My 69 Satelite weighs in at 3860. I have SS springs on the back and 1.05 torsion bars on the front and KYB shocks. Also helping are 17" wheels and z rated tires. No sway bars. I am not trying to speak against sway bars, as long as you are not a commited drag racer, there is no down side other than expense. The point I am getting to, is that handling is an integrated system. If you springs/torsion bars are worn out, no sway bar is going to band-aid that. 40 year old tire designs, parts store shocks(not that KYB's are that much better) all lead to excessive body lean and poor handling. Like I said earlier, just switching to new bigger bars made a world of difference. I talk to Mopar guy's all the time and am amazed that better than 50% of them are still running 45 year old torsion bars, most of them were too small to begin with and now they are worn out. I talked several of my B body friends into new bigger bars and they loved the increase in handling with no downside in ride quality. Sub-frame connectors are a big plus also.
If I had to choose between thicker torsion bars or adding a sway bar, I would go for the torsion bars. That being said, I think the sway bars are great in a nose heavy car to help counter body roll in the turns. With something lighter I wouldn't be as concerned.
That is a real good point on the tbars. Actually I will be doing 2 of em, One a BB (& not sure how much aluminum will be on the eng) & the other a SB daily driver. I kinda wanted to nab the sway bar for $80 before somebody else does. Here's one & I ain't got another one yet.
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Significant improvement, probably the best 'handling improvement' out of any suspension modification other than subframe connectors and a modern radial tire. My 69' Road Runner handles like a modern car, with the Hotchkis suspension & properly tuned Fox shocks. Hotchkis tuned all their components on track cars, torsion bar suspension works when it's designed properly.
I've previously owned a Corvette Z06, SRT 392 Challenger, and Saleen Mustang as a reference.
Last edited by Sweet5ltr; 11/15/1807:26 PM.
1969 Plymouth Road Runner (440 w/ Boost! RIP) now a low-deck 470 with hotchkis suspension, nascar boom tube exhaust, & big brakes.
1. Reduces body roll, which from a drivers perspective, often improves driver feel and confidence 2. Reducing roll can improve tire patch orientation IF it is excessive and/or not favorable to begin with, when cornering hard 3. It reduces total tire grip on that axle relative, to the improvement maybe gained in #2 above, by placing more load on one tire, and reducing tire loading on the other, which ALWAYS reduces that axles total grip. A swaybar never "equalizes" tire loading, quite the opposite, contrary to what many think.
#3 can be beneficial in that it might "balance" the two axles for improved driver "feel", but it is accomplished at the cost of tire grip.
Adding a rear bar is one way of reducing the effectiveness of an oversized the front bar.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
That is a real good point on the tbars. Actually I will be doing 2 of em, One a BB (& not sure how much aluminum will be on the eng) & the other a SB daily driver. I kinda wanted to nab the sway bar for $80 before somebody else does. Here's one & I ain't got another one yet.
Plan on doing some fabbing with Addco bars.
I think a front sway bar is almost always worth it. With the small early a-body, and no other changes, a factory bar or the smallest aftermarket bar will be a decent match.
JCC's summary is absolutely correct and the third point worth keeping in mind whenever faced with a pitch to make the suspension more rigid.
If I was faced with the choice of using big torsion bars with KYB shocks OR a stock torsion bar, GOOD shocks and moderate sway bars, I'd take the second option every time. KYB shocks are like a kick to the crotch. I'll never run them on any car that I am keeping.
3. It reduces total tire grip on that axle ... by placing more load on one tire, and reducing tire loading on the other, which ALWAYS reduces that axles total grip...
This explains why a front sway will increase understeer, and a rear sway will increase oversteer: Whichever end has a sway will tend to break away before the end without a sway.
There's probably a lot more on this in the "Corners Are Best" forum. - Art
You don’t have to plan on building a toad racer to use a sway bar, they make a great improvement on a cruiser. I would see if helwig has something for your car, they make a great tube bar. Much better brackets, fit and finish, than addco for the 67+ a bodies.
I have an ADDCO early A sway bar on my 65 Cuda. You are better off without the brackets, pretty lame and you'd end up making your own. The Hellwig is much better.
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.
on my 74 Duste360, I upgraded the t-bars with 1.06" and left the factory front sway bar - added urethane bushings to it ! Then added ADDCO 3/4" rear sway bar, used KYB Gas-A-Just shocks on all corners . . . car handled great, and I really did not see or feel change in ride - put over 100k miles on that combination . . .
