Hi, I am starting to freshen up the suspension on my 66 for summer. Do you think those tubular arms would work with a 1 3/8 rear swaybar? (I already have it)

Thanks!

I installed a set of BMR lower control arms on my '68. In order to install the rear swaybar (1" from YearOne) I had to cut off/grind the inside of the lower control arms where the sway bar mount bolts go. There was no way to "squeeze" the swaybar into position without removing 'em. After that I used some Testor's gloss black model paint with a small brush to touch up the powder coating. The Testor's is just about a dead ringer for the color and gloss. smile.gif I did not need any shims for my application. You results may vary.

BMR = Bring My RotoZip graemlins/clonk.gif

Kent
'68 Malibu ZZ502/502 :D
ACES #5102 graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I also have BMR's lower arms- I bought their 1" rear bar- It was a little tricky to get it in there(had to jack up one wheel a bit to relieve the pressure to slide it in)
I defintely didn't have to do any grinding on them at all.

A friend who helped me install the arms had a factory 7/8" rear sway bar and for kicks we installed it briefly, and it fit without a problem too.

I have a set of their upper arms as well, just need to get around to installing them.

I really liked their stuff- very high quality In my opinion.

-Ben

I also have the BMR control arms and I think they are excellent, quality and price. Customer service is even better. They exchanged a part with no receipt, or anything. They sent me the replacement right away with a pre-paid shipping label to return the wrong part. You cannot ask for more than that.

I tried to install my 1" rear sway bar but it would not fit. I did not try hard as I did not have time. I will try Ben's way and see...

Theo.

I've got BMR adjustable uppers & lowers on my '70.
No problem installing a factory 7/8" rear sway bar. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

My resuslts are similar to Theo's, excellent pieces, both the uppers and lowers, but what a PITA to get that 1" rear sway bar in there. I think your results may very depending upon who made the bar.

Theo, what part of HB do you hail from? I don't think I've ever run into you on this board. What does your car look like, I may have seen it lurking around. I can sometimes be seen running around in my white with in progress primer 70. Do you go to the local cruises? Shoot me an e-mail if you do not feel comfortable replying on a bbs, THANKS!!!

Brandon,

I am in Huntington Harbor. I have a black '68 Chevelle convertible with red interior. It will soon become Silver with (new) Red interior. I am making it my everyday car.

So far, I have great brakes (Corvette), strong sb400, 200-4r tranny, 3:42 posi diff, electric fans and a bunch of other convenience goodies. My next project is to remove the tar coating from the bottom of the car. I am waiting for a laborer to become free, in a week or so. After that, I will strip the car and take it to be painted. Then, comes the interior & top work...

As I am still working on my Chevelle and have not done any cruises yet. I drop by the Warner Ave. Ralph's Classic Cars get together every Sunday morning, though.

Theo.

Well, I followed Ben's advice on how to squeeze in the 1" sway bar and it worked. But, it moved the lower control arm (on the diff side) about 1/8" toward the outside of the car, on both sides.

I plan to redo it and grind down the control arm fitting (on the diff side) so that the arm is centered on the bushing.

Anyway, that's what I found. It may be different with different swaybar brands and/or sizes.

Theo.

Here is the latest update on my 1" rear swaybar installation. I shaved down the rear (closer to the diff) control arm mounting points and re-installed the swaybar. Now, the control arm is perfectly centered on the bushings. I could not be happier. I drove the car around to make sure everything is settled down.

So, I think your mileage will vary, as I doubt that all swaybars are identical but you can make it work as there is a lot of room for adjustment.

Theo.

I am using the GW tubular lowers and I bought the pieces with a long tab welded on for the use of a sway bar, but after talking with Steve at GW, he said that I won't need to use the sway unless I am running a road course or a lot of twisties. The GW pieces are by far the biggest strongest you will find.