Posted By: closer9
Should I dump my Addco bars? - 04/02/13 03:20 PM
I've been struggling with what to do about a daily driver once the wife goes back to work at the end of the summer. Decided I would just finish out the Belvedere. Well, took her for a drive Sunday and noticed something sounded loose in the front suspension on a bumpy section of my driveway. Had a feeling it was the front sway. Sure enough the bushings were kind mangled looking and a bit loose again.
I put this bar on back in 2006, and she seems to handle great, but I've had the bar on both ways ("V" up and "V" down) and the geometry just never seems to work out. The bar should be perpendicular to the end links, but it isn't. For that to be the case, I need to shorten the spacers in the end links, but then it looks like the bar would hit the bottom of the control arm. It looks like the rear of the bar should come up, and the whole thing move forward slightly.
Over the years I've seen a lot of negative comments on the Addco hardware, but never really seen anyone complain about the geometry. I'm wondering if something else is wrong. I have a #541 bar, but I see they also offer a #154 bar that appears to be for the exact same applications, but doesn't have the "V" in the middle.
I also have their rear bar, but still haven't installed it. I really don't want to spend twice the price for another bar. Is anyone successfully running an Addco front bar? What changes did you make to the hardware, or did you need to?
Next on my list of complaints will be the Scarebird disc conversion. Should have trashed that and kept the 5th Ave setup I had. Going to see if my friend will let me have the 5A stuff back if he isn't going to use it.
and then I would probably complain about my parts store rebuilt steering box, which doesn't leak like the old one, but has about as much slop as the old one. Rack and pinion would be nice, but will probably just invest in a Firm Feel box.
Starting to think I'll just find a cheap old Honda or Toyota to drive while working out all the little issues with the Belvedere.
When I was crunching numbers over the weekend, I was thinking new top, weatherstripping, etc., not brakes, sway bar and steering box.
I put this bar on back in 2006, and she seems to handle great, but I've had the bar on both ways ("V" up and "V" down) and the geometry just never seems to work out. The bar should be perpendicular to the end links, but it isn't. For that to be the case, I need to shorten the spacers in the end links, but then it looks like the bar would hit the bottom of the control arm. It looks like the rear of the bar should come up, and the whole thing move forward slightly.
Over the years I've seen a lot of negative comments on the Addco hardware, but never really seen anyone complain about the geometry. I'm wondering if something else is wrong. I have a #541 bar, but I see they also offer a #154 bar that appears to be for the exact same applications, but doesn't have the "V" in the middle.
I also have their rear bar, but still haven't installed it. I really don't want to spend twice the price for another bar. Is anyone successfully running an Addco front bar? What changes did you make to the hardware, or did you need to?
Next on my list of complaints will be the Scarebird disc conversion. Should have trashed that and kept the 5th Ave setup I had. Going to see if my friend will let me have the 5A stuff back if he isn't going to use it.
and then I would probably complain about my parts store rebuilt steering box, which doesn't leak like the old one, but has about as much slop as the old one. Rack and pinion would be nice, but will probably just invest in a Firm Feel box.
Starting to think I'll just find a cheap old Honda or Toyota to drive while working out all the little issues with the Belvedere.
When I was crunching numbers over the weekend, I was thinking new top, weatherstripping, etc., not brakes, sway bar and steering box.
