sway bars

[Longroof79]

Once the F-body bar ends are straightened out, is it pretty much bolt on as far as where the end links bolt on?

 

[denny]

Blazer bar is 1" solid 25mm. 3rd gen is low 20's, like 22-23-24 depending on what it was.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/history-originality/665589-stock-sway-bar-diameter.html

thanks for the info. there are more 3rd. camaros out there so i'll check them out. i noticed that the blazer rear bar i looked at yesterday did not have curved ends like the 3rd gen. so maybe this could be a bolt in without any bending. what do you think? thanks

 

[ostrich]

Once you bend the bars you still need to drill 2 holes in the drip rail to mount the end links, pretty easy. Center up the bar and drill the 2 holes. I too have the 3rd gen hollow 36mm front bar. Haven't had the car out yet to test things, still a work in progress. Here's a pic. Flip the end link bolt around (opposite of mine, still need to do that). That way it won't stick out the bottom.

 

[pontiacgp]

Once you bend the bars you still need to drill 2 holes in the drip rail to mount the end links, pretty easy. Center up the bar and drill the 2 holes. I too have the 3rd gen hollow 36mm front bar. Haven't had the car out yet to test things, still a work in progress. Here's a pic. Flip the end link bolt around (opposite of mine, still need to do that). That way it won't stick out the bottom.

View attachment 92390

the ledge on my GP had the two holes from factory

 

[oldsmobile joe]

here's a pic of two camaro bars. I slowly bent the 21mm bar in a hydraulic press. The other is a 24mm bar that i also tried bending in the press. I was too impatient and this happened.

 

[fleming442]

I was going to mention something about bending a preformed torsion bar, but I'm no metallurgist.

 

[Longroof79]

Joe,
I'm assuming the top bar is indicative of how the ends should look after they're bent.
Do you think heating them will take the temper out of it, like heating springs?

 

[oldsmobile joe]

I'm assuming the top bar is indicative of how the ends should look after they're bent.

yes, this is what it the final product should look like. this is the one i installed on my brown cutlass two weeks ago. i don't have any installed pics but will try and get some to share. the ends moved in about 3 inches from the stock camaro bar.

Do you think heating them will take the temper out of it, like heating springs?

this was my concern and why i wanted to try cold bending the bar. i know others have successfully used heat to reshape the bar but i want to try something different in the hopes it would give me and others some knowledge and choices in this procedure. if i had another 24mm bar i would try bending it again, but slowly and with more respect, when that bar broke, it shot out of the press in the direction it was facing with enough force to break a jaw or cheek bone, or worse. luckily i was perpendicular to the break. knowledge gained. lol.
i'm interested in trying the blazer bar, if it works, it would be an easier and safer choice.

 

[pontiacgp]

I did not bend mine in so far and I used heat and took my time bending them in one side at a time. The heat I used got the bar no hotter than 350

 

[Longroof79]

I suppose using heat and making gradual bends might be the way to go. I think I will also try the Blazer bar...they may be more plentiful than Camaro bars/

Joe, I'm glad you didn't injure yourself when that bar let go.