Dead Reckon

To put it simply, my Delta does not have a rear sway bar, as such, it has the more than evident enough spooky floaty GM rear end feeling. I'd like to get a sway bar, was thinking one from a Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 if it will fit. Will sway bars from the 80 up B bodies fit? I hope so, I'm sure I can source a bar if that is the case. I thought about aftermarket, but I don't see myself doing anything intense enough for that. I also don't have enough horses left in the barn to justify more than a stock bolt on for now, aluminum intake, MSD dis, some good plugs and wires, aluminum intake manifold, and new true dual exhaust should have me pushing 200HP again, this crate engine was rated at 195 stock.

Furthermore, will I need to change the rear control arms, or are they already drilled? I forgot to look when I had the car jacked up with the wheel off, and I can't be bothered to check until it's warmer, but even if they are drilled it won't tell me if a sway bar will bolt on.

So basically, what will fit my car, that is the question. Is there a best/worst option? Or are they all pretty much the same? Also, if you feel like other tips to help tighten the semi-stock suspension setup I'm going for, I'd like to hear 'em.

Thanks in advance.

66400

Pertty common item on many 77 up B and C body cars. Direct bolt on, your control arms should be pre-drilled to accept the sway bar. Be certain you get mounting spacers with the sway bar.

I used a rear sway bar from a 79 Cad Fleetwood and went on a 83 Custom Crusier sw with out any problems.

Chevy cop car sway bar with be the heaviest.

Henry

Dead Reckon

Thanks for the info, didn't know I could look at the Cadillac's too, what would that be for a '79, C body? Not really even sure.

lunaboy

I have the bar without the spacers if you do not find one local. 50.00 plus shipping.

fdwheelman

77-96 D B & C bodies will fit. Direct bolt in. My 78 is using a 95 Roadmaster rear sway bar. It was bigger than the 9C1 than I got the front sway bar off of. We actually installed it in the parking lot.

Additional bars on mine:
Homemade "Grand National" seat braces. I took pipe and x-ed them on each side directly behind the rear seat. Then I put the seat back over them. You can't see them. I will look for a pic.

Frame horn bracing. Again, conduit pipe from bumper bolt to bumper bolt on front and rear. I had to clearance the front bar so it would clear the front rad brace.

Rear horn bracing. 94-96 Buicks used the same philosophy I used in the front for the rear of the car. They say it's a harmonic dampening thing.

I have also noticed that Caddies also have bracing under the car, but from what I can remember, pieces are needed that I either didn't have the tools to grab or patience to acquire. The caddies under hood system will work, but not with an A6 ac compressor. And it will need a tab welded by the firewall. It also will only work with a caddy fan shroud.

I have worked hard to tighten mine up for autocross and it seems to have helped.

brownbomber77

I had an idea to weld it bracing from the Control arm bolts to the trans crossmember, and then from there to the rear control arm bolts to connect the two noodles together for bracing... The car, similar to many others on this forum, is in hundreds of pieces right now....sooo....I'll post pics in a few months or something...haha

fdwheelman

Not sure I follow where you are going with this...

I would love to hear more!

Best advice is to hit the boneyards with some calipers and start to measuring...

My front bar is a 9C1 Caprice, I don't remember the year, and the 95 Roadmaster rear. I was thinking that an Impala SS would have been the baddest of the bad until I got a chance to measure one. Nope! I'm also seeing there is a sway bar bushing for an even larger bar than the one that I have now. So I hit the yards with my calipers and go looking...

brownbomber77

Somebody makes a 1.5 inch front bar, I thought, but I could only find a 1 3/8. Yes, this is for a Trans Am, but they fit the Cutlasses, not sure about the Holiday

http://www.summitracing.com/search/p...rder=Ascending

I was under the impression that 1.5 is the largest that came on the 2nd gen Trans Ams. The rear bar, 1 1/8 is the largest factory and aftermarket, I think. Anyway, I'll draw a picture to get you a better Idea.

Dead Reckon

Not going for autocross stiffness, fdwheelman, I just want that spooky rear end float dialed down, it's quite unnerving sometimes. Thanks for the heads up on the year models to look at, there is (Or was) a fire chiefs car up at the junkyard, 90's 9C1, fire engine red too! I'm gonna see if it's still up there. Anyone want the "Hang on for your life" bar if it's still in the car?

fdwheelman

I'm trying to remember the name of the guys that make the bar for the car, both front and rear. There was a guy that was doing something similar to a Custom Cruiser wagon, he was working towards road course racing him... I think the name is Addco, but it might have been Hotchkis.

Stickman is his name I believe.

I looked into the bar, and decided not to buy one, but to see what I could find "factory" instead.

As for "stiffness..." Compared to my 2001 Bullitt and my 90 Mustang 4-Cyl race car, my car, with all the braces and stiffening, still rides like a couch! Not much money invested, and definitely worth the effort. It doesn't feel like I am pushing around a marshmallow.

What is the "hang on bar" you speak of?

Dead Reckon

I've spoken to Stickman, he's got a pretty sweet setup. But the Hotchkis sway bars, control arms, ect, will cost a lot more than I'm willing to pay at the moment, somewhere around $1,200-1,500. If I dump THAT much into this car, it would be for the transmission first, it has 178k miles on it. Probably going to get a Bowtie TH350 when my TH350 goes out, but I'll keep mine as a spare.

This is Stickman's '80 Custom Cruiser:




The other thing you should check out is this:

http://bangshift.com/blog/introducin...s-weekend.html

I've looked into a lot of the aftermarket options for our cars, but little into stock options. Probably should've been more interested in stock, but I had a wagon and there was little stock at the time.

Anyway, happy thanksgiving y'all, glad work gives me turkey day off. At least we don't have to catch our food anymore. Though, most should realize the pilgrims would've been lucky if a pheasant walked by, they had little to eat, now we have lots, that is one of the things the day is about. Being grateful we do not have to starve, as our founders did. Sorry, got historical there for a moment, anyway, let's hope your food doesn't decide to run!

fdwheelman

I have followed that car again great detail too.

Both Stickman's car and the Caprice are good reads. One of these days I will do a write up on mine...

Dead Reckon

That'll make an interesting read, I'm mostly trying to build a cruiser with tight handling (Compared to stock), but a lot of what I've read here and there will help out a lot in the build I'm planning.

A lot of people argue that new parts are always better, but often times I disagree. I've had lots of luck with used tires, even grabbed used rotors and drums as a stop gap until I can afford new ones. I mean if someone thinks I'm not taking an alternator which has a recent remanufacture date on it, they're insane. Sure, the alternator might be of a bad brand, but at least the car is charging the battery until you can afford a good one. I'm the kind of guy who has no quarrels with using other peoples junk to fix my car.

There are of course, many things you do not want to get used, typically, I avoid brake parts, though as I said, I have taken used rotors and drums temporarily. But for the most part, if it isn't something that doesn't wear out, or something that doesn't have a sticker saying it is new and recently put on, I won't touch it.

This spring when I start my journey into the junkyards around here, I'll be sure to bring a camera, you see all kinds of strange stuff in yards.

fdwheelman

Hard parts I will reuse in a heart beat. In most cases, electrical and/or consumables I will not use. Weird, I understand, but with 2 cars in my stable, I can park the Delta until I can fix it with new parts. If it's been replaced, it carries a huge warranty, was bigger or badder than the piece it replaced, and it's supporting items have been checked thoroughly.

I worked for Advance Auto for almost 7 years, so I have no problems keeping the Delta alive with their lines of parts. Funny thing is, the Mustang, it's dealer or assembly line originals, until it's a reputable, proven, documented upgrade.

Dead Reckon

Advance is headquartered, and was pretty much founded here in Roanoke, I don't mind buying some things from them, but I avoid in house brands on almost everything auto related. Although the previous owner of my car seemed to have favored NAPA, the new hoses, and recently changed plug wires are branded by them. As for your 'stang, it's new enough you can still get OEM parts. OEM Parts for our cars are mostly AC Delco, which, is mostly Chinese sadly. I'll be using Moog when I replace my center link, tie rods, and idler arm.

Anyway, Advance has pretty much taken over the first mall ever built here, Crossroads, hilariously, the same name of the mall in the movie Dawn of the Dead, both versions of the movie. It's strange, there is so little left in that mall, you can just wander through, the DMV was actually out there for the longest time. Yeah, that's right, DMV, in a shopping mall, welcome to Roanoke.

And yeah, it's nice having a second car, once my insurance goes down after I turn 25, I'll get a cheap runabout. And if it isn't an olds, I'll be sure to put a sticker on it that says "I'd rather be driving my Oldsmobile."

Side note, my front pass side shock is not only falling apart, but it seems to have collapsed, I'll need to buy a set of bump stumps when I put the shocks on, the one on the pass side has been destroyed.