Lark Sway Bar Question

[ClaymoreWW]

Ever since I took delivery of my 63 Daytona, I have had a nagging question - that bracket that is bent by the driver's wheel - what is it for? I assume it was bent during the transport process and never thought TOO much about it.

Through a series of conversations with my dad, and reviewing my Chassis, Body and Maintenance books, I came to realize that it was for the front sway bar. However, I knew that my car HAS a sway bar and it does NOT connect to the bracket in question.

Today, I trudged through the snow to the barn and took a look - and some pictures. I then compared my car to the books.

It appears that I have brackets in place for a V8 sway bar, but a sway bar in the six cylinder location. You can see the evidence in these photos:


http://www.teamwetworks.com/claymore...picture&id=450

http://www.teamwetworks.com/claymore...picture&id=451

Would anyone be able to tell me why my V8 car has an apparently original 6-cyl sway bar? Has anyone else observed this? Is there a difference in diameter between the V8 and the 6 bars?

No, I haven't sent off for the factory order sheet, yet.

Thanks,

--george

1963 Lark Daytona HT - 63V J8 175
53-54 C/Ks, 55 Speedsters, 63 Daytonas, Wagonaires Registries

[studegary]

If the body number posted is original to the car, your car was originally a V8. Of course, those body tags are only held on with two screws. What is on the serial number plate (on the left A-pilar) on your car and does it look like the plate has been tampered with? The build sheet won't help if you are ordering it by a number that was not originally on your car. Not saying that your numbers were changed, but that is the most plausible answer for six cylinder car parts being on a car that now has a V8 engin.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Cravin]

The good news is it will be easy to mount the correct swaybar on yout Lark.

[tbredehoft]

If I remember correctly, this is the Daytona with 289 scrawled in chalk on the frame. Originally a V8 car!

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction 571 hrs.)
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[ROADRACELARK]

George,

My guess is the original bar got damaged and was replaced by an early Lark bar. IMMIC, I don't think the 6 cyl cars had bars at all. The early V8 Lark bars mounted that way, and the later ones uaed the two frame brackets you have that are bent, and only the two outer most brackets on the control arms. The later bars are bent totaly different. Hope this helps. OBTW, I think the later style makes the car handle better.

Dan Miller
Atlanta, GA

[img=left]http://static.flickr.com/57/228744729_7aff5f0118_m.jpg[/img=left]
Road Racers turn left AND right.

[ClaymoreWW]

Thanks Dan and everyone. According to my chassis book (page 370), there were bars for 6-cyls, early V8 bars and late V8 bars (the difference looks to be only the mounting brackets).

Does anyone have a V8 bar that is just taking up room in their shed?

--george

1963 Lark Daytona HT - 63V J8 175
53-54 C/Ks, 55 Speedsters, 63 Daytonas, Wagonaires Registries

[N8N]

I think that the "early V-8 bar" (if by that you mean mid-50's) mounts the same as the one in your pictures. Only the later V-8 cars got the sway bar with the "good" mounts. If you can just find the correct bar and one replacement bracket for the one that's bent, you should just need new bushings and you will be good to go - you will find that the metal part of the mount is the same whether it goes on the control arm or into the frame bracket, so you already have what you need there.

If worse comes to worse and you can't find a good used one, I believe that they are available repro - Dave Thibeault had them I believe, probably other sources as well (Myers? Fairborn?)

I bet I know how it got busted up too... someone tried to load it on a trailer or drag it out of a ditch by the sway bar. Need I bother saying that that's not a good idea?

good luck

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[64 Stude]

If I had to guess I would agree with N8N, I like the newer design more myself with the bracket off the frame. I know Dave T has the brackets for sure because when I turned my 6 cyl car into a V8 I got the bigger sway bar and all the brackets from him.