rear sway bar bushings

[grant mills]

I'm working on the entire suspension/steering system and am having a problem  right from the start. I got a bushing kit for the rear sway bars and after fighting 40 years of rusted bolts I managed to disassemble the entire thing. It turns out the sway bar (on my 84) is the factory installed, larger, 3/4" diameter while the bushings are for the smaller 1/2" bar of previous years. As well, the retainers for the sway bar ends, are mangled (probably due to incorrectly places jacks/hoists over the years) so they also need replacing. Does anyone know of a source of the larger bushings and the end retainers that would hold them in place?  I will take any information on suppliers of OEM as well as after market sources.

grant mills

RQB3598

[wildfelr]

check with these good folks

[Footer]

Hey Grant, any luck on your bushing search?  I acquired the larger set of bars for my 83 and was told the larger bushings were not available. Could they be forced on with silicone lube or maybe carefully hogged out with a Dremel? I was also told that replacing the front bar was a challenge.  Mike

[grant mills]

Mike,

 I managed to get proper size replacement bushings . (Avanti Parts & Restorations, Inc (avantiparts.biz))  The earlier front bushings are 3/4" and will fit the 84 rear support links and a pair of Energy Suspension bushings will fit over the end points of the rear sway bar...I would not try to enlarge the rubber hole of a smaller bushing as I fear I could never centre it properly. I appreciate the warning about the front sway bars as that is my next area to tackle after I finish with the back. .Now my problem has gone to having to replace the rusted (and now broken) u-bolt that held the left bushing at the axle. The u-bolt is proving stubborn in coming off, but I am also worried about having proper support for the springs/body as I remove it. I plan to only replace that one u-bolt as I soon will need to get the leaf springs recurved (they look as if they have NO arc to them) Should I be concerned about supporting the leaf spring/body as I  work on that u-bolt?  (The right side nuts came off the u-bolt as I worked them slowly with a breaker bar and extension , not using the impact wrench which broke the first one)

grant

[Footer]

Thanks Grant. Let us know how it goes. I have a set of bigger bars I’d like to tackle. Will you be able to drive your car to see the difference the bars make or do you have other work to do?  Interesting to hear from anyone who has installed the bigger bars if they like the results. Mike

[grant mills]

Further on the "reassembly" process.

The locally made u-bolts, while identical to the ones I removed, would not fit into the holes of the lower support bracket. The springs blocked them from going straight down and I could not get enough of angle to bypass the springs because the torque bar support flange blocked them from the leaning enough. I finally drilled out the bracket support holes to 1/2" (from 7/16") and this gave enough clearance for the passenger side to slip in...on the drivers side I had to additionally stretch the hole with the 1/2" bit until that side would drop in.....I was not going to force the threaded ends of the u-bolts to go through where I might have distorted the threads.

Next: When I put the torque bars back in place, the bolt hole on the axle flange would no longer line up...the bar was 1/16" too short. After much cursing and fear about what it would take to get the bolt holes aligned, it dawned on me that the front end of the bar was attached to the frame at a lower point than the axle attachment. I put a jack under the front position (at the front of the leaf springs) and jacked up at that point. This moved the bar up at the front, pushing it farther back into the back axle flange (which did not move its position from the jacking) and aligned the holes.    My larger replacement bushings for the sway bar are the post office waiting for me to pick them up in a few hours.

[Footer]

Grant, got any photos to go with your project?  Mike

[Dwight FitzSimons]

On 6/18/2024 at 8:43 AM, Footer said:

Thanks Grant. Let us know how it goes. I have a set of bigger bars I’d like to tackle. Will you be able to drive your car to see the difference the bars make or do you have other work to do?  Interesting to hear from anyone who has installed the bigger bars if they like the results. Mike

I may be able to answer that question.  I have two '64 Avantis, an R2 and an R3.  Both have near-new B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A tires on 15 x 6 wheels.  One can conclude that the two cars are identical in terms of handling except for the anti-roll (aka sway) bars.  The R2 has the original anti-roll bars; The R3 has the larger bars like Dave Thibeault sells).  I live on a very curvy road, which is a good "test track."  Both cars handle well, but the improvement with the R3's large anti-roll bars is quite noticeable.

I am a fan of handling: I have BFG ultra high performance tires on my 2015 Buick Regal and enjoy its great handling.  So, I am probably at least a fair judge of handling improvements.

--Dwight

[Footer]

Thanks Dwight

Sounds like a worthwhile project. I’ve heard that replacing the front bar can be a challenge, but sounds like the rear can be too. One thing we really don’t have in the Avanti world are how to YouTube videos. The workshop manual helps but YouTube has saved my butt many times on different projects.  Mike

[silverstude]

I can verify that the larger sway bars, front and rear, along with Koni, Bilstein or KYB shocks will make your car corner like its on rails....

[Dwight FitzSimons]

55 minutes ago, silverstude said:

I can verify that the larger sway bars, front and rear, along with Koni, Bilstein or KYB shocks will make your car corner like its on rails....

Not to get off subject, but tires make a big difference too.  The "sedan" Firestone tires that were on my '64 Avanti when i purchased it were far inferior to the B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A tires that are on it now (in terms of handling).  I know, I know, some of y'all can't live without your whitewall tires.