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69 Coronet Hotchkis front sway bar?

Dennis H

Dennis H

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R/T already has one. Does the replacement modern technology reduce weight and provide noticable improved handling? It is hollow and less flex as advertised. Also, when pushed hard, the left rear tire just barely kisses the inner leaf. Drives and handles well now, just looking for more. Will 1/4 inch spacers do the job. Wheelwell seems to have lots of clearance outside.
 
I thought that the stock sway bar for your car is right at 1 inch. These hollow bars are larger in overall diameter but to accurately guage the difference in roll stiffness, I'd need to know either the size of the hollow section or the wall thickness. If the new bar has an outer diameter of 1 3/8" but has a 3/8" hollow center, you'd think that they'd be equally effective, but.....I recall someone at Moparts saying that the further out from center, the greater the strength.
These new bars are all new metal but I'm not sure that it means much. I modified a mid 70s Chevy truck sway bar for my Charger. My car handles far better than it did when I bought the car in 2000.
Rear spacers? I have some you can try. PM me your address and I will mail them to you tomorrow!
 
Just how much weight do you think its going to save ?!?!?
 
Dennis H said:
View attachment 412743 View attachment 412742 R/T already has one. Does the replacement modern technology reduce weight and provide noticable improved handling? It is hollow and less flex as advertised. Also, when pushed hard, the left rear tire just barely kisses the inner leaf. Drives and handles well now, just looking for more. Will 1/4 inch spacers do the job. Wheelwell seems to have lots of clearance outside.
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If you don't mind me asking, did the rear tire kiss the leaf before you installed the front sway bar? Sounds as if your back spacing out back is too much or the rear of the car is swaying more because the front can't. Perhaps a rear bar is required as well or just use the spacers.
 
FYI go the Hellwig, cheaper and the same specs as the Hotchkiss. I have it on mine, good looking unit.
 
Stanton said:
Just how much weight do you think its going to save ?!?!?
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Anytime a few ounces can be shed it is good. She weighs 4050 with me inside @ 200. Looking more for handling.
 
Yatzee said:
If you don't mind me asking, did the rear tire kiss the leaf before you installed the front sway bar? Sounds as if your back spacing out back is too much or the rear of the car is swaying more because the front can't. Perhaps a rear bar is required as well or just use the spacers.
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The front is factory with the heavy duty R/T suspension. The contact started after going up to the 295 50 15's. Didn't notice it until pushed VERY hard. No contact under normal driving. When made, it is very minor. When romping on a recent trip it was pushed hard in some canyon carving in SoCal. I want to do that without hearing the rubbing.
 
My buddy has the hotchkiss front and rear sways and he loves them. They are beefy units too. As for the rear rub, I have 295/50/15 on my rr and when I installed caltrack bars it eliminated all rubbing with the preload action from the bars..
 
I've also been thinking about upgrading my factory front sway bar on my '69 RR. Currently has the .875" one. I have Hotchkis leaf springs on my car and it did lower the rear noticeably by 1" - 2". I also have an Addco 1" rear sway bar on.
I've looked at the both of these on Summit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aco-541
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-720230

Also looked at Firmfeel for the 1.25":
http://www.firmfeel.com/b_body_mopar_front_sway_bar.html

Kern Dogs setup looks great too with the '70 Chevy truck bar, I've looked at that thread.

I have a few Hotchkis & Firmfeel components on my car and it rides and handles pretty good, but I'm still deciding on a new front sway bar. May update the factory .875" torsion bars too while I'm at it.

If anyone has opinions on any of these options I'd like to hear them.
Thanks,

(Didn't mean to high-jack your thread Dennis, but I've been mulling this over for the past week)
 
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Decisions. Summit, Hotchkis, and Firm Feel are all good vendors. Don't want cost to affect my decision. With spacers, and a replacement bar I expect a better romp. I am remembering a friend witha 68 Sport Sat puling into a driveway and scraping the new Hotchkis front sway bar. There was a Hotchkis installed sticker on it. Turns out it was mounted upside down. When installed correctly, the "Hothkis" logo was upside down.
 
Dennis, you should think about a lower profile tire if you want to carve the canyons. You're probably getting sidewall flex enough to rub in the back.
 
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Got it. 6 pounds lighter. 19% stiffer. Spacers from the Kern too. Will report back when both changes made.
 
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Spacer on. Scrub noted.
 
Torkmnstr said:
So it still rubbed?
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No, sorry not clear. That's the previous scrub. Put some paint on to help recognize change. Need to go romp. When checking the current clearance, was surprised to find just how much flex there is on sidewalls.
 
That's why people complain about how rough the ride is when they build the car for cornering with urethane bushings and low profile tires.
 
Incase anyone cares hotchkis is developing a universal sway bar for mopars! It's on their test car now. I think it's a 67 dart thy said

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