Front sway bars

[Jon Mello]

These photos are courtesy of Robert Lodewyk. They show the unrestored, "as-found" state of his original front sway bar and associated hardware. These pieces are on his ex-Gerry Gregory Trans-Am Camaro. This car was built by Dick Guldstrand's shop and the car was campaigned in the four West Coast Trans-Am events during the '69 season. Thank you Robert for sharing these photos with us.

[Jon Mello]

Three more photos...

[Jon Mello]

Two more...

[Jon Mello]

Last ones from Robert...

[Bruce302]

That is a very nicely made piece. I like the positive stop on the slide adjuster.

Oh and J-56 brakes, Nice.
If you get a chance Robert, can you check if yours have a small number on the machined pad that would identify the matching halves.
Mine do, but I'm not sure if it is general or judt mine.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, we should start a Brake thread.

Nice sway bar.

Bruce.

[77thor]

That is one heavy-duty bracket on there...

[Sixteen Grand Sedan #56]

Thank you Jon for posting these pictures for all those interested to enjoy.

Bruce; I have checked the aluminum blocks but they are not numbered. Certainly worn but not numbered.

Since these pictures were taken I have disassembled the front subframe for repair and restoration. I  just hated to do that because I just love the originality and "patina' that it had.

Robert

[firstgenaddict]

Love the twin pin J56's and the offset bushings for the Upper Control arm, nice, maybe we could get some dimensions on the busings?

[Jon Mello]

Further information, the front sway bar diameter on this car is 7/8". To make the sway bar act like a thicker, stiffer bar you would move the end link forward (away from the end and toward where the sway bar crosses the frame).

[Jon Mello]

More front sway bars from Robert Lodewyk, 4 GM pieces and an aftermarket piece. His notes...

"The bottom two are 13/16. Note the one must be a pre '69 version since it does
not have the limiting couplings (bushings) on it. The other one with the bent bolt
on the end came off a wounded 1969/70 L78 Nova. The middle one is 7/8. The
other two are both 1-inch. The one with the aluminum blocks is one that came off
an old '67 Camaro race car I had. There are not any numbers on the aluminum blocks."

[Jon Mello]

Another view showing the ends of the sway bars. GM sway bar ends have a very identifiable style, much different than aftermarket bars.
Robert feels this aftermarket bar (at far right in this photo) is probably an Addco piece.

[Jon Mello]

Beginning some time in 1969, some Camaro (F-body) and Nova (X-body) car got these extra bends incorporated
into the design of their sway bars. These bends served to restrict any potential side-to-side movement of the
sway bar. Prior to these bends being designed into the bar, limiting bushings were clamped in place to serve the
same purpose. It is thought this was done only on early '69 cars or on sway bar sizes (diameters) that had not
yet had the extra bends designed in (some early '70s cars).

[Jon Mello]

A couple of shots of the aftermarket 1" sway bar with its custom-made aluminum bushing. It is unusually
made with an off-center hole through the two separate aluminum blocks. This item came off a legitimate
'67 Z-28 which, when found by Robert, had been abused as a circle track car. Robert thinks that the car
had road racing history prior to that.

[Jon Mello]

Another couple of views...

[Jon Mello]

Here's a comparison shot between the end of a GM sway bar (left) and what is believed to be an Addco sway bar (right).