar vs the normal WS6's 23mm bar making it the best handling f-body to date.

 

OK, I tried the 1 1/4" front sway bar today and I couldn't tell any difference. I can't see where that little bit of difference between the 1 1/8" and the 1 1/4" would make any way.

I am having trouble with the rear of the car wanting to break free in turns. It isn't bad on dry roads but when it is wet you need to be real careful.

I have brand new KYB shocks and struts and poly urtneane bushings all around.

On a side note I noticed that the '78-88 Monte Carlos used a 1 1/8" front and a 1" rear so did the '85-96 Corvettes.

 

http://www.tsscc.org/images/handling.pdf

http://www.wtrscca.org/tech.htm


tips on how to set your car up and that should explain everything to you

 

Try & see how the 3/4" bar in the rear feels.
Hey SSC, I hear ya !!
The front one.
Is one hollow or weight less than the other?
I brought my 1967 Camaro sway bars out today.
That 1 1/8" bar weights a ton. It's solid. Felt like my 1974 Corvette front bar.

 

I emailed P-S-T (Performance Suspension Technology) last night to see what size rear bar that they recomend. I will let you all know what they say.

 

Hehehe; thanks for correcting me! I'll have to hunt down one of those in a junkyard! Was the front bar still 36mm?

Hey; wait; 15th anniversary? As in, 1982? DAMMIT; I passed a few of those a long time ago. Or did you mean '92? I hope so; I haven't seen a '92 yet, so I can't be upset at myself.

Oh & CC_Hotrod, you're killing me with these standard measurements; just when I get used to metric, you're bringing up 1/8 and 1/4 inches!

 

P-S-T emailed me back and they suggest that I use a 7/8" rear sway bar. So as soon as I find one I will sell the 1" rear bar or if someone has a 7/8" they want to trade let me know.

 

I have a 20mm rear sway bar I could sell if you're interested. It translates to .787 in.

By the way, our sway bars are all classified by millimeters, why does everyone keep using standard units?

 

Alla Simpsons (stonecutters them song)

Who controlls the British crown? Who keeps the (Metric) system down? We Do, We Do! Who keeps Atlantis off the maps? Who keeps the Martians under wraps? We Do, WE DO!


SSC

 

Wrong again Tom...slippin??? J/k. The 15th is an 84...you'e thinking Camaro. The 25th Camaro was 92, making 82 a 15th for it. BUT think...the 89 TTA was a 20th, and 20-5=15....89-5 equals 84