Rear Sway Bar What is the Skinny?

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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

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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

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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.

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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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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

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