What diameter is a front sway bar for a 71 442? Thanks brandon

 

I didnt thing this was going to be a hard question

 

Based on the 71 Assembly manual, they made 4 different front stabilizer bars for 71, all of them very close in size to each other, to the point you wonder, why would they bother. The 442 and any Cutlass with FE2 suspension package got a .970 diameter bar. The thickest was found on a Vista Cruiser at a slight increase to 1.00 inch. The thinest bar was still 7/8. I believe if you went to GM parts counter and wanted a front bar, they only offered the 1.00" bar for all applications. I think some people use up to a 1.25" bar for flatter handling. Another alternative is to substitute the hard nylon bushings in the links to minimize deflection.

 

Pic of the sway bar end for your application (31/32" bar diameter)....

Be aware that there's a very similar end/protrusion on the smaller OD version (7/8")...it's just a smaller "bump" or protruding part.

 

Thanks brian. I bought a 71 442 to restore and this was one of the few things missing. I have a few sway bars from parts cars, but i didnt know if they where the right diameter.