rear sway bar options

[EricB]

Morning all,

Everything below relates to a 1973 which came with the factory welded in u-shaped brackets for a stock rear swaybar.

... however one of those u-shaped brackets was bent/flattened open so that it very nearly touches floorpan. I've tried to bend it back but it aint easy to budge. The car is also missing the M12 bolt-in brackets that hold sway bar / sway bar bushing into the U-shaped brackets. These seem to be NLA. Guess I would have to make something.

i have seen the through the floor drill/bolt bracket set-up MSA sells for rear swaybar conversions but didn't like the looks of it.

i also have a set of the L-shaped rear end brackets on either side of the diff which allow for a rear mounted swaybar (located rearward of the diff). These attach to the trunk floor pan and the rear transverse link, they are labelled as #2 in the attached sus diagram.


-> Is there a commonly held belief that one type of rear bar is better suited than the other?

I'd love to be able to use the factory bracket if I can bend the flattened u-shaped back to form and make something to hold the sway bar in place. Guess I'll just have to see how much stress that puts in the metal & how straight I can get it.

Then again finding a rear bar to bolt to the L-shaped brackets that hold the rear transverse link would surely be a lot easier...

Thanks guys,

-e

[Ed]

What are you using to try and straighten the bracket? I would make something specific for the job. Use those fab skills. Then put the car on a lift so you can really get under there. Put a 5' cheater pipe on it and it should bend like butter. I got lucky and got the bracket end plates off a "donor" 74.

Good luck

[=Enigma=]

I'm not sure what you goals are but if you are looking to install a larger than factory rear sway bar, your only option may be to find a set of rear transverse link mount brackets (L-shaped things) with a provision for sway bar mounting. Suspension Techniques sold these with their rear kits and may still do so.

[beandip]

I was able to find a early '74 . The sway bars on the early '74 will work as they have a bend in them to allow clearance that the later ones do not have. They do make a difference in handling . The end links are all the same so two from a later Z will work fine. I used the OEM rubber on all and am satisfied with the result. My Z is not a track car, but with the Euro stage I springs and it being lowered she handles vary well. And the ride is just firm enough and not harsh.
I don't have any knowledge of how well the MSA bar works.
If you do use the OEM mounts , I have a extra pair of the plates that hold the block/and bar in place. If you need them send me a PM
Gary

[EricB]

Hi all

Thanks for the replies.
Let me add that I have two factory rear bars in different diameters - that's why bending the bracket back into service would be key.

I do also have a set of the L-shaped brackets that are used by suspension techniques-style rear bars.

I was curious to hear if there was any kind of advantage going with one over the other, purely based on how it attaches to car/geometry on a lowered Z/etc...

Sorry again if I was unclear before.

ED: can i see a pic of the bracket end plates you got off the 74 donor car?
Does the end opposite the M12 bolt have a return in it and hooks into the frame bracket, or is it straight and merely locates in the hole?