Need help installing front stabilizer bar-anyone do it?
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: prescott AZ
Need help installing front stabilizer bar-anyone do it?
I am about to order a 30mm (up from 26mm) front stabilizer bar for my 95 Vette from Superior Chevy. Since they offered to install the end bushings for free they will not take the bar back if I can not install it.
Has anyone installed a front stabilizer bar themselves and knows exactly what I need to do? The service manual is not real clear on this. Looking under the car I see there is not enough room between the power steering cooler and the bottom part of the plastic radiator shroud to fit the bar past these 2 parts but it seems if I jack up the frame the distance between these 2 parts will increase so I can get the bar past them. Am I right? What else do I need to do or know about changing the bar? Thanks for any advice.
Has anyone installed a front stabilizer bar themselves and knows exactly what I need to do? The service manual is not real clear on this. Looking under the car I see there is not enough room between the power steering cooler and the bottom part of the plastic radiator shroud to fit the bar past these 2 parts but it seems if I jack up the frame the distance between these 2 parts will increase so I can get the bar past them. Am I right? What else do I need to do or know about changing the bar? Thanks for any advice.
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Originally Posted by skeet
I am about to order a 30mm (up from 26mm) front stabilizer bar for my 95 Vette from Superior Chevy. Since they offered to install the end bushings for free they will not take the bar back if I can not install it.
Has anyone installed a front stabilizer bar themselves and knows exactly what I need to do? The service manual is not real clear on this. Looking under the car I see there is not enough room between the power steering cooler and the bottom part of the plastic radiator shroud to fit the bar past these 2 parts but it seems if I jack up the frame the distance between these 2 parts will increase so I can get the bar past them. Am I right? What else do I need to do or know about changing the bar? Thanks for any advice.
Has anyone installed a front stabilizer bar themselves and knows exactly what I need to do? The service manual is not real clear on this. Looking under the car I see there is not enough room between the power steering cooler and the bottom part of the plastic radiator shroud to fit the bar past these 2 parts but it seems if I jack up the frame the distance between these 2 parts will increase so I can get the bar past them. Am I right? What else do I need to do or know about changing the bar? Thanks for any advice.
I have done it a few times!I raise both front wheels and take them off. That way you have clear access to the brackets and end links.
Remove the end links and remove the frame brackets. The bar can now be removed from the car slipping it sideways if not straight up and down. When you reinstall, be sure to have the bushings in properly in the frame brackets.
The only problem I had was when I went to the 30mm bar in my 88, the vertical links connecting the bar to the lower control arm where no longer "vertical", they were cocked at an angle back toward the shocks. As a result, they acted more like a spring than a sway bar. I ended up modifying the links by moving the top bolt holes back a 1/4 inch so the links were vertical again and this really made a big differenc in the handling.
Everyone, including Gorden says that going to the 30mm bar shouldn't change the angle of the vertical links, but it did! Until I modified the links, I was very disappointed in the change to the bigger bar. Plus I had a distinct "loading/unloading" click in the end links till I modified them.
Jack
Jack
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: prescott AZ
Thanks for the reply Jack. I think that there is a different end bracket if your car is a 84 to 87 and if the 88 has the 16" wheels (no HD suspensiom) as compared to the 88 to 96 Vettes.
I have the 30mm bar in my 88 and the 26mm in my 95. The 88 has zero lean in the turns and handled like a track car. Hope the 95 will also- I already put on the z51 Bilsteins and as a early 95 it does not have the "soft ride" suspension that the later 95's got.
How and what did you do to drill the 2 holes a 1/4" back? You are talking about drilling into the bracket not the frame, right?
I have the 30mm bar in my 88 and the 26mm in my 95. The 88 has zero lean in the turns and handled like a track car. Hope the 95 will also- I already put on the z51 Bilsteins and as a early 95 it does not have the "soft ride" suspension that the later 95's got.
How and what did you do to drill the 2 holes a 1/4" back? You are talking about drilling into the bracket not the frame, right?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,085
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From: Kanata ON.
Originally Posted by skeet
Thanks for the reply Jack. I think that there is a different end bracket if your car is a 84 to 87 and if the 88 has the 16" wheels (no HD suspensiom) as compared to the 88 to 96 Vettes.
I have the 30mm bar in my 88 and the 26mm in my 95. The 88 has zero lean in the turns and handled like a track car. Hope the 95 will also- I already put on the z51 Bilsteins and as a early 95 it does not have the "soft ride" suspension that the later 95's got.
How and what did you do to drill the 2 holes a 1/4" back? You are talking about drilling into the bracket not the frame, right?
I have the 30mm bar in my 88 and the 26mm in my 95. The 88 has zero lean in the turns and handled like a track car. Hope the 95 will also- I already put on the z51 Bilsteins and as a early 95 it does not have the "soft ride" suspension that the later 95's got.
How and what did you do to drill the 2 holes a 1/4" back? You are talking about drilling into the bracket not the frame, right?
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Originally Posted by JohnyH
I'm also interested in this answer, I have an 88 with the Z52 option(roadster) and I have been thinking of upgrading to the Z51 (shocks and sway bars front and rear). Jack, was your car stock, 16" wheels?
My car is an 88 rdster with z52 (17" wheeels, etc)
Iill try to describe what I did to modify the vertical links. Basically they are a square steel tube with two tabs on each end. The tabs have holes in them for the bolts. The tabs and the holes are centered on the side of the square tube
I cut the two Tabs off one end and rewelded them at the back edge of the square tube. this has the effect of moving them back from center about 4-5mm. These tabs are installed at the top, connected to the sway bar.
Moving the tabs back 4 -5mm compensated for the increased diameter of the 30mm sway bar and the vertical links are once again vertical.
Like I said, when I first installed the 30mm bar I wasn't happy and Iwas getting the distinct clicking sound of the bushings loading and un loading
Since modifying the vertical links, the 30mm bar has come on great! I am not one to brag, but I will take my car around the Dragon with anybody
Jack
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Originally Posted by skeet
Thanks for the reply Jack. I think that there is a different end bracket if your car is a 84 to 87 and if the 88 has the 16" wheels (no HD suspensiom) as compared to the 88 to 96 Vettes.
I have the 30mm bar in my 88 and the 26mm in my 95. The 88 has zero lean in the turns and handled like a track car. Hope the 95 will also- I already put on the z51 Bilsteins and as a early 95 it does not have the "soft ride" suspension that the later 95's got.
How and what did you do to drill the 2 holes a 1/4" back? You are talking about drilling into the bracket not the frame, right?
I have the 30mm bar in my 88 and the 26mm in my 95. The 88 has zero lean in the turns and handled like a track car. Hope the 95 will also- I already put on the z51 Bilsteins and as a early 95 it does not have the "soft ride" suspension that the later 95's got.
How and what did you do to drill the 2 holes a 1/4" back? You are talking about drilling into the bracket not the frame, right?
Jack
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