Author Topic: What size sway bar should I get ?  (Read 688 times)

Offline brads70

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What size sway bar should I get ?
« on: April 07, 2009 - 10:30:45 PM »
I have a 440/727 I just picked up 1" torsion bars.  New springs on the back. What size sway bar should I get?
1 1/8" or 1 1/4" Surely  both must have been tried on here?
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
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Offline FJ5_440

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Re: What size sway bar should I get ?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2009 - 11:07:48 PM »
Are you running a rear bar?  What shocks?  What springs in the rear?  What are you doing with the car?  It would be easier to answer your question if we knew these things  because the suspension should work as a package for optimum performance.
** Shane **

Offline brads70

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Re: What size sway bar should I get ?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2009 - 07:43:15 AM »
I plan to get a rear bar in the future, as well as QA1 shocks. ( $139 each at Summit? ) This will be a street car. I don't autocross ( yet? LOL  )
I'd like it to handle but I understand it will never be a Viper!LOL I don't really know what the spring rates are for the rear springs I got them from  http://www.espo.com/
 as suggested from this forum. I told them the engine and asked for 1 1/2" taller than stock, figuring it will sag after a while. If not I'll use blocks to lower it if necessary.
Hope that's all you need to suggest a bar size? I was looking at using a  Schroeder type bar in it, but for now I'll just stick to stock style till I get another K-member to experiment on.
Thanks Brad
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: What size sway bar should I get ?
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2009 - 01:14:33 PM »
my thoughts have always been to go with larger sway bars but you need to balance front & rear to make it work
 there are others here better informed though

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline HP2

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Re: What size sway bar should I get ?
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2009 - 02:25:47 PM »
Without getting in to all the calculations, I'd say just go with the 1 1/8. With 1" t-bars and new springs out back, it will probably understeer a fair amount, but that will come back in to line when you add the rear bar.

Alternative to that would be to use a stock 7/8 bar for now to minimize the understeer and step up to the larger bar when you add the rear bar. Stock bars can be found here and there pretty inexpensively.

BTW, your new leafs are probably somewhere in the 150# range, +/- 10%.

I've honestly never tried a 1 1/4" bar. Although I did use two 7/8" bars at one time in an old race car of mine. It had lots of roll resistance.  :biggrin: