Sway bars

**smetoye1** · 09-05-2010, 06:29 AM

Is the rear sway bar more important than the front for stopping body roll?

**carmantx** · 09-05-2010, 06:45 AM

I don't know the technical answer, somebody else may, but here is my .02.

For the best sway control, you need both. The bar is designed to keep the tires on the ground that it is tied to. Front bar keeps front tires planted on a turn, for steering control, rear bar keeps rear tires on ground for traction. Both of which are important for street/highway driving.

We pull front sway bar off of our race cars so we can lift the front suspension independently. We go in a straight line, so no steering issues.

**bob k. mando** · 09-05-2010, 12:18 PM

it's not 'more' or 'less' important, it's the relationship between both ends of the car. swaybar size AND spring rates are closely related in controlling body roll and improving cornering.

look up "roll couple".

**telriv** · 09-05-2010, 04:13 PM

Just keep in mind that whatever rear sway bar you finally end up with the front bar needs to be AT LEAST 25% larger.

Tom T.

**Airy Cat** · 09-05-2010, 08:43 PM

On all of my Buicks I have installed 1 1/8" front sway bars and I put a 1" rear sway bar on the rear of my '65 Wildcat and it handles like a dream.

**joeskylark** · 09-07-2010, 09:42 AM

You should be able to find plenty of front swaybars from a 70-81 Trans-am. It is a direct bolt on and is 1.25". Use new 1.25" polyurethane swaybar bushings available everywhere. They do not squeak as some will tell you they do. Poly end link bushings might though.

**Rattus** · 09-08-2010, 06:36 PM

You need to be sure to balance the rates of the front and rear anti-sway bars. It isn't all that easy; like Mando says, do a little research on roll couple. What worked for me on my '64 Malibu (283, A/C PS) was a 1-1/4 bar from a '70 Monte Carlo and a 7/8" NASCAR rear rollbar. I could corner so fast that I ended up putting equalizer springs (mini stabilizer bars on the floats) in the old Rochester 4GC carburetor I had to keep it from stalling on hard corners.

The '73 Trans-Am 455 SD model could be gotten with a 1-5/8" front stabilizer bar. Probably really rare by now.

**corey wilkins** · 09-30-2010, 07:28 PM

can i just add a rear swaybar and poly swaybar bushings and end link kits on factory front swaybar? 68 wildcat. need to only spend the money where i need to.