I bought a 1" adco sway bar. My car did not have a rear sway bar. This is on a 78 Cutlass.

What I thought was an easy install, ...is not. It also appears the holes on the lower arms don't match up?

What size bolts were the original sway bars installed with? I am thinking getting the size bolts that an original sway bar was installed with, and installing the bar as if this was OEM.

Has anyone else had problems with a simple sway bar install?

 

Different application, but I had a bad experience with ADDCO, bought one of their sway bars, which they said would work on my old 1965 Starfire. Turns out it was too narrow, the holes didn't line up, and on top of that, even if I did somehow get it to work, it would have looked like something someone pieced together with an Erector set (big ugly plates on either side that hung low under the trailing arms). They wouldn't take it back either. This was about 9 years ago, I figure, but I'd never deal with them again and would never recommend them. Just my experience.

 

How far off are the holes? You could have a bar for a different year.

 

The holes match up on the bar to the mounting hole, but when the bolt is bolted in, it is not directly lined up to the hole on the other side?

 

Are you saying that you tighten one side first and then can't get the other side aligned? If so, just install everything loosely first THEN tighten them.

 

And remember, the factory bars used shims (up to 1/4" on both sides) to fill in any gaps between the bar and the control arms. Never just torque them down hard to rid the gaps.

 

Thanks everyone. Here is the situation. The bolts with the ADCO bar were too big in diameter. The bolts were 7/16. I bought Grade 8 3/8 bolts and they fit. However, the bolts are smaller than the diameter of the hole in the torsion bars (maybe the diameter of the holes on the torsion bars are actually metric?).

Also the ADCO instructions suggested I install the bolts from the inboard side of the torsion bar. However in the Olds service manual the bolts are inserted from the outboard side of the torsion bar. So, I installed the bar with the bolts inserted from the outside according to the Olds service manual, and installed the nut with a locking washer on the inside against the sway bar.

Should I be concerned the bolts I used are slightly smaller in diameter than the hole in the torsion bars and the sway bar? (This car is not going to do any auto-crossing)

I got the bolts torqued to about 30lbs with a flat washer at the bolt end and a locking washer at the threaded end with no spacer in between. The ADCO instructions suggested to use a spacer for the non-reinforced torsion bars. Is that really an issue, because the OEM bar did not require a spacer, however this bar is larger in diameter? (inch)

Thanks again to all the responses. Once I get my replacement camera I'll post pictures. The bar made a good improvement and I want to make sure I get this installed right and it is not going to tear up my rear suspension.

Rob Young: Yes shims were included and I used one on each side.