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Started putting on my recently purchased Rancho sway bar. It looks to me like the bar should be about 3/4' longer where it attaches to the spherical link. See how the link angles back to connect to the bar? Shouldn't the link be fairly close to perpendicular to the TA? I have the TA jacked up to where the half shaft is level in these pics. It seems to me with the link at an angle like this, it would lose a lot of the effectiveness of the bar. What do you think?
Just looked at my OEM bar and the end link on mine is vertical to slightly forward towards the front of the car. Definitely not what you are showing. That bar may be designed to act quicker on arresting sway of the body with that angle. I would call the manufacturer and ask but it is not like the OEM rear bar.
Force is a vector. It resolves in your case into two components, one perpendicular to the bar and one parallel to the bar. The perpendicular component provides the anti-sway torque which transmits to the other side. The parallel component wants to slide that cadmium colored attachment back and forth. From the picture it is hard to tell what holds it on.
There is also a torque on the attachment. The force along the link also wants to bend that attachment.
A lot going on there, most of which doesn't seem productive.
Last edited by ignatz; Oct 4, 2014 at 04:43 PM.
Reason: typo
I've decided to go with the stock bar. The Rancho bar may have been a little too much anyway and the geometry of the stock bar looks much better. These pictures are at full droop.
Cool. What diameter is the bar? Interesting to note that even at the soft setting the lever arm looks to be a couple inches shorter than stock, which will make it stiffer yet.
Last edited by 69autoXr; Aug 24, 2015 at 08:28 AM.
Cool. What diameter is the bar? Interesting to note that even at the soft setting the lever arm looks to be a couple inches shorter than stock, which will make it stiffer yet.
The rear bar is 3/4". The front is 1 1/4". The front's lever arm is slightly shorter than stock as well. It's a lotta bar and may be too much; however, I have soft springs (300 lb VBP rear and cut stock front) so it may be OK.
Thanks very much for the photos Kid, as I have the same bar and am attempting to install it on my '73.
I do have a question that you might be able to answer: Bolt Size.
Can you tell me what the bolts A, B, and C's size, thread #, and length are? I purchased the bar used and these bolts weren't included in the deal.
Thanks again!
Steve
Never mind Folks:
Bolt threads in the frame (A & B) appear to be 5/16 x 18. As common as they git. And 5/16" bolts will also fit at C as well. 1" length should fit at all locations.
Bought these; https://www.mcmaster.com/90602a217
I have a question....Isn't there a split line on the trailing arm UPPER FLAT, where they bent the assembly in manufacture and spot welded it?
If my memory is correct...doesn't the zinc di-chromated bracket bolt to the weakest part of the trailing arm? {there was a major disaster at the Hyatt for the same engineering mistake.} IE; NEVER BOLT THOUGH A SEAM. Although I may be wrong and it's continuously welded. Or the seam is at the bottom.
I have a question....Isn't there a split line on the trailing arm UPPER FLAT, where they bent the assembly in manufacture and spot welded it?
If my memory is correct...doesn't the zinc di-chromated bracket bolt to the weakest part of the trailing arm? {there was a major disaster at the Hyatt for the same engineering mistake.} IE; NEVER BOLT THOUGH A SEAM. Although I may be wrong and it's continuously welded. Or the seam is at the bottom.
I have a question....Isn't there a split line on the trailing arm UPPER FLAT, where they bent the assembly in manufacture and spot welded it?
If my memory is correct...doesn't the zinc di-chromated bracket bolt to the weakest part of the trailing arm? {there was a major disaster at the Hyatt for the same engineering mistake.} IE; NEVER BOLT THOUGH A SEAM. Although I may be wrong and it's continuously welded. Or the seam is at the bottom.
YES! I was wrong. I dived under the 69 last night. The trailing arms are two 'C' channels OVERLAPPED completely, STITCH WELDED inside and out...so BOTH seams are welded.
Thanks for these rear sway bar photos and the discussion, I've been reading lots of older threads discussing rear sway bars lately. I'd like to ask a related question (with some context):
I'd like to find an OEM 9/16" with end links set-up, but I already have a new (unused since 2011) front/rear set from VBP (F 1&1/8", R 3/4"), so I'm thinking about trying these first (together) - but I want to use end links that will articulate in ways similar to the way the OE end links articulate (as seems to be the case with the Rancho bar shown in this thread), i.e., two pivot points in the same plane as the length of the trailing arm.
The VBP bar (like other aftermarket bars) has 'horizontal' bar ends/bushing rings (I see the OE bar ends/bushing rings as 'vertical'). I'm searching online for something that might work as I have described, but I wanted to ask whether anyone interested in rear sway bar discussions might have any ideas/suggestions for the type of end link system that I'm describing. If I can't find end links like this, I may try to trade VBP bar(s) for an OEM 9/16" rear bar with end links.
Are there any rear sway bar end links gurus out there with ideas/suggestions ?
Last edited by C3batmobile; Oct 16, 2019 at 11:53 PM.
Reason: Update to add link to a previous thread addressing my request
Rancho Sway Bar - Does this look right?
