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Old 02-14-2020, 06:00 PM
66sprint6 66sprint6 is online now
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Default Rear LCA's and sway bar

I just missed a chance to get a factory rear sway bar with the boxed lower control arms for 100.00. Dang. So I went on ebay and Summit only to find that the factory style boxed ones aren't cheap, new or used. Add the sway bar and it's getting up there. So I may or may not do this for now. But if I did should I stay original for the rear LCA's and swaybar, or go aftermarket given that they are competetive? I may upgrade more later. I've already switched out the front sway bar to one from a GEN II F-body, which measurably improved the handling. The rest of the chassis is all stock which I'm keeping for now.

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Old 02-14-2020, 08:08 PM
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Scarebird Scarebird is offline
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Do you still have the old one?

Do you have fabrication tools/abilities?

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Old 02-15-2020, 10:28 AM
66sprint6 66sprint6 is online now
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I'm not set up for that, unfortunately. Although I do enjoy doing it. So I just need a parts switch.
In looking more closely, the original boxed arms can be cheaper, as I was comparing to ebay chinese stuff and entry level stuff from UMI.

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Old 02-16-2020, 03:38 PM
389 389 is offline
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Boxed arms are meant for the track. Those rear control arms are designed to flex. Best bet is new arms with Delrin bushings.. Poly bad juju..

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Old 02-16-2020, 10:46 PM
gtospieg gtospieg is offline
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You don't really have to box the control arm, you can use the correct width spacer so the bolts don't crush the control arm. I did this in my Tempest back in the '80s when boxed control arms weren't readily available like they are today.

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Old 02-17-2020, 01:23 AM
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ZeGermanHam ZeGermanHam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 389 View Post
Boxed arms are meant for the track. Those rear control arms are designed to flex.
Say what now?

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Old 02-17-2020, 11:52 AM
66sprint6 66sprint6 is online now
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I saw a local ad for a rear sway bar recently. I thought that it was some wierd aftermarket thing, and then I see the exact same one on a '64 Chevelle on ebay. Not sure if it's original or not, but it doesnt require boxed arms. I went to check the ad again, but it's sold.
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Old 02-18-2020, 07:13 AM
gtospieg gtospieg is offline
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That is not a factory bar. It's the same idea though. It has spacers in there to prevent the control arms from getting crushed.

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Old 02-29-2020, 11:25 AM
66sprint6 66sprint6 is online now
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I ended up doing what I should have done in the first place: go on RockAuto.com. Got the factory (type) boxed arms and sway bar for a great price. Funny though that they don't list them for a '66 T/LM/GTO. I had to search through all of the A-bodies and found them in the '69 Chevelle section. I'm sure that the new bushings in them will be an improvement by themselves, compared to the 53 year old originals. I'm looking forward to warmer weather and switching it all out.

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Old 02-29-2020, 02:20 PM
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The fresh bushings will make a far bigger difference in ride than boxed vs. not boxed. Cool that RockAuto carries them.

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Old 02-29-2020, 03:00 PM
PontiacJim1959 PontiacJim1959 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 66sprint6 View Post
I ended up doing what I should have done in the first place: go on RockAuto.com. Got the factory (type) boxed arms and sway bar for a great price. Funny though that they don't list them for a '66 T/LM/GTO. I had to search through all of the A-bodies and found them in the '69 Chevelle section. I'm sure that the new bushings in them will be an improvement by themselves, compared to the 53 year old originals. I'm looking forward to warmer weather and switching it all out.
Make sure your car is on the ground with weight on it when you tighten up the bushings. If not, and the rear end is hanging - it can preload the bushings/suspension when you tighten and affect ride quality.

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Old 03-01-2020, 12:00 PM
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Yes we did that with the fronts. Of course, the car isnt really on the ground unless someone wants to show me how they did that.
Joking aside, This isn't one of the most difficult things to do on these cars, but I'd never assume that it would be a walk in the park. Please chime in with your experiences. The chassis manual says to lift the car with a two-post and then use a tranny jack or something to push up the rear end while the car is elevated. How about a drive-on lift? A DIY garage not too far from me has both types of lifts. Other questions are:
-Obviously do one at a time, but is there any concern about the rear end moving just enough to screw up the geometry?
-Was there any problem lining up the bolt holes at the mounts and did you have to muscle the rear end around to line them up?
-How difficult is it to reach and switch out the bushings mounted at the top of the rearend?

I googled this hoping to get a youtube video, but saw only before and after videos.

Thx

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Old 03-23-2020, 02:10 PM
android 211 android 211 is offline
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Many non boxed LCAs have the holes for the rear bar already drilled. I boxed a set of LCAs for a '87 Cutlass by dropping them off at my local welder and asking him to tack metal across the bottom. He did a nice job and also put 1/2" pipe inside the bars to prevent crushing. Much cheaper than buying aftermarket. Whether a G body comes with a rear bar or not they aren't boxed. They just put a brace inside the prevent crushing when tightening the sway bar mounting bolts down.

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