Burnt71

Are front and rear sway bars the same ? Can I put a 3/4" front stabilizer bar on the rear ? will it fit ?

MelWff

They are not the same.
They make 3/4' bars for the rear but the size you use in the rear is directly related to what is in the front, so what size in the front?

Burnt71

1 1/8"

MelWff

use the factory style 9/16" bar

jb78L-82

What year C3? What are your spring rates front and rear?

My 78 L-82 4 speed originally came with the gymkhana suspension with stock 1 1/8 inch front bar and rear GM style 7/16th inch rear bar. The stock front springs were 550lbs with a 7 leaf 292lbs steel spring. All C3's will understeer at the limit including the gymkhana suspended cars, but less so than the base suspension cars.

I currently have the stock front 1 1/8 inch front bar with 550lb springs with a half coil cut, meaning the spring rate is something greater than 550 lbs. My rear spring is a 360lbs monospring. I use a 3/4 inch rear GM style bar currently but would suggest a 9/16 inch rear gm style bar without knowing all your details. My 3/4 inch rear GM style bar with my setup dialed out all the under steer in the car. A 9/16 inch rear bar is a good starting point..................

kansas123

Wow, so, I have a '72 with stock suspension save the 330 monospring in the rear. when I got the car, it had a 3/4" gm stock anti-sway bar in the rear with I believe the 1 1/8 in the front. Since this is a stock 350 with TH400, do you suppose the po added this suspension? I took the rar bar off when I replaced the composite spring, and never put it back on because i got busy and also there was one link that was broken. Have thought for a while now about putting it back one....but thought it was overkill....

jb78L-82

GM did not use a big front sway bar (1 1/8) on C3's until the late 70's (my 78 has an OEM stock GM 1 1/8 inch front sway bar from the factory). Early C3's used a 7/8, 15/16, or 1 inch front bar only. GM did not offer a 3/4 inch rear bar on C3's, only 7/16th for the SBC C3's with gymkhana suspension and 9/16th for the all BB C3's starting in the early 70's. Base suspension SBC C3's cars did not have a rear bar ever.

If your 72 handles and steers the way you are comfortable now without a rear bar, leave it off, although a 1 1/8 inch front bar with no rear bar will induce heavy understeer at the limit since the bar is big and was designed to be used initially with SBC C3's with sport suspension AND with a 7/16th rear GM OEM bar but with 550 front springs and a rear 7 leaf steel 292lbs spring. If you are looking to dial out some understeer, I would suggest either the 7/16 or 9/16th rear OEM GM sway bar.

All my comments ^^^^ are a guide only and specific applications of springs, tires, sway bars, and shocks can all effect the final handling of a C3 which are car specific.

Go to:

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...t-Corvette.pdf

for more info on your exact specs for your 72 C3......... which indicates VERY soft springs, front and rear, AND a SMALL front swaybar only

Front Springs-250lbs
Front Sway bar-3/4 inch

Rear Spring-121 LBS-OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marshmellow
Rear Sway bar-NONE SBC, 9/16 BB ONLY

kansas123

Yes, that was my mistake, the front bar is only 3/4 inch. Would the 3/4 inch rear bar essentially take some of the rear independent suspension properties away? Something I would not want to do, as the rear seems to do some 'hopping' over some road imperfections. And we have a lot of those on our piece of crap city streets where I live. Thanks

MelWff

You dont use a 3/4" bar in the rear with a 3/4" bar in the front. The rear 3/4" bar is extreme in size when you realize GM never used anything bigger than 9/16". That 3/4" rear bar is for track use.
Are you using a good quality gas shock? Koni, Bilstein, QA1?

kansas123

Thanks, no (though I thought about installing Bilstein HDs), and I likely will not reinstall the 3/4 bar in the back. I just can't help but wonder why the po would have installed it in the first place. they cannot be reached...

OldCarBum

My 73 BB has the 9/16" OEM rear sway bar.
I'm converting all my suspension to Van Steel coil overs.
I'm installing a 1 1/8" front sway bar and all the recommendations I received said to leave the rear 9/16" OEM rear sway bar in for street, spirited driving and mild track use.