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Firm Feel 7/8 rear sway bar install

JR_Charger

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57_Firm_Feel_swaybar_mounts.JPG


I installed these mounts, the instructions said to torque the bolts down between 10-14 ft/lbs which turned out to be way too high. Some of these must be stripped out. I've thought about replacing them with a bolt that runs all the way through the subframe, but maybe it would be o.k. if I used threadlocker on these bolts? The frame rail is thin, so there's not much for the bolts to bite onto (although this bolt type is supposed to push the metal in a bit to give more of a surface to thread into) and not much for the thread locker to glue onto.
 
Be careful when running a bolt through the frame! You need a steel tube where the bolt runs through - otherwise you will crush the frame when tightening the nut. The tube obviously has to be welded to the frame though..
 
When I put those bars on my cars, I did drill through the frame and run long bolts through. I would have to look, but I believe I used 3/8" diameter bolts along with nylock nuts so as not to have to overly tighten them. I was very impressed by how much these rear bars limited body roll.
 
Take them off and weld the holes. Re-drill and try again.
 
ok, sorry.. for some reason it seems like they would be under more stress than a few lag bolts should take. but i overthink **** :)
I don't think you are overthinking it, maybe more misdirecting concern, in that the issue here is as I see it is, it's not the amount of loading the fasteners will see, but the constant repetitive and reversal of the loads that they will see, causing them to eventually wanting to loosen.
 
Years ago, I built a one-of-none 1967 Coronet R/T station wagon, complete with 440, 4-speed. In driving the car, I always felt the rear end of the car was kinda loose; "wagon" its tail. On junk yard trips, I found that '80's Diplomat police cars all had rear sway bars, and the rear ends were about the same width as the one in my Coronet. I stripped the sway bar setup out of one of these police Dippy's, and adapted it onto my wagon. The change in rear end stability was very noticeable.
A couple of years later, I got my 1967 R/T on the road with big rear tires on 8" police wheels that I fabricated. Although, statically, I had room for these tires in the wheelwells, when driving the car, the tire sidewalls were getting scuffed up. I decided the R/ T needed a rear sway bar as well. By this time I could not find any junkyard Dippy's from which to source the needed parts, so I ordered the Firm Feel bar. To my amazement, the rear sway bar was identical to the Dippy bar I had used on my wagon! Firm Feel had engineered the correct frame brackets, so I did not need to fab these ( Dippy rear frame rails are narrower than B-body ones ). This setup went on fairly easily. I drilled through the frame rails and attached the brackets with long bolts with double nuts. This upgrade cured my problem with the tires getting marked up. I prefer this setup to the other style that bolts to the rear axle tubes. This looks more "factory", plus it is unsprung weight, versus sprung weight of the other system.
 
Have you thought about using 'Nutserts'?:jackoff:

Never heard of them. I just watched a video about them - would be great, except for the lip on the outside of the frame rail. I don't think the mounts will clear that. The mounts have to be hammered in place as it is. I think they'd hit that lip and crush the nutsert.
 
I don't think you are overthinking it, maybe more misdirecting concern, in that the issue here is as I see it is, it's not the amount of loading the fasteners will see, but the constant repetitive and reversal of the loads that they will see, causing them to eventually wanting to loosen.

I'm concerned about that myself. It is a REAR swaybar, so it's seeing less force than a FRONT swaybar - but I've seen an aftermarket front swaybar rip off factory sway bar brackets. So I'm concerned that this factory style system Firm Feel is using, won't be strong enough for a bigger-than-factory sway bar. I'd like to autocross my Charger, so the bar and the mounts will be worked hard. I've thought that maybe the mounts should be permanently welded on.
 
If you are concerned you could tack weld the brackets. A couple of reasonable tacks would do the job and easy enough to grind away if you want the bracket off.
 
Here’s what Hellwig did just add a spacer in frame to keep frame from collapsing
IMG_1797.png
IMG_1797.png
 
It looks like the Hellwig way doesn't require welding the spacer?
 
The Helwig solution would be the thing, if I could get the steel tubes cut precisely enough. The subframe becomes wider towards the top of the wheel arch. It might take someone with machinist skills (i.e., not me) to make the tubes.

The mounts have 1/2" holes in them. I'm thinking that rivnuts could be added through the installed mounts. It wouldn't be easy to get the mounts off again though, if they had to come off.
 
What should the nuts that hold the gold brackets onto the sway bar mounts torque down to? FSM says 200 inch/lbs for the front, should be the same?

59_rear_sway_bar_installed.JPG
 
Are you planning on running full exhaust out to the rear? I have the same Firmfeel rear sway bar kit to go on my 70 RR but am concerned some brands of 'over the axles' tail pipes might not clear?

Thanks,
Jim
 
Are you planning on running full exhaust out to the rear? I have the same Firmfeel rear sway bar kit to go on my 70 RR but am concerned some brands of 'over the axles' tail pipes might not clear?

Thanks,
Jim
I have TTI mandrel bent 3" tailpipes on both my cars that have this Firm Feel rear bar. They fit, so I would have to think you will be fine.
 
I have TTI mandrel bent 3" tailpipes on both my cars that have this Firm Feel rear bar. They fit, so I would have to think you will be fine.
Awesome, thanks for the info. TTI tailpipes are one of the options along with Flowmaster which are also mandrel bent and worst case Accurate Exhaust which are not. The one advantage for the AE 2.5" pipes is they're cut to length ready to go with original tips, did you use tips and if so did you just add them to your pipes or did you have to cut the ends off? I should add I'm was thinking about going with 2.5" pipes over concerns about fit especially with the frame mounted rear sway bar but it sounds like I shouldn't be concerned which has me rethinking 2.5". Thanks again for your help!
 
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