After several months of beating the crap out of project Velocity, we have finally finished development of the new sway bar that was designed for it. The design is similar to the 58-64 Impala bar that was debuted earlier this year, with the bolt on arms. After spending a significant amount of time testing different bar diameters we settled on a 1.5" diameter bar along with our PosiLink endlinks to best control the roll.
Ready to ship!
Last edited by darren@ridetech; 12-18-2008 at 02:10 PM.
Are the ends splined, or do they just bolt on to an adapter?
What is the over all rate of the bar? Any tire clearance issues? What wall thickness is the bar? Is it solid or hollow? is it rate adjustable? Is the bar heat treated? Is the bar bent just like factory or did you put a in a different shape? How much?
The arms bolt to the flanges that are welded to the mild steel DOM main bar. The reason there are 3 bolts instead of 4 is simply tire clearance. I am running a 245/40-18 tire on a 18 x 8 rim. The tire just kisses the subframe at full lock under severe cornering...just enough to wear off the paint. Sitting still there is no contact at all.
I was concerned a bit about the strength of the flange connection but after running this setup in Velocity since May for over 6000 miles I am comfortable with the flange design. The splined connection is great, except I have a plasma cutter and I don't have a broach, hence the flanged connection!
The hollow bar has a wall thickness is .134". The bar is not rate adjustable, although that is not a bad idea. It is also not heat treated. While common wisdom says you gotta have a heat treated bar, I've been running a mild steeel DOM bar on my C10 truckfor over 2 years. I take it off every 4-5 months to see if it has taken a set or twisted in some way, but its still good. So is the one on Velocity.
The main bar is contoured like the original and will clear an LS1 in a stock subframe. I am confident that it will clear normal SBC and BBC applications as well, but I have not personally tried them.
We've been working on a 3pc splined bent rate adjustable sway bar since 2005. It is a bitch to get the spring back right after the heat treat, and I now know why no company has made one before.
I like your approach to it, I wish I had thought of it.
The arms bolt to the flanges that are welded to the mild steel DOM main bar. The reason there are 3 bolts instead of 4 is simply tire clearance. I am running a 245/40-18 tire on a 18 x 8 rim. The tire just kisses the subframe at full lock under severe cornering...just enough to wear off the paint. Sitting still there is no contact at all.
I was concerned a bit about the strength of the flange connection but after running this setup in Velocity since May for over 6000 miles I am comfortable with the flange design. The splined connection is great, except I have a plasma cutter and I don't have a broach, hence the flanged connection!
The hollow bar has a wall thickness is .134". The bar is not rate adjustable, although that is not a bad idea. It is also not heat treated. While common wisdom says you gotta have a heat treated bar, I've been running a mild steeel DOM bar on my C10 truckfor over 2 years. I take it off every 4-5 months to see if it has taken a set or twisted in some way, but its still good. So is the one on Velocity.
The main bar is contoured like the original and will clear an LS1 in a stock subframe. I am confident that it will clear normal SBC and BBC applications as well, but I have not personally tried them.
Thanks for the great questions!
How much is this setup? thanks
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