i have found a t top 442 gbody one of the yards around here. i have done bought the rearend now i am wondering about swaybars. it has the bigger bars and i can get them for $30 for both the front and rear. i also found a monte ss in another yard today. the rearend is gone but it still has the front larger sway bar. they told me $5 on it. My question is, can you tell the difference with the bigger bars? also what about the steering box? i believe both of these cars of the quick ratio steering box. can you tell a difference with it? plest let me know, thanks
sway bars, are they worth it?
- Thread starter garyl24
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With the front sway bar, you may notice a light difference, but nothing like "WOW!". Now if you don't already have a rear sway bar on your car, then I would highly suggest getting one. With a rear sway bar, you will notice a huge difference in the handling characteristics. It was almost night and day when I put one on my car. My rear sway bar came from a monte carlo aerocoupe that somehow ended up in the yard.
As for the quick ratio steering box, yes that is another piece that will cause a big difference in a good way. I went the safe route and bought a rebuilt unit from autozone for $125. Luckily they didn't know the difference and took my round top steering box for the monte ss 4 bolt box. That was one of the best investments I ever made on this car. My stock box was pretty worn out, and with the quick ratio box, it almost has a "rack and pinion" feel to it. It's firm, but soft and you can feel all the bumps in the road.
On a side note, make sure that if you do get the steering box, grab the pitman arm along with it. The one on my malibu was one hundredths too small compared to the monte carlo pitman arm. Not sure about other g-bodies. The way you tell if it is a quick ratio box is you turn the steering wheel all the way to the left, and then all the way to the right and count the turns. It should take two and a half turns from lock to lock.
As for the quick ratio steering box, yes that is another piece that will cause a big difference in a good way. I went the safe route and bought a rebuilt unit from autozone for $125. Luckily they didn't know the difference and took my round top steering box for the monte ss 4 bolt box. That was one of the best investments I ever made on this car. My stock box was pretty worn out, and with the quick ratio box, it almost has a "rack and pinion" feel to it. It's firm, but soft and you can feel all the bumps in the road.
On a side note, make sure that if you do get the steering box, grab the pitman arm along with it. The one on my malibu was one hundredths too small compared to the monte carlo pitman arm. Not sure about other g-bodies. The way you tell if it is a quick ratio box is you turn the steering wheel all the way to the left, and then all the way to the right and count the turns. It should take two and a half turns from lock to lock.
Yeah, the swaybars are 100% worth it. I put a rear bar on, and it was a night and day difference. Really takes out a bunch of lean in the corners. Added a big diameter front bar too. Like Pat said, it isnt as big of a difference as the rear bar, but you do notice a minor improvement.
In all honesty, all G bodies should have came with a rear bar.
In all honesty, all G bodies should have came with a rear bar.
I agree with everything that was stated above. The front and rear bars, and the SS Monte box improve the handling of your ride. To fully enjoy ( and to enjoy safely ) these mods. PLEASE buy good shocks and tires! Later.
I may be wrong but I think all the rear sway bars are the same diameter. Front sway bars are larger on the performance models.
As far as Ive noticed, theres 3 rear bars. The large one that bends around the diff, a large one that goes behind the diff, and a small one that does around the diff.
Much after 81 the rear bars are the large, around the diff style. A GN, 442, SS, or a F41 car will have the large rear one. They were all equiped the same.
The only cars Ive seen with the latter two of the bars are an 80 442 at a salvage yard had the one that goes behind the diff, and on a 80 monte, it had the small rear bar that went under the diff.
Much after 81 the rear bars are the large, around the diff style. A GN, 442, SS, or a F41 car will have the large rear one. They were all equiped the same.
The only cars Ive seen with the latter two of the bars are an 80 442 at a salvage yard had the one that goes behind the diff, and on a 80 monte, it had the small rear bar that went under the diff.
I have three rear sway bars for the G-body. A 7/8' bar off a 1978 Grand Am, a 7/8' bar off a 1984 Hurst Olds, and a 3/4' bar I took off a 1980 Grand Prix. The G.P. bar could be an after market bar because it is horizontally straight from LCR to LCR. My other two bars have the drop in the center for the diff. Later.
There were two sway bar options for gbodys. The standard front only bar, or the F-41 bars. So any car with a rear bar will be an F-41 car (unless it's been modified).
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