[boardog]

I have a issue on my 70 gto. I installed a ridetech coil over kit on my car and decided to install a 1.25 sway bar. I found the sway bar has less then 1/4 inch clearance on the passenger side and about 1/2 inch on the driver's side from both tie rods. It doesn't appear the sway bar is the right one. I ordered another one from summit and it's the same. Has anyone else had this issue. Do I have something installed wrong?

[george kujanski]

Get some taller links or make your own from threaded rod?

George

[boardog]

I already have. I added 2 inches to the sleeve. Had to also go with a longer bolt

[JLMounce]

Is there any reason you didn't buy the Ridetech sway bar? The ridetech stuff alters a lot of hookup locations and doesn't integrate well with stock style stuff that is simply bigger.

Another area to look at here if you want to keep what you have is looking into a bump steer correction kit. That will lower the tie rod ends on an A body with front steer.

[RA66GTO]

Hot Rodding... change 1 thing... EVERYTHING else changes.
On our front suspension, UMI and springs, GW steering arms, Hellwig sway bar, Heidts spindle, etc.
I ended up with a Moog K700539 to get the clearances and to get the sway bar in a 'neutral' pre-load when at static load.
I recall several hours sifting through the catalog to find the length I was after... but may provide you a starting point.
Stock sleeve length is 2.9" the 539 is 4.5" for reference.

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by boardog

I have a issue on my 70 gto. I installed a ridetech coil over kit on my car and decided to install a 1.25 sway bar. I found the sway bar has less then 1/4 inch clearance on the passenger side and about 1/2 inch on the driver's side from both tie rods. It doesn't appear the sway bar is the right one. I ordered another one from summit and it's the same. Has anyone else had this issue. Do I have something installed wrong?

They essentially move together here.


So theoretically the distance will vary next to nothing as the suspension articulates? It may not be an issue of concern.

[boardog]

stayed on the phone with ridetech today trying to figure out the problem. i sent them several pics and no one in the tech department had a solution. they advised me to purchase their sway bar and it would fix the issue. the tech sent me a set of pics of their sway bar and it looked identical to way my original bar looked. their bar is 1.35 inches in diameter. he also emailed me a link to their front sway bar kit and i noticed a set of flat brackets. i asked him on the phone what the brackets were for and he told me it moved the sway bar forward about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. so it moves the bar away from the tie rods and that in turn gives more clearance between the two. i believe ridetech knows this is an issue, why would they include the brackets to move the sway bar forward? their sway bar kit was around $425.00 shipped. so today i spent a couple hours and made a pair of brackets out of flat stock to move the sway bar 1 inch forward which fixed my issue, ridetech would not sell me a set. the only way to get a set from them is in their $400.00 kit. maybe this will help someone else if the have the same issue.

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by boardog

...he also emailed me a link to their front sway bar kit and i noticed a set of flat brackets. i asked him on the phone what the brackets were for and he told me it moved the sway bar forward about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. so it moves the bar away from the tie rods and that in turn gives more clearance between the two. I believe ridetech knows this is an issue...

...ridetech would not sell me a set. the only way to get a set from them is in their $400.00 kit.

Maybe this will help someone else if the have the same issue.

I am glad you got this sorted out.

Too bad Ridetech acted in this manner - it may poison any sales from those who read this thread.

[JLMounce]

I'm not trying to defend Ridetech, but this issue can crop up on A-bodies in general if you are starting to put any real amount of positive caster in the alignment. With the A body being front steer, positive caster will raise the tie rod compared to the sway bar. For stock control arms, you can't really get anything above about 3* or so realistically, so it doesn't become much of an issue.

With aftermarket arms that have a couple degrees of caster built into them, and then also allow further adjustment, you start putting that tie rod near the sway bar. I was very close on my wife's Chevelle when we did GW copy arms on it and a hellwig sway bar.

This is why it's almost always best to purchase a single company's engineered kit instead of mixing and matching components. When you start doing that, you start doing hod rod things that may require alterations and fabrication, as the OP has discovered here.