Rear sway bar options

[ADJMART]

Just picked up some drag radials and pulled off my rear control arms to box in and update the bushings.Figured while I had it all apart now would be a good time to go to a better rear sway bar.So what are my current options that are still avalible and how thick do I need to go?
Seems from everyones posts they have either gone h+r or atr.Is the atr still avalible?The H+r seems like the best option but is sort of costly.The bmr seems to be similar and is about 100 bucks less.There are also companys like hotchkins that sell a 1in bar but I dont wanna regret My purchase and have to buy twice.
Any advice?

 

[T-CHRGD]

HRParts is generally regarded as the best. Added advantage is that it is hollow (saves weight). BMR and Spohn have similar bars (mount the same way). Solid bars but a little less expensive. :biggrin:

 

[charlief1]

Well another option I'll be trying is what you see in the pic below. That's right, two sway bars.:biggrin: It may not work but it's worth a try. The stock one is attached to the control arms and the other one is attached to the axle and frame.

 

[Ken Adams]

Tell us more about the second bar you've added

 

[charlief1]

It's off a last gen 4 door 2wd Blazer with towing package. You'll need to add locators for the pads. I got one from a junk yard to replace the stock bar and started looking at it while I was doing the rear quarters. Wanted to see if it would fit or not and so I put both of them in to see if it would work. Looks like it will clear everything without any problems and hook up to the frame. I will set it like the HR bar so it's in a neutral position.

 

[blackgn1]

HR! Expensive but I would do it again.....no doubt!

 

[BIGPSI]

i love my atr bar. if you can find them they are awesome

 

[YouLikeThat]

I've had the atr (full throttle sells the atr style bar) and the H&R. best 60' I could get with either was a 1.50.
I think the H&R did work better at the track, but I would rather use the atr for a mostly street driven car. Good Luck

 

[regal454]

My .02 cents...

Wolfe Race Craft - Detail

 

[ttaowner]

there was a thread on here around a year ago where h+r did a comparison of his to the others and it was quite a few diffrences and after reading what he wrote it seamed well worth the $100 diffrence between h+r bar and spohn,bmr etc....

i would look up the thread but i can never seem to find what i'm looking for.it was a great read!

 

[turboc87gn]

Anyone got tips for setting up the swaybars? Not tryin to jack the thread but it seemed appropriate... I bought an h&r and havent installed it yet...And my limited came with an atr bar in the trunk...

 

[Buix893]

The ATR bar was night and day for me. Had to use a 3lb sledge to whack it in..at least for me...that sucker was TIIIIGHT...:biggrin:

But either bar will do...just make sure you have boxed lowers when running the ATR, ask me how Iknow...

 

[Roger]

HR picked up 5mph through the roundabout to work. Expensive, but it works.
Many other bars available
Wolfe has to be welded in.
ATR no longer available, but many clones available - hard on LCA.

 

[BuickMike]

I actually grabbed a rear sway bar off a '98 2 door Chevy Blazer. just make sure you grab the swaybar with the shorter arms that mount in front of the axle. The 4 door models have the longer arms that mount behind the axle. I think I used 3" endlinks and mounted them up to the holes in the triangle brace on the frame in front of the rear wheels. I'd take pics, but I don't have a camera right now. I'm yet to drive the car, but will make a review thread in about 6 months when it is back together.

 

[coach]

There are several other things to consider than $$$.
1.Is your car T-top car?
2.Do you run the Metco type trailing arms?
3.What are you doing with the car, street or race?
4.How many times have you tried to save a buck and end up spending more in the long run?
I have had to answer all these questions several times.

1.If it is a T-top car, the HR is the one you want. It makes the car as solid as a hardtop car , especially at the track. Keeps the car from twisting and handles like a dream.

2.If you run the BIG Full Throttle bar with the Metco type arms and the poly bushings, you MUST space the bar correctly when installing. Washers have to be used as spacers, (usually stainless washers because they are thinner allowing more or less to be stacked together to fill the space) to fill the gap and keep the geometry correct. The bar tends to pull the arms in and rip out the bushings rather quickly. Usually within a few 100 miles. If the bar happens to be tight and is spreading the arms, same thing, only no way to fix other then to grind bar on the flat area so it slips in without needing to be forced in. Stocked boxed arms with poly bushings are stronger so dont sweat it. I am just putting out some info for others reading this thread.

3.If you are driving mostly and not launching with a trans brake or ton of boost, the HR may be over kill, but still well worth the feel for just driving in my opinion.

4. My favorite piece of advice to anyone. I dont know about you guys, but anytime I ask for opinions and someone pops up with a cheaper alternative, it always costs me more because I should have got the better one to start. In my case, it never fails. I usually end up with the cheaper one for sale and the one I should have got first, on the car.

I have owned all. Stock, 1 3/8 Full Throttle and HR. The HR is pricey, but Paul makes his stuff in his shop and it is well worth the $$$. Buy it and install it. If you dont like it, it will sell in less then 5 min in the for sale thread.

:biggrin:

 

[SS/GN]

Yup

Coach that is good advice no matter what the productI have found the Buick vendors can be a little more but the thought and fit is for a buick and they do it the best

Kevin

 

[Darkcyde]

The bmr seems to be similar and is about 100 bucks less.There are also companys like hotchkins that sell a 1in bar but I dont wanna regret My purchase and have to buy twice.
Any advice?

if you can find one used they used to make 1.5" solid BMR bar is the ticket for the price because out of every single solid bar ever made 1.5" is the thickest I think but maybe someone made one thicker; i got one for $100ish on the board awhile back. HOTCHKIS makes great suspension, just not sway bars. I know from experience. Their springs/control arms are all drag ready top notch, but their sway bar FOR THE REAR is their worst piece. Their FRONT sway bar is great! best bang for buck is ATR repro rear bar, or a real atr rear bar

 

[Gary Wells]

My suspension set-up is nothing fancy, but the difference between factory and what I have currently is / was night and day.
I run:
Kirban stiffer springs front & rear
Bilstein shocks front & rear
replaced missing bushings
added GNX bushings
Kirban rear seat brace
all the Kirban frame stiffeners
BMR upper rear control arms, , fully adjustable, 1LE rubber bushings frame side & Del-A-Lum bushings other side
Global West lower rear control arms, Spherical Rod End bushings / bearings both ends
Savitske Classic & Custom Pro-Lite Lightweight fully adjustable upper control arms with the tall Howe Modular ball joints
Replica ATR rear sway bar from Mike & Marianne Licht at FTW&S.
stock front sway bar.
I love my suspension set-up and wouldn't have it any other way. I am sure that the HR Parts & Stuff type rear sway bars are superior to a standard factory type sway bar but I think that they make a street car look too racy, just as a roll bar / cage does.
I had a 1" rear sway bar on the car for a while and it was minimal better that the factory 7/8" bar. Actual sway bar sizes were metric.
HTH

 

[scot w.]

There is also the NEW G-Body DSE suspension line available through us! The new DSE tubular rear sway bars offer multiple advantages over the non-effective stock rear bar. First, unlike the factory bar, These attach to the rear end housing and to the chassis cross-member as opposed to the opposite control arm, they were able to minimize deflection as your car is placed under a heavy cornering load. Second, the DSE bars mount to the chassis via their patented Swivel-Links (tm) allowing free articulation of the bar, eliminating binding through the range of rear suspension travel. The sway bar is also made of 1" tubular 520 DOM for added strength and works for most street applications. The 1-1/8" sway bar is made for a more competitive natured vehicle. The bars offer dual rate adjustment for increased vehicle tuning. DSE bends all of their sway bars in-house. This allows them to control quality so you receive the best product for your money.

Rear sway Bar = $325.00 Link for REAR products and pricing--> GNS

Front sway Bar & Chassis Brace Kit = $375.00 Link for FRONT products & pricing--> GNS


Scot W.

Pic's below: TOP is the "Rear" Kit / BOTTOM is the "Front" Kit

 

[asto-t]

Scott do you have any pics of the rear sway bar installed? Where`s it made? Thanks