1" solid anti ....

[Bamfster]

sway bar????

So 1st question:

Can a solid anti sway bar be heated to the point it can be tweeked/bent easily to allow it to be better fit to a suspension, or will the heat cycle kill the rigidity and strength of the bar? Is there a certain tempering or hardening process that sway bars are put through after they are formed? Who has ever done this and what were the results?

[Beagle]

without derailling it, I'd call Addco or whoever made it (default to addco) and ask them if they can tell you anything about their heat treating process. The act of heating and bending it shouldn't have as much impact on it as the heat treating after the fact. I would think you want to get it as close to the way the rest of the bar was originally treated as possbible for consistency.

I went to their web page and found this on the front cover:

First and only manufacturer to develop "cold forming" of pre-hardened bar stock to prevent heat treat deformation and to retain material specifications in extreme use

I guess you could plunge the thing in oil after it's bent, or maybe stick it in a press to expand it or use a trailer strap or something to compress it cold?

/edit - too wide or too short? I wouldn't think one press or squeeze would do much "work hardening" to it.

[Bamfster]

Good thoughts Beags .... It is a Hellwig and I was planning on calling them, but in the interest of BS I wanted some thoughts.

The bar in question is approx 2" too wide at the ends .... so it needs to come in an inch per side.

[JeffMcKC]

I dont think heating would be a good idea can it be pressed or sectioned?

I am not a fan of using a sway bar as a ARB ( I know they TRY to do the same thing )

[Stich496]

Good thoughts Beags .... It is a Hellwig and I was planning on calling them, but in the interest of BS I wanted some thoughts.

The bar in question is approx 2" too wide at the ends .... so it needs to come in an inch per side.

what does it interfer with?? if nothing.. weld on a mount that inch to the a arms.. what the bar for originally?

front bar ,rear? if rear 1" blocks and blocks to fill the lower link u channel and strong bolts..

[1931s/x]

hellwig rebent a front bar for a guy i know. hes running a similar setup to me but with a different year k frame, which takes a different bar, it didnt work with the rims. not a backyard solution, but an option.

[squirrel]

The bar is a torsion spring, and you're going to affect the yield strength if you heat it enough to bend it. Since it's spring steel, you're probably not going to be able to do much with it cold, either.

[SuperBuickGuy]

when I was a poor, college student who had to 4 wheel - we used to cut our bars in the middle, cut two keyways on opposite sides of the bar, then put slide links over the top so we'd have cheap sway bar disconnects.... worked very well. you might use the same technique to narrow the bar (middle) and respline together?

I wonder why Hellwig would harden a sway bar rather than use metalurgy to determine the deflection? more likely - they heat the bar to realign the particles to relieve stress (cold bending is bad for strength).

Squirrel - springs can be rearched - so why not? it only requires a huge furnace and 200 or 300 worth of fuel

[Stich496]

when I was a poor, college student who had to 4 wheel - we used to cut our bars in the middle, cut two keyways on opposite sides of the bar, then put slide links over the top so we'd have cheap sway bar disconnects.... worked very well. you might use the same technique to narrow the bar (middle) and respline together?

like that idea.. also be a good preload'n tool

[squirrel]

Squirrel - springs can be rearched - so why not? it only requires a huge furnace and 200 or 300 worth of fuel

how is that done...with a hammer and anvil? that's how I've seen it done, not using heat.

[Bamfster]

I dug an old truck sway bar out of the scrap pile ..... It needs to come together at the ends to clear rear control arms, as it is U shaped and the control arms taper together at the front attaching points.

I am wondering about something like this:



Not so much as a drag rear suspension, although that's what it's touted as, but to make it handle better on the street.

[Stich496]

what car the velle, new 1" made for them are 80-90 bucks on sale all the time

think I payed 79.00 for my addco one

[Bamfster]

I don't see them for $80 to $90 anymore ..... and those don't have any adjustability. The one I posted allows pre load on the axle etc.

[nickleone]

Why not connect the bar to the rear of the axle with the "U" facing to the rear. Then put the links up to mounts on the frame.
Many cars are set up that way.

Nick

[Bamfster]

Just off the top of my head .....

As heavy as the car is and the HP it makes might cause problems insomuch as it would be pulling the links apart, not compressing them. And then I wonder if it has something to do with the IC of the car?....