zq8 sways installed on 1st gen: pictures

[ASTROdog]

here's the parts as bought used from an 02 xtreme



front installed:



rear installed:




all i can say is it was a p.i.t.a. but was worth it. i can see why people have the rear mount brackets welded in for the older trucks w/o the holes, its a pain to get a drill in there. also, took me a while to get the front endlinks off, ended up cutting them in the center (i had the ones off the 02 to put on). even after cutting, they wouldn't come out of the a-frames. took me a while to figure it out but just hammer a screwdriver into the seam at an upward angle and pound the crap out of it, it eventually comes off. **huge** improvement over the thin front / no rear stock setup.

[anotherblacks10]

SWEET!:thumbup:
been thinking of doing that to my truck (95)
would it had been easier to install the rear sway bar with the bed taken off?

[ASTROdog]

absolutely not. what's in the way of the drilling is the shocks and the leaf springs. i've heard that people just have them welded in and i can see why, i drilled it but it was some nasty angles.

[ASTROdog]

here's a highlighted picture

the red dots are the holes you have to drill (general location) to bolt through to the endlink brackets.

the yellow highlight is the peice of bracing that cock-blocks you on the 2 rear-facing holes.

[ASTROdog]

size comparison pic i took today.

[CastawayRay]

were the bars in the early nineties a lot thinner than the 03 stock bars?

I have a 03 ext cab and want to put on a rear sway bar at least, the stocker cuts down the lean a decent amount, but I want to get a belltech one inch thick rear bar (the ONLY bar I can find!!!!)

the front stocker looks beefy, but I wonder if its hollow

nothing surprises me these days!

[jpatt24]

Quote:

Originally posted by GLHTurbo
i want a front zq8 swaybar!

get one off any 2wd blazer they are the same thing as the zq8
big 33mm and easy bolt on.

[ASTROdog]

i think its solid (the 03 zq8 i put on). heavy bastard.

[RbF_dark420]

nice modd and thxs for the pics that also is on my list to do and good tip with the blazer front bars.

[CastawayRay]

I have the so called Increased Capacity suspension, which cause of the extra 200 pounds that the extention on the cab tacks onto the wieght of the truck

So slightly stiffer springs I have, and I have the ZQ8 bars to install (once I find those urethane bushings) - I only have 2000 miles on the rig, so I guess the shocks are ok for now, but once I put the sway bars on, will it have decent handling, IE wont lean in curves and feel more like its stuck to the road?

Also, I have those crummy 205 75 15 Tiger Paws, would the LS "twisted cragar" rims take a 255-60-15 tire? its the same diameter as the Pawes, so the speedometer wouldnt be affected and it would look a HELL of a lot badder, and put two inches more tire on the ground (bad for snow, great for everything else!)

[bg's]

Looking at the back one, is there room to pull the diff cover off with the bar installed, or does the bar
have to be loosened from the axle housing to allow access to the gears ? Thanks, bg

[ASTROdog]

dunno. you could probably get the cover off in a pinch.

btw, update to the install. i had the rear mounts welded in place to reenforce the bolts.

[ninedeuce10]

What about the springs? I can imagine the fronts would be ok but the monoleafs in the back wouldnt fit would they? Im also interested in droping my 1st gen. with ZQ8 stuff.

[ASTROdog]

i didn't swap the springs. its nice and tight with the stockers still.

[spiders350]

i got a rear sway bar off a late model blazer and installed on mine. I don't think it's the zq8, but looks the same. it faced the front way though and the frame brackets were welded on so I had the links shortened and welded custom brakets to my frame and it seems ok. I can get a pic if ya like. and it doesn't block the diff cover.

[S10xDrift]

im think ing of getting a Zq8 rear sway bar. Where can i find them for the cheapest? And also, i have an 03 LS ext. cab, would i have to do all the drilling to mount my sway also?

[CastawayRay]

no, you already have the holes there .... the thing is, on MY 03 ext cab, the holes are just a hair off ... and I dont know why! but what I am going to do if I ever get some free time (there is a LOT to be said for being single, lol, you sure pay for that damned nookie!) is this, bolt the brackets up, the two holes in the vertical plane are fine, they line right up ... the lone horizonal bolt is off by a hair, so Im going to bolt the thing on, pencil scribe the hole, then remove the bracket and drill away the penciled area, and voila, instant fitment!

Im anxious to do this, the truck is responding well to the 33 bar and poly bushings, (the old bar was a beefy bitch in its own right tho, impressive!) but ummmmmm ... ive done this before on other vehicles, and the rear bar has always made a noticeable difference

Damn! Sure doesnt bother you to rip the shit right outta that new truck, sheesh!

[S10xDrift]

where are you getting your sway bar? have you found any yet?

[BLAZ1N]

i have a 2000 2 door 2wd blazer

does it have both of the zq8 style sway bars?

[spaz2203]

i have a stock 2001 s-10 the ZQ8 stuff should bolt right on, right??? its off a 2000 extreme, im gettin the leafs, the springs, and the front sway...it should lower it 2 inches also cant wait cuz the stock set up handle like crap

[bri2203]

spaz-
I just installed my 33mm front sway and rear sway. My front sway bar rubs the frame on hard turns, so i gonna bend it to make it work well. I also had to cut a hole in the rear bracket to make it work.

[Fabianss357]

Any word if the rear setup works on first gen BLAZERs? I want a good bar back there but the shock mounts and frame is different on the blazers.

[ASTROdog]

dunno

[85S10Eric]

I'm thinking of doing the ZQ8 thing, and it looks as if I'm gonna need to do the same drilling you did. Evne though my truck already has a rear sway bar, it's not anything like the ZQ8. Mine bolts to the top of the axle housing and attaches to the frame forward of the axle.

[powerhungryv8s10g]

Quote: Originally Posted by bg's

Looking at the back one, is there room to pull the diff cover off with the bar installed, or does the bar
have to be loosened from the axle housing to allow access to the gears ? Thanks, bg

Yes, you can pull the diff cover off without removing (or loosening) the bar. I put one on my 1st gen truck, and I've had the cover off twice dealing with some aftermarket disc brake placement issuses.

[powerhungryv8s10g]

Quote: Originally Posted by RbF_dark420

nice modd and thxs for the pics that also is on my list to do and good tip with the blazer front bars.

I put the blazer front bar on my truck too.

[powerhungryv8s10g]

Quote: Originally Posted by ASTROdog

absolutely not. what's in the way of the drilling is the shocks and the leaf springs. i've heard that people just have them welded in and i can see why, i drilled it but it was some nasty angles.

I can attest to the tight drilling quarters. It was a bitch to do, but I'm glad I had the bed off to do it! I never even thought to weld the brackets on.

[powerhungryv8s10g]

Quote: Originally Posted by S10xDrift

im think ing of getting a Zq8 rear sway bar. Where can i find them for the cheapest? And also, i have an 03 LS ext. cab, would i have to do all the drilling to mount my sway also?

Do a search on Ebay for " ZQ8" and you'll find one eventually. I got mine from s10warehouse a very honest, and fair seller. As for the drilling, the holes might allready be there on your 03. I could be wrong though.

[powerhungryv8s10g]

if you have a truck, get one from a truck. If you have a blazer, get one from a blazer, the two DO NOT interchange! The fronts do, not the rear (on 2wd) One more point to make. If you buy off Ebay make sure it includes the frame brackets like the one in the link!!!! Don't buy one that doesn't, you'll only kick yourself in the arse!!

[mdnblaster]

Anyone know the stock dimensions versus the 33mm ZQ8?

And is there any sort of guideline for when GM started putting in the holes for a rear sway bar? I have a '95 and don't want to do any drilling.

The rear bar looks like it runs about $54 at http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/
if that is part #15957475 I want. And $56 for the front 15981886. That sounds very cheap.

[Blaze1]

I have a 1994 S10 Blazer 4x4 4DR (1st Gen). I would like to get the upgraded ZQ8 sways (F/R) put on but still a bit confused. Does the 4DR make any difference in application? I've read some Ebay items that say 2DR ONLY. I understand the Blazer for Blazer... Truck for Truck theory but 2DR for 2DR? Does someone have part #'s or the latest model Blazer that would fit my truck. Thinking of just buying NEW if the price is the same.

Thanks in advance.

[trickedcomps]

How much of a difference in handling does it make? Is is really noticiable?

[s10warehouse]

Quote: Originally Posted by spiders350

i got a rear sway bar off a late model blazer and installed on mine. I don't think it's the zq8, but looks the same. it faced the front way though and the frame brackets were welded on so I had the links shortened and welded custom brakets to my frame and it seems ok. I can get a pic if ya like. and it doesn't block the diff cover.

looks as if you have a 2 door blazer/jimmy on thoese the bars mount in front of the rear end becasue the gas tank s in the rear ..on the trucks the gas tank is in the front at least on one side and the bars mount behind the rear end where thier is plenty of room