[6704gto]

im just torn my front end down and rebuilt the suspenion.i installed new bushing,tierods etc.i bought a 1 1/4 front sway bar for my car.i tried installing it and the idler arm hits the bar and the end links wont line up correctly.do i have to redrill the mounting holes for the sway bar,i thought the bigger sway bar was a direct bolt in install

[Tim66]

I just bought one for a 66,I hope that fits.I don't know if there is a difference but good luck.I didn't do mine yet, fingers crossed.I thought mine was a direct bolt on also,we will see. Tim.

[Jeff Hamlin]

Is it from a late 70's F-Body?
I've installed a '78 TA 1.25" bar with no major issues,
I did have to slip a bolt in the frame at the brackets as one of the oem tapping bolts would not hold.
Otherwise no problem.
The links do put up resistance until the car is on the ground.

[6704gto]

I FINALLY GOT THE END LINKS TO MATCH UP THE BOLTS WHERE TO LONG THAT I HAD TO CUT THEM DOWN CASUE THEY HIT THE BACK OF THE SPINDLE WHERE IT BOTS TO THE UPPER BALL JOINT,THE SWAY BAR BARELY CLEARS THE IDLER ARM BY A SMINCH.THE BOLT HOLES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE GOT STRIPPED OUT AND HAD TO USE NUTS TO FIT EM TIGHT.OTHER THEN THAT IT FIT OK

[Nicks67GTO]

I think i used the 2 7/8" energy suspension links to do mine and they were perfect. I must say you will be VERY happy with the results. I went from a stock sway bar with shot bushings to a 1.25" WS6 bar with energy suspension bushings and its a night and day difference

[Nicks67GTO]

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ht=ws6+swaybar

[6704gto]

i got it finally lined up the only issue is that the idler arm is a hair off the sway bar,everything is good it turns with no promblem,the ends line up im just curious about the closeness of the sway bar and idler arm

[Sixty7Goat]

I know this thread is old but wanted to give a warning to 670 and anyone else because I just had something pretty dangerous happen with my car because of the same problem.

I installed a 1 1/4" front sway on my 67 years ago and like you, the idler arm clearance was always next to nothing. Recently was driving down the highway and felt the steering started to bind just trying to stay straight in the lane, gave the wheel a little more pressure and it released and car jerked to the left. Got out and looked under car and one of the right sway bar frame mount bolts had stripped out and bar was hanging loose on right side. What I'm guessing happens is as you go over bumps or tight corners, the bar and idler arm are probably binding and there is some extreme pressure being built up.

I plan on going back to the stock bar, that was a scary experience.

[b-man]

Always put nuts inside the frame, never depend on one or two threads at best in thin sheet metal to hold the forces created by a stiff large diameter sway bar.

You will likely need to remove the front bumper and bumper brackets in order to get access to place the nuts. The rear one near the steering box is the hardest, but certainly not impossible to put into place. Used larger than normal hex nuts inside the frame, since the factory WS6 sway bar hardware was metric I used nuts with a 17mm hex. This eliminated the need for a flat washer inside the frame, never ever had any problems with bolts pulling through or coming loose with my 1.25" front bar for many thousands of sometimes very hard street miles.

I've never noticed my bar binding or even coming close enough to the steering linkage to cause any issues, my car is a '64 Tempest which has essentially an identical frame and suspension as a '67 GTO.

[Jeff Hamlin]

You might have to use Rivet-Nuts;
http://www.grainger.com/category/riv...ecatalog/N-8o5
Gaining access to the rear bolt of the DS rail on '67 is hampered by the reinforcing plate, and may require cutting a hole.
I too am not sure why this would cause any interference if it came loose,
as some Street/Stock drag guys will unbolt them before a run with no issue?

[Sixty7Goat]

Thanks for the tips on using bolts inside the frame. Is it possible to get a wrench in there as well to keep it from spinning while tightening? I'm pretty sure the binding that I had with mine occurred BEFORE the bar broke loose on the passenger side. I looked at the idler arm and bar and found marks on them from where they came into contact. I noticed the mounting bracket holes for the bar are oblong so it seems you would be able to just put the bar a bit forward before tightening to get more of a gap between idler arm?

[Tempest]

here is a pic of a 1.25 in sway bar from a 73 Firebird in my 67 Tempest.

no clearance issues at all.

[gene simmons]

My 66 lemans maybe has 1/8" between the idler arm and the stock sway bar. IDK if i could get a FB bar to work. It looks like a 1.25" bar would hit the Idler arm.

Will any 1.25" bar from a 70-79 FB work on the 65-67 A-bodies?
Also what end links do you use?

[Jeff Hamlin]

Originally Posted by gene simmons

My 66 lemans maybe has 1/8" between the idler arm and the stock sway bar. IDK if i could get a FB bar to work. It looks like a 1.25" bar would hit the Idler arm.

Will any 1.25" bar from a 70-79 FB work on the 65-67 A-bodies?
Also what end links do you use?

Fits the '66 no problem,
You can get the brackets & links from any of the suspension suppliers.

[gene simmons]

Looks good. Thanks Jeff!
I have a lead on a bar from a 77-78 FB.

[GT182]

The 1-1/4" sway bar fits with no problems on my 66.

The steering started to bind on mine but it was the rag joint crapping out on me. Which it did in the garage after a road trip and getting it backed into the garage. So check your rag joint [steering shaft coupler]. Get one from NPD if you need one. Solid rubber with wire mesh built into it for $29.00 and change. 28 spline is what you'd need.