I was going through my new CPP catalog they sent me. I noticed they have a swaybar kit to fit straight axle front ends. The bar is 1 1/8" One bracket mounts to the frame and the other on the axle. Cool looking kit. Anyone have this kit? Is it worth spending $150 for a front sway bar and does make a noticable difference?

 

With the heavy front weight bias of our trucks IMO a front swaybar will make a significant difference. My problem is that the available kits I've seen all mount the bar to the axle rather than to the frame defeating a lot of it's fuctionality since it's always in motion. I plan to have custom bars made that will attach to the frame.

 

Ed -

I have IFS and the truck had a sway bar when I bought it, so I don't have a frame of reference for running without one. That said, my truck rides unbelievable flat thru a turn. I fully expected a lot more body roll with the truck's high roll center and front end weight. The sway bar is huge (about 1 3/8 dia) and looks to have come off a larger ford truck, maybe a twin I-beam setup. The only down side is that whatever one wheel does, the other wants to do. Try steering around the end of a speed bump and the whole front still dips some.

Seems to me that a sway bar, at least on the front, is a very good idea. Sorry I can't speak to the stright axle one you're looking at.

 

I have the front sway bar on my stock front axle (55 panel); made a world of difference. I bought a rear bar at the same time, and the improvement in handling was well worth the $$$.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I just looked at my truck and I don't think this kit will work. The swaybar mounts with clamps to the straight axle and then mounts to the frame with the urethane bushings. I noticed on my truck, the conversion bar for the 302 engine (the bar that crosses where the engine mounts are connected) goes directly in front of my axle? Actually there is no room for a sway bar or even to clamp them? Maybe because the front end is lowered. Anyways, it doesn't look like I can put this one on. To bad, I could use the road handling improvement.

 

I forgot where I bought my front and rear bars, believe it was Sac Vintage about 8 years ago. I also did the front disc brakes, and the panel has a 351 in it too.
I just installed a Toyota steering box, and once I get the frame back from the powder coaters, I am going to be ready to go (I hope....there is always something else)

 

I am very interested in a sway bar for a straight axle front end. Anyone have any information regarding how big a bar you need? Most of the parts are availalbe through Jegs or Summit and I think you could build one if you were a wee bit creative - it'd be nice though to have some idea of a starting point regarding size of the bar. I (and a friend) built the bars used on an SCCA F-production race car from solid bar stock with splines on the ends to accept lever arms purchased from one of the racer supply shops. we started with bars sized with what we saw on the other racers cars plus a little bit then took them to a lathe until it felt right - the adjustment provided by multiple holes in the lever arms lets us fine tune the bars if/when needed with spring changes and what have you at different tracks. Sounds like a bar that was between and inch and 1 3/8ths would be about right - do you know if these are solid bars or tubular? Of course if you can find a bar that is pretty close you can eat up $150 in time pretty quick too! Be very interested in a report on the CPP bars in action.

 

Size of the bar will be influenced by the length of the lever arms. Longer arms need a thicker bar. The type swaybar you describe is what we call a NASCAR bar. If you use a solid bar you can reduce the stiffness by grinding flats on opposite sides, then rotate the bar until you find the stiffness that works best. (never mind the wise cracks...)

 

OilLeaks -

My 56's sway bar is 1 3/8 dia with 12 inch levers. It is a one-piece formed steel rod. The ends are flattened with holes to attach to the A-arms. Urethane bushings retained in saddle clamps bolt it to the radiator crossmember. Looks to be a stock bar from a larger (Ford) truck. Works very well.

 

I remember reading many years ago that if you are going to add a sway bar it is important to do front and rear.

I did just the front to a 55 Brand X and it was all over the road in the rain. Added a rear and it handled great.

Now that was pre radials so I dont know if that has to be factored in.

 

Flex Frames should have both front and rear bars.

 

Some real good input that I certainly do appreciate. Randy Jack - sounds like the setup on your 56 wouldn't be too hard to make work on my 51...probably weigh about the same. Do you have a rear bar on your truck? I once put a large front bar on a sports car - took it to an auto cross and got some kind of a new record for cones wiped out! Put another bar on the rear (quite a bit smaller as I recall) and it was absolutely magic in balancing the car out - cornered flat and very predicatably. I don't expect sports car handling from my 51 but it would be great to tame the roll center just a weeeee bit! Thanks to all for the great input and sizing info and thanks to imlowr for starting this thread.

Oilleaks

 

OilLeaks -

Nope. I have just the front bar. Of course, I don't slaulom the thing either, so no cone problem. I realize that you are looking for a sway bar for a straight axle AND my front is IFS. But the principle should be the same. I just expected my truck to wallow big time and was very pleasantly surprised at how flat and stable it is in turns.

Good luck!