Sway bar frame threads.
 

Long story short one of the frame threads for the front swaybar holes stripped out. What’s the best fix? I don’t think it’s thick enough for a helicoil

This topic has been covered at nauseam , learn to do a search.

So oversize thread cutting bolt?

Rivnut.

Ok I searched that and came up with a harbor freight kit. Is that sufficient?

Harbor freight should be ok but probably cheaper material, i get mine from fastenal for about a buck a piece.... can use a normal bolt/washer set up to install, dont need to buy the special tool, especially if you will only use the rivnuts one time.

lots of youtube vids on how to install them without the tool but works eaither way.

you can tap it to the next bigger thread size, but then you will always have 1 bigger bolt, the rivnuts are basically permanent and let you keep the same bolt size.

there was a recent thread on this, i posted a couple vids showing how to install them without the tool.... here ya go. https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...ghlight=rivnut

For the large 1&1/4 front sway bars on later Formula and Trans Ams the factory used Riv nuts. On the Camaros with their smaller front bar just drilled self tapping bolts in the frame.

I believe steve25 meant search THIS forum. This topic has been discussed at length and a lot of good info has been posted on the various repair methods.

If you want to get it down without waiting for parts or tools to arrive, get a telescopic magnet and a 3/8 x 1.25 NC bolt and nut and lock washer drill out the hole in the frame and install, This is what I have done on my 65 with all four is it a hack fix, possibly but I didn't want to buy the Rivnut set and a bunch of wasted time waiting when I could of been driving.

I know what he meant. I searched rivnut cause I had never heard of it.

Are you sure thats the case for all later 2nd gen formula/T/A? I have an 81 WS6 T/A and pretty sure only the frame is tapped, thats the car i bought the rivnuts for, no other threaded inserts inside the frame I could see when repairing the stripped hole. Pretty sure my 78 WS6 T/A is the same but will have to check next time its out.

My 78 and 81 has rivnuts but instead of an allen head bolt like my 78 had small head bolts.
79 Camaro none.

I think rear brackeri just threads.

I will have to double check my 81 & 78, i know the 81 didnt have them when i recently fixed a stripped hole... either someone removed all 4 factory rivnuts & tapped the frame or maybe its a norwood vs van nuys thing?

stick a wrench in the frame and put a nut in there or drop a bolt down with a magnet

Careful with rivnuts. Most people do poor install on them, and they end up becoming an issue. My car for instance, somebody put in rivnuts on stripped out frame threads and 3 out of 4 of them just spin in their holes. My sway bar bushings aren't in too bad of shape so I've just not bothered doing anything about them for now.

yea I always wondered abut that happening. i guess maybe a tack weld woud fix it?

Theres a chance the ones on your car are factory installed based on what skip fix posted.

Now that I think of it, my old 78 T/A i had as a teenager & into my mid 20s had some type of threaded insert in the frame for the sway bar, one side they were spinning so a friends dad put a tack weld on them from the factory side holes in the frame.

I don’t see where I can get to it

I did that on my 71. I kept ripping the threaded inserts out of the frame, so I said screw it and just bolted it in with a regular nuts and bolts.

There's a difference between a rivnut and a thread-sert. Both types come up on searching either of the 2 types, so KNOW what you're buying before you buy.

Have to use steel inserts, and the steel inserts of the rivnuts is what is used, so you can't use the 'plyers' type of tool, it has to be the longer arm type of tool.

I've mentioned this before, but you have to drill the proper size hole, and depending on the size you need, you will most likely have to by a fractional drill bit that's not normally available in sets, or even some hardware stores.

When a rivnut fails (spins), 99.999% of the time is because the incorrect hole size was drilled. Once it spins, you can use the size rivnut you used before, you have to go bigger.

Problem is when you go to a bigger hole, the bolt heads get bigger, and may not fit due to the U bend of the bar bushing bracket.

If you can reach in from the front of the frame horn, you could make a plate with 2 bolts in it, and fish it into the frame, having the bolts drop thru. You can use a steel plate and tap holes so the bolts don't have to be welded, etc.

You might have to take the front bumper off to get to the front opening of the frame horn.

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