Tighten up that rear end :)

[493 Mike]

Does the lanyard bar make much of a difference? Was that a kit? I like the bolt on nature of it!

You could also install sliders instead of shackles.

See comment #4.
Mike

 

[Malicious]

See comment #4.
Mike

Cheers, I do understand the reason, just wondering if there was a genuine perceivable difference in corner handling with it installed?

Was your kit a Jegs/ Summit unit with custom fabricated mounts then? Care to share any additional images of your work?

 

[Wietse]

Think I will go ahead with the above sway bar first and see how that works out.
Would a 7/8" sway bar not give issues with over/understeer "happiness" combined with my front 1-1/8" sway bar?
Or better to go with a 3/4", that looks kind of too light IMO.

 

[493 Mike]

Cheers, I do understand the reason, just wondering if there was a genuine perceivable difference in corner handling with it installed?

Was your kit a Jegs/ Summit unit with custom fabricated mounts then? Care to share any additional images of your work?

It came from Jegs and I designed and built the attachment brackets.
Mike

 

[Ron H]

All I've heard with sway bars as I had installed an OEM on my '63 some years ago is body lean when cornering; they don't do anything more than this. I found a remarkable change when putting it on (front) and now looking into a rear bar...maybe Hellwig kit. If it's a rear "movement" thing must be some serious HP or off-street antics I'd guess needing some beefing up...what I'm saying is a sway bar won't handle this situation..

 

[Wietse]

Now, thinking about going for a panhard bar...but now i did a read up on the Watt's linkage style Lateral system.
If not available it could be something i could fabricate myself as well, a frame that can be secured on the rear axle center section, 2 bars with ball joints and 2 brackets to bolt onto the rear frame.

Anyone knows what i am on about?
Maybe this is available for a B-body and i don't have to reinvent the wheel
Apparently it functions better as a panhard bar.

 

[Geri]

Have you considered a panhard bar? that will keep the axle centered under the car while cornering. Jegs and Summit have kits if you can fabricate mounts?
Mike

the panhard bar is best for what your looking for-and inexpensive otherwise-leave it alone.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Personally, I’d put a 7/8” rear sway bar on it. You’d be surprised at how much it’ll make the car stay flat in the corners. Simple to install and relatively cheap compared to a panhard bar or watts link.

Now if your adamant on really controlling the rear movement, put on a 4 link. Check RMS, Gerst, QA1.

 

[Geri]

Now, thinking about going for a panhard bar...but now i did a read up on the Watt's linkage style Lateral system.
If not available it could be something i could fabricate myself as well, a frame that can be secured on the rear axle center section, 2 bars with ball joints and 2 brackets to bolt onto the rear frame.

Anyone knows what i am on about?
Maybe this is available for a B-body and i don't have to reinvent the wheel
Apparently it functions better as a panhard bar.

watts linkage are a second generation panhard bar- nice unit that keeps the rear end centered. I've had several HP mopars and except for the one(s) turned racer-where I added back half chassis and ladder bars, never had an issue with stock or superstock springs. that has been my experience.

 

[Wietse]

I don't want to over-do it for a car that will not be racing on the track etc.
The 4 link systems are doing exactly what i am looking for but i know better ways of spending that money on the car.
So it either would be a panhard bar, or a watts linkage. Either buy a kit or fabricate it myself
I have not come across a kit, where would i find this material?
Summit, etc. have universal ones but did not find any kits for B-body's?

And on top to get a 7/8" sway bar installed.
This way i get rid of the lateral movement and stiffen up the roll, should be a good upgrade right?

 

[5.7 hemi]

I don’t know. Just exactly what is your rear housing doing?

 

[Wietse]

Well, how to describe this......it feels like after coming out of a "fast" corner and coming back to straight, or it's worse when throwing the car the other way it feels like once the car "swing" is over, there is another whip effect in the other direction again.
To me this is the rear axle being pushed to the inside of the bend and once straight the springs straighten it up again, causing like a sort of shock.
Not massively noticeable but enough to make me worry the first few times it happened.

Note: before the suspension rebuild i did not have enough courage to drive like this but now with all suspension rebuild you need to try to find them limits

 

[Geri]

Now, thinking about going for a panhard bar...but now i did a read up on the Watt's linkage style Lateral system.
If not available it could be something i could fabricate myself as well, a frame that can be secured on the rear axle center section, 2 bars with ball joints and 2 brackets to bolt onto the rear frame.

Anyone knows what i am on about?
Maybe this is available for a B-body and i don't have to reinvent the wheel
Apparently it functions better as a panhard bar.

Watts linkage requires a anchored pivot on the center of the rear end housing, depending on up down travel determines the length of the pivot arms, the bars to frame pivot points must be parallel so the brackets for making this gets fairly involved. they are better in that they are more precise than a panhard bar, but in reality the panhard bar will address all the needs of keeping the rear end centered. my 70 Hemi cuda/race car had no problems with rear end sashay, in 1978 it was a 10 sec @ 128 MPH car (crummy low performances hemi Crane Cam. called the "no pop"terrible cam ,supposed t o be easy on valve train.) I never had a problem with the Crane RR296 @750 lift. though.

 

[Cranky]

Panhard bar works well with coil springs. To be honest, I've never seen one on a leaf spring car in my life and especially not on a street driven one. If you've never rode in a car with one, find someone with a GM product that has coil springs on the back and ride in the back seat. You probably won't like it. I didn't read everything here but did you mention what size your tires are and what width wheel they are on? Taller tires mounted on somewhat narrow wheels can give you the feeling you mention. Leaf spring rear ends are usually kept pretty solidly in place. You can stiffen things up by getting rid of all the rubber bushings and installing poly bushings. Someone mentioned a slider set up to replace the rear hangers. That will get rid of any flex in the rear hangers for sure but will generate more body noise. You are still running stock rear hangers and not extended ones, right? IF it has extended rear hangers, that could be your problem. As for the rear sway bar.....I like bigger vs smaller as I like a bit more over steer vs under steer unless you have lots of power to counter act any under steer the car may have with a smaller bar. Pics of your set up might help us tell what's going on....

 

[Geri]

Panhard bar works well with coil springs. To be honest, I've never seen one on a leaf spring car in my life and especially not on a street driven one. If you've never rode in a car with one, find someone with a GM product that has coil springs on the back and ride in the back seat. You probably won't like it. I didn't read everything here but did you mention what size your tires are and what width wheel they are on? Taller tires mounted on somewhat narrow wheels can give you the feeling you mention. Leaf spring rear ends are usually kept pretty solidly in place. You can stiffen things up by getting rid of all the rubber bushings and installing poly bushings. Someone mentioned a slider set up to replace the rear hangers. That will get rid of any flex in the rear hangers for sure but will generate more body noise. You are still running stock rear hangers and not extended ones, right? IF it has extended rear hangers, that could be your problem. As for the rear sway bar.....I like bigger vs smaller as I like a bit more over steer vs under steer unless you have lots of power to counter act any under steer the car may have with a smaller bar. Pics of your set up might help us tell what's going on....

I agree with this ,responding the what if/s if a panhard bar or other locating method considered-was going to be used.beings the car i n question has the urethane bushings I'd say job done with those bushings.

 

[Cranky]

Thing is with a panhard bar, it swings in an arch and when there's enough suspension travel like on a stock type leaf spring suspension, it'll move (try to move) the rear end housing side to side. A long panhard bar will help with that vs a shorter one though but it'll need to be thicker diameter. On a drag car, the diagonal bar in a ladder or 4 link set up superseded the panhard bar many years ago and is more helpful with a car that has more suspension travel than one that doesn't.

 

[Geri]

Well, how to describe this......it feels like after coming out of a "fast" corner and coming back to straight, or it's worse when throwing the car the other way it feels like once the car "swing" is over, there is another whip effect in the other direction again.
To me this is the rear axle being pushed to the inside of the bend and once straight the springs straighten it up again, causing like a sort of shock.
Not massively noticeable but enough to make me worry the first few times it happened.

Note: before the suspension rebuild i did not have enough courage to drive like this but now with all suspension rebuild you need to try to find them limits

has it occurred to you that these are not cornering cars? just askin

 

[Wietse]

Tire size is 275/60/15 on a 15x8.5 rim, guess there will be some flex on them.
I already replaced all bushings with Poly bushings and things are solid, just wondering how to give the rear axle a more solid position.
As i can see here, these mods are not really a good suggestion for a street car how i understand.
Think i will just continue on a sway bar first and see how that works out.

I know these cars are not cornering cars, but with some effort and material you can improve things.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Could it also be your “over sensitive” to how the back of the car is doing?

You got an alignment, guy says that your rear end is only held in by the leaf springs and now you’ve got a “problem”?

I don’t know how there’s a problem unless the U Bolts aren’t torqued, axle shafts loose or your expecting the 28 inch tall rear tires to act like low profile tires.

Get the rear sway bar, you will like it.

 

[Dennis H]

Could it also be your “over sensitive” to how the back of the car is doing?

You got an alignment, guy says that your rear end is only held in by the leaf springs and now you’ve got a “problem”?

I don’t know how there’s a problem unless the U Bolts aren’t torqued, axle shafts loose or your expecting the 28 inch tall rear tires to act like low profile tires.

Get the rear sway bar, you will like it.

Agreed. Drive the car and throw it around a little to see if a problem exists at all.
Only thing holds a shock on is a bolt, that doesn't mean it's gonna fall off.