Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
#554336
12/15/09 12:22 PM
12/15/09 12:22 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 352 Arizona
69rrgrabber
OP
enthusiast
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OP
enthusiast
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Posts: 352
Arizona
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I'm trying to understand what the benefits are and what would change if I put a rear sway bar on my 69 Charger R/T. The car included a 10 year old kit from PST. It bolts to the axle with 2 U bolts and then uses a limk set which bolts to a bracket that I would have to install on the frame rail just ahead of the axle bumpers. I have the kit already so I figured I would install it but wonder if it would cause suspension limitation the way it ties the axle to the framerails. This is a weekend machine with and warmed over 440, auto, Dana/ 3:54. Thanks Carl
"It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar!"
1969 Charger R/T 440
1969 Road Runner 383
1970 Cuda 440
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: 69rrgrabber]
#554337
12/15/09 12:42 PM
12/15/09 12:42 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,470 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
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So Cal
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Quote:
I'm trying to understand what the benefits are and what would change if I put a rear sway bar on my 69 Charger R/T.
The car included a 10 year old kit from PST. It bolts to the axle with 2 U bolts and then uses a limk set which bolts to a bracket that I would have to install on the frame rail just ahead of the axle bumpers.
I have the kit already so I figured I would install it but wonder if it would cause suspension limitation the way it ties the axle to the framerails. This is a weekend machine with and warmed over 440, auto, Dana/ 3:54.
Thanks Carl
No earth shattering suspension limitations. Same situation as any stock sway bar with round bushing endlinks. Like the stock front one you have.
Sounds like an Addco unit. Not 100% sure that would fit around a Dana rear. You can mock it up without drilling the end link holes fairly easy.
They are not the best unit out on the market currently today, but it's what you have. Years ago I have picked up those Addco rear sway bars used at swap meets for real cheap and installed them on my Barracuda and Dart. They make a difference.
The Hotchkis and Hellwig rear sway bar uses a dogbone type end link that rotates more freely in suspension travel.
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: 5spdcuda]
#554339
12/15/09 04:18 PM
12/15/09 04:18 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 352 Arizona
69rrgrabber
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OP
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Arizona
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Thanks for the responses. I'm trying to take this in but am a little weak on suspension theory. I guess what I really want is just a bit better handeling, but I can't really define that in technical terms. Increasing the roll rate sounds like a bad thing? The motor is built for torque. Car will not see a solom course and the track very little. I do have stock R/T 440 springs and KYB shocks. I have just gotten the car together and have not yet driven it enough to get a feel for the suspension yet. Maybe I'll wait before installing the bar to get a good feel for a baseline before modifying it. Thanks Carl
"It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar!"
1969 Charger R/T 440
1969 Road Runner 383
1970 Cuda 440
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: Crizila]
#554341
12/15/09 04:43 PM
12/15/09 04:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,814 A collage of whims
topside
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Too Many Posts
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Posts: 20,814
A collage of whims
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Stock '68-'70 B-bodies "push" in corners (aka, understeer), and adding a rear sway bar will improve handling and keep the car more level when cornering. I added a rear sway bar to my '70 Satellite wagon and it transformed the car. Ideally, you need to locate the end links so the legs of the bar that point forward are level (horizontal) with the car; you'll want to have the whole car up on jackstands, with the jackstands under the rear axle housing and ft control arms. To understand the basic principle of a sway or stabilizer bar, take a paper clip, bend it into a wide "U" shape, hold the ends, and see what happens when you twist the clip.
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: 5spdcuda]
#554343
12/15/09 06:33 PM
12/15/09 06:33 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347 Today? Who Knows?
1_WILD_RT
Management Trainee
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Management Trainee
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347
Today? Who Knows?
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Quote:
I think the first question you have to ask yourself when considering any modification from stock is: What are you trying to accomplish? In the case of the rear anti-roll bar if you keep the same rear springs you have now it will increase the rear roll rate. Is that what you want to do? If so, install it. Keep in mind that the factory used rear bars on only a few models. Even the HD suspensions seldom incorporated one. They did use a lot of front bars and higher rate springs. A front bar is needed in order to limit body roll without using intolerably high rate torsion bars. It is necessary to limit body roll in order to prevent excessive camber change [ camber goes positive in roll ] during hard cornering. Since the rear suspension consists of a live axle camber is unaffected for all practical purposes by body roll. If it was independent like the front than roll would be a factor. Another thing to consider is just how the anti-roll bar works. In cornering an anti-roll bar will try to lift the inside wheel. This doesn't matter much at the front of a rear drive car. At the rear it can make it harder to get the power down as quickly and as forcefully as you might wish. A high torque engine will overcome any limited slip rear short of a locker when the inside wheel is unloaded. I am not saying you shouldn't use the rear bar, just be aware of what it does and how it does it. It can help to reduce the understeer that I am sure your Charger has an abundance of. In any case putting it on isn't irreversible, if you don't like it you can always take it back off. Good luck.
I think what Hugh is pointing out is typically Chrysler set the suspension up without a rear bar but with the non-symetrical rear spring & a decent spring rate... The cars do understeer as for the average driver that is percived as safe because the car will warn you with squealing tires & just not turn in well, you hit the brakes, weight transfers to the front & everything does what you expect... A car that oversteers on the other hand tends to be tail happy, you come into a turn to hot & the back end comes loose.. You touch the brakes & more weight comes off the rear of the car...It will bring the rear around so fast it will bite most drivers... A car that oversteers needs a very alert driver...
That all said older Mopars will beifit from a rear bar but typically the bars that are available require more than the stock front bar to keep from making the car oversteer..
The last aftermarket rear bar Ihandled was the same 3/4" diameter as the factory special handling piece but the arms (Levers) were 2" shorter so the bar was effectively 25% stiffer than a stock bar... For that to work I'd suggest starting with the aftermarket 1.125 front bar...
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: 5spdcuda]
#554345
12/15/09 09:31 PM
12/15/09 09:31 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 352 Arizona
69rrgrabber
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Arizona
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Ok, I think I got it. If I go with the rear sway bar then I need to upgrade the stock front bar to even things else or else the rear end could get away more easily. Thanks guys, I'll start looking for a front kit. Any suggestions? Carl
"It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar!"
1969 Charger R/T 440
1969 Road Runner 383
1970 Cuda 440
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: 69rrgrabber]
#554347
12/15/09 11:28 PM
12/15/09 11:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,470 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,470
So Cal
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Quote:
Thanks for the responses. I'm trying to take this in but am a little weak on suspension theory. I guess what I really want is just a bit better handeling, but I can't really define that in technical terms. Increasing the roll rate sounds like a bad thing?
The motor is built for torque. Car will not see a solom course and the track very little. I do have stock R/T 440 springs and KYB shocks. I have just gotten the car together and have not yet driven it enough to get a feel for the suspension yet. Maybe I'll wait before installing the bar to get a good feel for a baseline before modifying it.
Thanks Carl
The front and/or rear sway bar will be a handling improvement. But they aren't very hard to add. So it would be more interesting and you'd appreciate the modification more if you drove it first without them.
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: 69rrgrabber]
#554349
12/16/09 06:59 AM
12/16/09 06:59 AM
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,356 Kentucky
dfsmopars
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,356
Kentucky
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Thanks for the post. Right now I am adding front and rear used factory sway bars to my '72 Charger. I am expecting better road manners.
‘72 Charger, 5.9 Magnum, Tremec 5 spd., Pro-Touring ‘14 Big Horn, Quad Cab, 4x4, 1500
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Re: Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?
[Re: dfsmopars]
#554350
12/16/09 08:00 AM
12/16/09 08:00 AM
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 416 Franklin Co. Illinois
runinonmt
mopar
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mopar
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 416
Franklin Co. Illinois
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PM jlhram.He has a rental Ram without a rear bar,says it's worlds apart from his with a bar, especially on on-ramps. Ron
In sixty-five I was seventeen and running up one-o-one
I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on
Jackson Browne-Running On Empty
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