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Old 05-26-2020, 11:45 PM
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Default HO racing front sway bar

Hi there,

I have the stock sway bar on my 69 gto and have access to what is suppose to be a HO 1.25" front sway bar.


I had a couple questions..

For the sway bar links at end that are currently on my car, will they transfer over?

I just can't see how the bolt holes for the bracket I currently have and the bolts still can be used with the larger sway bar? Am I giving up bushing space to accommodate and use same brackets?? How does this work?

Just wondering how I go about deciding if this is a good buy for me? Do I buy 1970 gto bushings instead since that car came with bigger sway bar and use same brackets?

any help would be appreciated, thanks. i don't even know if they sell these via ames.

Oh and also what color was the factory for the sway bar on 69 gto , grey?
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  #2  
Old 05-26-2020, 11:54 PM
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The H-O Racing sway bars were 1-3/8” diameter not 1-1/4”. It’s probably a 2nd-gen T/A bar if it measures 1-1/4”.

You’re going to need the frame brackets and bushings specific to the bar you’re going to use. The factory T/A brackets and bushings won’t be hard to find.

The factory attached the brackets to the frame using bolts that threaded directly into the thin frame stamping itself, they will pull out when using a bigger bar unless you use nuts inside the frame rail. Nutserts can also be installed in the frame rails for a secure way to mount the brackets.

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Old 05-26-2020, 11:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle_blake View Post
Hi there,

I have the stock sway bar on my 69 gto and have access to what is suppose to be a HO 1.25" front sway bar.


I had a couple questions..

For the sway bar links at end that are currently on my car, will they transfer over?

I just can't see how the bolt holes for the bracket I currently have and the bolts still can be used with the larger sway bar? Am I giving up bushing space to accommodate and use same brackets?? How does this work?

Just wondering how I go about deciding if this is a good buy for me? Do I buy 1970 gto bushings instead since that car came with bigger sway bar and use same brackets?

any help would be appreciated, thanks. i don't even know if they sell these via ames.

Oh and also what color was the factory for the sway bar on 69 gto , grey?
B-Man beat me to it....

If memory serves me correctly the HO bar was 1-3/8" My dad had a 65 GTO we built about 20 years ago with the full HO kit. Your current end links may work they may not, I installed a 1.25" bar in my 65 and it required longer links but energy suspension makes a bunch of different length kits . You will need to find the correct frame mounts as well 1 3/8" couple sets on ebay I just did a quick search.

Might be easier to find a 1.25" bar from a camero or firebird easier to get the bushing sets

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Old 05-27-2020, 12:29 AM
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Thanks... I see the brackets in the picture, one might assume they were from the "HO KIT" ? If it even is a HO sway bar. Maybe there is a part # engraved on the bar so i can verify?

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Last edited by kyle_blake; 05-27-2020 at 12:40 AM.
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Old 05-27-2020, 12:34 AM
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No part number engraved or stamped, doing a decent job measuring is the only way to identify the bar.

Slip a large adjustable wrench onto the bar and then measure the gap between the jaws of the wrench if you don’t have a caliper to measure it with.

Just by looking at the picture it looks looks like a T/A bar, not thick enough to be the H-O bar. The frame brackets look to be factory GM brackets as well.

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Old 05-27-2020, 12:42 AM
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If the frame mountas are good and you only need to by the end links its probably worth picking it up, I saw the add and can't really go wrong for $100. The HO kit was front and rear 1-3/8"s sway bars , lowering spring, pretty sure it came with the required tie rod ends and ball joints. needed to buy firebird/camero spindles front disc brake swap as well at the same time . It handle pretty good for sure .

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Old 05-27-2020, 06:19 AM
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My original TA with the 1.25" sway bar has nut serts( special nuts that are like a rivet but with threads on i.d.) in frame. I squeezed rubber on brackets tighter with HOs kit at that time.

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Old 05-27-2020, 08:01 AM
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Been using Nutserts for many years, course I have had Mr Crocie's HO 1-3/8" sway bars for a very long time too. I only did the: "Remove the bumper, very long needle nose pliers to install the bolts with the lockwashers in the frame, (while someone else is positioning the sway bar and rubber brackets on the bolts from the other side). Then reinstall the bumper and get it back in the right factory location.

What a mess, The nutserts fixed all of that deal. Stronger vs normal threads in the thin frame metal, easy to install, and no issues with them ever coming out.

Tom V.

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Old 05-27-2020, 04:23 PM
KEN CROCIE KEN CROCIE is offline
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The brackets look like the ones we supplied wit the kit. we also had special poly bushings to fit these brackets, I don't believe you will find a poly bushing to fit with this bracket.

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Old 05-27-2020, 04:46 PM
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Another and way simple method of checking any random sway bar size is to simply use open end wrenches for go. no go gauge

Nutserts thin threads in frames? I put my longer bolts in from the top loctite in place to create studs then use grade8 nylon lock nuts

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Old 05-27-2020, 05:21 PM
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Formulas, Since the holes for the sway bar are several inches from the end of the frame, and it is difficult to just open up the hole and drop the bolts (with a washer) down thru the hole, please explain to me (in detail) how you "Thread the fastener thru a tapped hole & can get the thread started properly) and what tools you used to make this happen 4 times. Thanks always want to learn a different way to do things.

Tom V.

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Old 05-27-2020, 06:26 PM
'ol Pinion head 'ol Pinion head is offline
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My '80 SE Turbo has nutserts in the subframe, has had them since Day 1. In '84 I installed Herb VSE bars along with slightly cut '79 Firebird 301 AC springs & moved the rear WS6 springs up in the the rear spring hangers via the Herb mod. Many other mods, several Sats autocrossing, along with a TON of aggressive driving, & never had an issue with the front swaybar attaching nutserts. In '88, ended up pulling both the front & rear Herb VSE bars, sold them in Hemmings & mothballed the '80. In the last 6 months, I picked up a complete Herb front bar & am looking for a 1" rear bar.

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Old 05-27-2020, 06:39 PM
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OPH, Herb was in California for several years but some years ago moved back to Michigan and worked for a company here.
I saw him a few times at the Edsel Ford Estate Car show where he was showing off the Special Cars he designed.
Very talented guy.
Bet your car was on "RAILS".

I did not realize that the cars came with the Nutserts from Day 1 on the '80 SE Turbo.
Thanks for the sway bar history.

Tom V.

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Old 05-27-2020, 06:52 PM
Formulas Formulas is offline
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Tom V .. used black Allen head bolts that I've had for years not from china, used a cut off wheel to groove the end of shank put bolt in frame stand bolt up with dental pick spin bolt with #1 flat tip screwdriver from bottom thread it in until you can manipulate it by hand on bottom , put loctite on threads , thread bolt in and out to get loctite where you want it clean excess, double nut threads to torque it let sit for cure

No extra holes drilled if you use your noodle 70F,body
My setup was not damaged prior and used punched threaded holes not a nutsert didn't use a washer inside really no need to

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Last edited by Formulas; 12-17-2023 at 10:11 AM.
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Old 05-27-2020, 07:19 PM
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More than one way to do things but I will stick with my Nutserts as obviously, as OPH
has posted, the Nutserts were good enough that the Pontiac Engineers used them in production.
I was not aware that HO racing offered a 1-3/8" front sway bar for a 70 F-Body either.

Tom V.

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Old 05-27-2020, 08:00 PM
Formulas Formulas is offline
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Wasn't trying to get anyone to dismantle their car and do what I did
I am good at analyzing existing engineering and making improvements its challenging
I know I won't have pulled / stripped threads or spinning nutserts and it cost near nothing
Carry on

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Old 05-27-2020, 08:23 PM
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Just a comment, Nutserts do not spin if installed correctly.
Mine have not moved in 30+ years. Been a long time Ken C
from when you sent me those HO Racing bars.

Tom V.

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Old 05-29-2020, 02:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Vaught View Post
I was not aware that HO racing offered a 1-3/8" front sway bar for a 70 F-Body either.
Same front bar as the '64--'72 A-body. I think it's the same part on the '73--'77 A body, '68--'79 X body, and probably the same on the '77--'96 B-body.

The rear bars were different--leaf vs. coil, angled lower arms vs. straight lower arms, etc.

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Old 05-29-2020, 02:32 AM
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X-body '75-'79 used same bar as '70-'81 F.

X-body '68-'74 was same as '67-'69 F.

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Old 05-29-2020, 08:59 AM
KEN CROCIE KEN CROCIE is offline
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will-x2

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