Guess what!? Sway bar question!!

[Buddha..]

I know right?

Anyway, went to pick a part got a rear swaybar of a 4 door blazer for my Z83. Got the bar, clamps, endlinks, bushings everything for $20. Not bad imo. Go to slap it on the sten and no place to bolt it onto, I'm an idiot. It looks like S10 warehouse sells the brackets with a complete swaybar, but they won't sell me just the mounts/mounts. What's a guy to do? How is the swaybar mounted on the ZQ8's? I think on the blazer it was mounted to a crossmember that the shocks and spare were mounted on also. I think that c/m was riveted onto the frame, hmm. Should I nab the whole crossmember or what?

I should have just got a s/b from a F-body.


Thanks for reading, any input is better than no input.

-Buddha

[Chevhead89]

i just picked a swaybar from an f-body today. im gonna fit it tomrrow and il let ya know how it goes.

[Buddha..]

Yeah, I'm thinking it would have been a hell of a lot easier. I guess I'm only out $20, I may still go that route.

[Chevhead89]

get a third gen rear bar not a 4th gen. the 4ths are tiny.... and the 3rds are a tad bigger. and easier to get. but it fit great just had to move a brakeline.

[Buddha..]

Bigger realy? Alright.

[Chevhead89]

yep a little bit and then there cheaper to. gotta set of energy suspension end links. drilled 2 holes and just bolted everything togethor.

[Buddha..]

So you did it? Shit, I gotta go to the junkyard before they close.

[Jeffyboy]

Hey guys,

Since the guy that started this whole F-body sway bar thing hasn't answered me, could one of you who have done the install measure from the rear leaf spring eye to the end link? Strangely enough, my exhaust actually runs through my passenger side leaf spring (it was like that when I bought the truck) and I don't know if the end link would end up hitting the exhaust.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Buddha..]

Sorry, I haven't done it yet. How commited are you to your exhaust setup, haha.

[blazin2wd85]

for the frame brackets just go to your local dealership and have them look up the rear swaybar frame brackets for a s10 xtreme, i think mine were like $10 each. they just bolt in all the holes should even be there already.

[Buddha..]

No shit?! ****ing swaybar has been sitting aroung for 2 weeks because i didn't know what to do.

Thanks man!

[Chevhead89]

your exhaust will need to be moved. but i had a sway bar out of a 01 blazer that came with my axle, and the bar wouldnt fit but used the u-bolts and clamps from that and bolted right in there some sway bar end links and a 3/8 drill bit. and ill tell ya that it is a huge diffrence! my rear actually lost its roll now. and i had my atv in the back today and was shocked even more with it actually under a load.

[Jeffyboy]

That's why I was looking for a measurement - the exhaust runs through the very back of the leaf spring. The pics on the other thread look like there would be enough room. I definitely want a rear sway - I loved the handling my old '98 ZQ8 had. I don't expect that out of my '85 with the 350 up front, but it wouldn't hurt if it got close.

[Chevhead89]

hell i put that sway bar on and couldnt be happier. im gettin a 2inch drop kit tomrrow and get it on sometime this week so ill make it hadle even better yet. but if i remeber tomrrow ill get them measurements for ya.

[Jeffyboy]

Awesome. That'd be very helpful to me.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Chevhead89]

like 17-1/2 from rear spring eye. and depends on the length of the endlinks you use depends on how far from the spring.

[Jeffyboy]

Awesome. I'm sure that'll fit, but I'm going to measure now!

Thanks,

Jeff

[Buddha..]

****ing parts counter guy couldn't find me the brackets.

[blazin2wd85]

see if they can pull up the zq8 suspension parts and its a bracket on each side right by the shock mounts

[Buddha..]

He says they list it as non-servicable or something. I have the page he printed of, I see the bracket.

[blazin2wd85]

sounds like you need a different parts guy

[Chevhead89]

hit up the junkyards. blazer rear sway bar brackets work to.

[blazin2wd85]

all the blazer rears i have seen are part of the crossmember for the rear facing bars

[Buddha..]

Quote: Originally Posted by blazin2wd85

all the blazer rears i have seen are part of the crossmember for the rear facing bars

Yeah, I think you are right.


Ilooked at the sheet he printed off for me. It's for a 2 dr blazer. I don't know if going back and telling him this would help. I couldnt get him to belive there where S10's with rear sways. Reating ZQ8 package and Extreme didn't help.

Thanks,
-buddha

[Buddha..]

Alright I found the part numbers for the brackets, on this site. Talked to a different guy today at the dealership. Gave him the numbers. Parts are on their way.

[blazin2wd85]

good to hear you got it all figured out

[DarkKnite2009]

hey can some one that has a third gen Camaro/Firebird S/B post a picture of how they mounted it? I would really like to see it before I decide which way I am going.

[Chevhead89]

its the same bar as in the other sway bar post. just a little diffrent thickness.

[DarkKnite2009]

oh ok. I am droppin my truck 3" and am not enitirely sure if this setup will leave enough room for travel when under load becuase I still need to be able to haul a 550 lb Cruiser

[Chevhead89]

aint had no problem with mine im dropped 3" to and i put my atv in the back and its 600lbs. so ya should be fine. just make sure your endlinks aint to long.

[Buddha..]

Well I finally got my swaybar endlink brackets from the dealer. Got everything installed. I tried to see what kind of improvement it made and my skinny bald tires sqealed like I never heard before. I'll take that over the flopping fish handling it had before.
Thanks blazin2wd85!

Now I think I should upgrade the front too otherwise it'll prolly oversteer a little too much on my MN winter roads.

Anyone know what Truck I can pull a bigger front swaybar off?

[blazin2wd85]

your welcome,

look for a 2nd gen 4dr blazer 2wd bar, they are either the same as a zq8 or real close i think. i have one on the front of my blazer and its great.

[duanew]

I just got the rear sway bar brackets in and the holes in them were not tapped. Are they all like that? I don't see why the would not tap the holes. I purchased the bolts too. I guess that I will have to go and get the correct tap this afternoon.

[blazin2wd85]

they do come untapped, the bolts used by the factory are self tapping

[Buddha..]

Quote: Originally Posted by blazin2wd85

they do come untapped, the bolts used by the factory are self tapping

Whoops, I didn't know that. I used nuts.