El Caminos and sway bars

[abbey castro]

Trailing arm braces are from QA1 or UMI

UMI Performance Control Arm Reinforcement Brace Kits 3028-R

Tower brace is

UMI Performance Adjustable Strut Tower Braces 3055-B​

I shop at Summit a lot but Jegs should have some too.

This is the UMI on my 87SS.

 

[Ugly1]

For you wagon and Elky guys, you can always add a full hitch setup which acts as a rear frame brace. That's what I ended up doing. It certainly helps stiffen up the rear frame rails plus it's still functional as a hitch if and when you ever need to utilize it.

They make a kit for the GN/ GNX guys that goes behind the bumper to do it as well. If you see how it’s done you can do your own.

 

[abbey castro]

My hgome made square tubing rear hornn bar. Attaches at the bumper shock m

They make a kit for the GN/ GNX guys that goes behind the bumper to do it as well. If you see how it’s done you can do your own.

My home made rear frame horn square tube brace. Attaches at the bumper shock bolts.

 

[melloelky]

They make a kit for the GN/ GNX guys that goes behind the bumper to do it as well. If you see how it’s done you can do your own.

they sure do.https://www.gnsperformance.com/bodyframe-g-body

 

[Ugly1]

There are a number of this frame braces similar to this company’s

HR Frame Braces

 

[86LK]

Getting back to the theme of the thread, I stole this off of the El Camino Central Forum in a post from 2017 by pbr400. He seems to have pretty good knowledge of El Caminos, as I sure as heck don't, but what he's discussing seems legit. He also doesn't seem like a fly-by-night poster over there either, and reading a few other posts he has made seems like he's very fluent in El Caminos. Some of you El Camino guys should be able to confirm or deny this. Some of what he has stated I did independently confirm, but I can't confirm/deny all of it. Perhaps more knowledgable people can chime in here. He's saying the F41 package didn't have rear bar, and nothing has turned up in GM literature to definitively say one way or the other.

"F41 was available on any trim level, base, Conquista, Choo Choo SS, and Z15 'Sport Appearance Package'. My 85 Conquista has it. It should have a fatter front bar, triangulating 'jounce' bars, quicker steering, and stiffer springs. Rear bars weren't part of the package on Elkies but are easily added. As for your ground effects, these are confusing. The package Chevy sold in the early years as 'Super Sport' (option Z15) had the air dam, no rocker or fenderwell chrome, sport mirrors, two tone paint and Super Sport in relief lettering on the side. (And the little dash badge said it). Beginning in 1983 or 84 the Choo Choo SS debuted with the aero nose and a lot of other details either standard or optional. Those were sold along side GM built Z15 optioned units that now only said 'Super Sport' on their dash badges. Both packages were available until end of production. If yours is a Z15 'Sport App.' cruck it should say so on that SPID sticker. If it's a Chooch it shouldn't he a Z15 ( exceptions do exist) and should have a recert sticker in the door jamb.
Patrick
Ps-they redid the dashes for '86 and '87 and eliminated the little dash badge."

yes, pbr400 is one of the more knowledgeable ones over there on ECC, and you can rely on what he says. He grew up with them, has some of the factory books with data, and always takes the time to do full responses like you posted above.

 

[doood]

This is the UMI on my 87SS.

Cleanest car ever.

 

[SoFloG]

I love how any thread can turn in to a G body brace fest on this forum. They're like elusive pokemons and we are trying to collect them all and all have some custom iterations in our cars(myself included). Good stuff!

 

[Ugly1]

Most go from one to the other when getting better handling. Though I learned something new on ElCo’s not having the rear sway bar

 

[86LK]

Most go from one to the other when getting better handling. Though I learned something new on ElCo’s not having the rear sway bar

My hgome made square tubing rear hornn bar. Attaches at the bumper shock m

My home made rear frame horn square tube brace. Attaches at the bumper shock bolts.

they sure do.https://www.gnsperformance.com/bodyframe-g-body View attachment 231802

I like the ones that abbey castro and melloelky showed. I wouldn't have even thought about bracing at the rear frame ends. and someone else mentioned using a trailer hitch as a brace too. clever!