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  • 1 5/16" Front Sway Bar

    I'm looking for a Studebaker road racer to hard core test my front sway bar kit. I'm selling them on ebay and although I have one on my car, I would appreciate the feedback from a pro who would be willing to try to break it; either the mounting system or the aframe brackets. A free kit to the right person.

  • #2
    You want Dan Miller then. Do you have a matching rear bar? I have
    been looking for larger bars for my Avanti. It will eventually do an
    amatuer road course events, but thats "down the road" a little. You
    might have seen my Cobra brakes? Perhaps we could work out a trade on
    parts, I cant imagine someone using large swaybars without large brakes.
    My Dan Giblin TKO install is going well, its finally in!



    Tom

    '63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires
    '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
    Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
    http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
    I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

    Comment


    • #3
      I have a 4wd bronco bar in my truck and I was thinking about adapting to the Hawk, but I am so satisfied just with this front bar that I haven't gotten around to it yet. I thought I might have a problem with body twisting and the doors flying open, but nothing's going on there. Maybe if somebody really ran this extreme I could see some flexing then. I'm pretty sure that this bar won't work on an Avanti, tho. I think it might interfere with the bottom of the radiator support. Although my front brakes are new, I had a bad experience with moisture on the shoes once, and like discs for that reason. Is it absolutely necessary to run a proportioning valve? I was thinking about setting up a booster and dual cylinder under the back seat.

      Comment


      • #4
        I have a 1-1/4" sway bar from an 84 Olds Cutlass on the front of my 54 Cpe. Its been on the car for over a decade without ever being any trouble. It has made the car handle well since its installation. Its on the original Stude brackets and mounts to the lower control arm in the same mounting holes as the orginal bar. My car is also lowered by cutting 1-1/2 coils out of the front springs and using 3" lowering blocks in the rear. The lower center of gravity and the larger sway bar has helped my car handle far better than any other Stude I've driven. It still needs some attention in the rear as it can skip on rough roads in a hard turns. But I plan to upgrade to Koni or Bilstiens in the near future. BTW, mine was done on the cheap... about $25 for the whole deal. Good luck.
        sals54

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        • #5
          that sure is cheap! Did you cut off the end of the bar to hook it to the lower aframe? Got any pics?

          Comment


          • #6
            Buddy -

            Why would you think you'ld break it?
            The only way to break a 1-5/16" bar would be to crash the car dead center into a pole! Come to think of it...that wouldn't break it either...it'd just bend!

            As far as the brackets...that's another story. And even that...designed correctly...the attachment point...if not done correctly would be the first to separate from the chassis or the control arm...which ever's weakest!

            While not quite as long as Sals (hey Sal..), my 1-1/4" bar's been on my Lark wagon for over 7 years now...not a hint of problem.

            My other GM bar will be going onto my Conestoga after I put the later control arms on it.

            Mike

            P.s. as I mentioned before...and as Sal noted...with that big a bar on the front (even the 1-1/4")...you NEED a rear bar of decient size to balance the handling.

            Comment


            • #7
              Are you guys running rear bars? What kind of balance? The main reason I wanted a front bar was to stop weird suspension geometry that effects handling and braking. The rear is a solid axle, so the tires don't get angled funny in any case. I'm so satisfied with just this front bar that I'm wondering what I could possibly be missing without a rear bar. I guess I'll just hafta put that bronco bar on and find out for myself. Maybe sometime this week.

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              • #8
                Anybody know if these bars will fit on an Avanti??? I know the avanit is on a lark frame so it should fit....right? Thes bars are pretty cheap on ebay, seems like it would be a good idea.

                Dan Giblin
                Cincinnati, OH
                Dan Giblin
                Cincinnati, OH

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                • #9
                  Gibbs--I'm pretty sure it won't clear the bottom of the radiator. I'm not positive tho. I'll measure the distance from the crossmember to the bar tomorrow.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Buddy, research that rear bar, sway bars are added to correct body lean
                    on turns, if your controling the front, you had better control the rear
                    as well or you could end up with a dangerous situation. The swaybar
                    isnt going to change the geometry of the front suspension since your
                    not changing any of the control arm mounting points. It will however
                    keep the camber angles more neutral through a turn.



                    Tom

                    quote:Originally posted by buddymander

                    Are you guys running rear bars? What kind of balance? The main reason I wanted a front bar was to stop weird suspension geometry that effects handling and braking. The rear is a solid axle, so the tires don't get angled funny in any case.
                    '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
                    Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
                    http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
                    I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I have noticed that in eveyday driving which sometimes gets a bit heated, the front bar only arrangement on my 54 is enough. As someone else noted, the front geometry does not change significantly under normal to semi-rough driving. It does show itself when making a long sweeping corner at 30 mph over the posted limit and the rear tires hit a nasty bit of pavement. But I've been driving my car since 71, so I've learned most of what it will do and not do. I am looking for a good bar to fit under the rear, so if I find something which fits and is common, I will post the info.
                      Someone who is looking for a tech sheet on my front bar swap can get it via fax if they like. Just let me know. I could try to do a pdf and see if I could load it here.
                      sals54

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I don't understand why you guys are "looking" for rear stabilizer bars from other cars to put on the rear, when there are plenty available from Stude. Vendors NEW, used Studebaker "Y" bodys, after market bolt ons, you name it!

                        It appears none of you are going road racing (except Dan & he's got one!) so you don't need severe duty, stock is plenty good!
                        And guess what, all of the above fit fine no modifications!

                        StudeRich
                        Studebakers Northwest
                        Ferndale, WA
                        StudeRich
                        Second Generation Stude Driver,
                        Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                        SDC Member Since 1967

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I've figured out the effect of a sway bar is subject to a host of variables. If you could have a perfectly balanced machine, all 4 wheels equal traction with weight equal at all 4 wheels. A larger bar in front or smaller in rear would make it understeer as it would switch weigh from front to rear. A smaller in front or larger in rear would let more weigh shift to front and it would oversteer. Alignment plays a big role.
                          Positive camber out at top)and negative Caster(forward at top) spell understeer. Add the suspension travel in a turn(outside wheel)makes it worse. Look at your outside wheel(Most Stude) in a turn. You will notice it will be leaning out at the top. This is a result of negative caster (positive will do opposite). This gives a poor foot print for front o.s. tire.(less traction) A heavy sway bar in this situation will lessen your suspension travel and give you a better footprint and less understeer. Also less weigh pushing on slipping tire. Exact opposite of the balanced car. It would seem a rear bar in this situation would make it worse as weigh would be shifted back to front. . A rear bar would help body roll but it's necessity would depend on
                          firmness of suspension in rear. Correct me if I,m wrong.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Positive caster( out at top)???? I believe this should read positive camber (out at top). Positive caster would would be kingpin back at top.
                            Frank van Doorn
                            Omaha, Ne.
                            1962 GT Hawk 289 4 speed
                            1941 Champion streetrod, R-2 Powered, GM 200-4R trans.
                            1952 V-8 232 Commander State "Starliner" hardtop OD

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Rich Rich Rich...
                              Of course you are right about this.
                              But the same can be said for belly button Chevies.
                              If you read the magazines (and become light headed from the swan songs they sing)......
                              Half the fun of having a hot rod (or in this case a Stude) is to tweak it around to make it better...or different.
                              So, looking for alternatives is a fun thing, and if our good Studebaker vendors are in that circle (and you are in there, too)...then great!
                              What I find amusing is to see a whole lot of magazine science being applied to a particular area of a Stude thinking it will solve a myriad of other woes..
                              (like a sway bar will help worn out springs and old shocks).
                              Adding a heavy duty sway bar is a good idea considering the big thing that has changed since the original Studebaker design
                              (That was locked in by the budget committee in 1960...the last time the sway bar was changed IIRC)...
                              The big thing that has changed is the tires.
                              We are in a radial world now and that extra diameter in the sway bar helps.
                              Now, it does NOT need 'all' that 'extra' diameter if a rear sway bar is also added.
                              What the true CASO should be doing is looking at comaprable weight vehicles that do have front and rear sway bars, and make note of their bars diameters.
                              Then scale theirs up and search accordingly.
                              I see nothing wrong with a good conversation on the subject, but your advice of looking toward out own marque's vendors first is a good one.
                              But there are a myriad of CASO alternatives out there.
                              Jeff[8D]


                              quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

                              I don't understand why you guys are "looking" for rear stabilizer bars from other cars to put on the rear, when there are plenty available from Stude. Vendors NEW, used Studebaker "Y" bodys, after market bolt ons, you name it!

                              It appears none of you are going road racing (except Dan & he's got one!) so you don't need severe duty, stock is plenty good!
                              And guess what, all of the above fit fine no modifications!

                              StudeRich
                              Studebakers Northwest
                              Ferndale, WA
                              HTIH (Hope The Info Helps)

                              Jeff


                              Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. Mark Twain



                              Note: SDC# 070190 (and earlier...)

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