Rear sway bar options........

[1950Johnny]

Hi everyone!
Working on a 85 Vette here, wondering what options are available for a rear swaybar?

I would imagine factory ones are the weakest, needing something stout.

I placed a thread under Parts Wanted as well, but if someone has advice on a recommended bar, that's be great!

This Corvette here has no bar, no mounts or linkages, so I'm in need here!

MANY THANKS!!

John

 

[speedmaster4]

rear sway bars were factory installed on all c4's...but an anti-roll (sway) bar is just a crutch to allow installing a soft spring... a stiffer rear spring will increase ''oversteer'' at high lateral loading, softer rear spring will cause front end to ''push'' in hard cornering...adding an a/r bar allows ''tuning''of the overall spring rate between available springs...if a previous owner installed a high rate rear spring, ''no'' a/r bar may be the best for handling.

so you have choices for the a/r bar ranging from your present ''none'' thru several different stiffnesses used by the factory...what you need is dependant on what rear spring you use, tire sideway construction (using different size tires front/rear WILL alter a/r bar req'd), tire pressure, front/rear weight bias of the car, and a bunch of etc's...drive first, hit the bars later.

i have a couple rear a/r c4 bars skulking in corners of my shop, but shipping is prolly more than those are worth...try txvettes on ebiy, they're close to you, prolly have some laying around there too, not a big seller.

 

[1950Johnny]

Thanks for the advice....... The rear spring is composite one-piece, so I would imagine it's original and not real stiff. I assumed all Corvettes came with bars from the factory and that his was missing??

 

[speedmaster4]

all c4 front and rear springs are composite, one piece...factory springs were made in many different rates, varying from rock-hard on the 84 to pillow-soft on 96 vettes, and softer/stiffer every year for ''standard'' or ''option'' handling packages, convertibles used different rate springs from coupes...if its a factory part, you can find a three-letter code for rate on a silver tag on the top of the spring or same three-letter code cast into the bottom of the spring, near the end of the spring...front springs interchange 84-87 and 88-96, but earlier years and later do not interchange...rear springs interchange 84-96.

my parts book only goes up to 90, but if your spring code is for anything 84-90 i can tell you what year/ handling package it is from...the chart in the ''tech center>>84-96 suspension'' (click on it at the top of this screen) will tell what the rate is.

 

[1950Johnny]

Hi there,
I found the tag, has NYU 005990 on it.

 

[1950Johnny]

I tried the tech center, couldn't find that number. maybe I have the wrong tag?

 

[speedmaster4]

you have the right tag...but first stop is the GM parts book to use the tag info to determine application...then you can use the ''tech center'' on this site info to see the spring rate.

your NYU is the 85-90 Z51 rear spring (also used on later ZO7 option)...stiff/ semi-rare/ highly sought after by racers.

 

[1950Johnny]

Thats good to know, thanks! maybe we'll end up passing on a swaybar after all.

Thanks very much for all your advice,
John

 

[grumpyvette]

http://vettenet.org/susp_chart.html

 

[PBnf]

There is a book entitled 101 projects for your 1984-1996 Corvette. In there the author states that all the Corvette Challenge cars has the largest sway bar, front and rear, that GM made. To my way of thinking, having a car that came with a sway bar, and now driving it with the bar removed is not a good idea. Try and find the book and read the chapter. It should be helpful.

 

[Hot Rod Roy]

A crutch??

rear sway bars were factory installed on all c4's...but an anti-roll (sway) bar is just a crutch to allow installing a soft spring.

Calling an anti-roll bar a "crutch" is poor thinking. It's a very critical part of a high performance suspension system. A good suspension system must have enough resiliance to keep the tires in contact with the road. It's true that if your springs are very, very stiff, adding a "sway" bar won't do anything for you. But a car like that won't handle well on a rough track. And who would want to drive a car with very, very stiff suspension on the street?

 

[speedmaster4]

read your own post for an example of poor thinking, you contradict yourself in a few well unchosen words...then study suspension design to enable yourself to make enlightened comments...also observe that many automobiles have been sold without rear anti-roll bars, including thousands of small-block powered c3's, and determine why that was acceptable (determine is another word for ''think)

 

[Hot Rod Roy]

OK, guys. It's time for an impartial vote. Do I deserve this "flame job"? I'm ready to listen and learn.

:confused

 

[speedmaster4]

my comments are made in the interest of safety...i do not want anyone to hurt themselves or others due to modifications of their car...a car that ''pushes'' will scrub off speed and safely negotiate turns, whereas a ''loose'' set-up will ''spin out'' with much more potential for serious vehicle damage and/or personal injury...any increase in rear spring rate via spring changes or spring crutches (anti-roll bars) will move any set-up in the direction of ''oversteer'' (loose)

sorry if i get agitated when someone with obvious lack of knowledge on the subject promotes hazardous actions and ''flames'' me (''poor thinking''?) for using the same terminology for a/r bars as the real experts who shared some of their knowledge with me, to draw attention to a critical area.