Higher Rate Hornet Anti-Roll Bar ?

brumac

Is there a higher rate front anti roll bar that will bolt into my 54 Hornet Special with little or no modifications?
I have rebuilt the front suspension including new springs from Eaton and gas shocks by Monroe (NAPA #5751), new anti-roll end bushings and the front corners still want to dive in a turn. I replaced the anti-roll bar end rubber bushings with the red rolyurethane ones made by Energy Systems (thanks to Jim Spencer for the tip) and noticed a definate improvement. As the factory bar is 3/4" in diameter I am thinking that a bar either 1" or larger may be just the right one.

Can anyone help?

Thanks, Bruce MacLellan

Lee ODell

Hello Bruce

A friend of mine put a larger anti-sway bar on the front of his 54 stepdown. The bar came from a 88 Cherokee. He said he had to bend it slightly to line up with the sway bar links. It corners like a go cart according to him. I believe it is a 1 1/8 inch bar. That size is good for such a heavy car. I already have my bar off to make the same change over. The bolts that mount the bar to the frame stick about 1/2 inch inside the frame when tightened. Because the half inch of bolt threads inside the frame were rusty it took about 1 1/2 hours with lots of pentration oil and constant turning the bolt back and forth to remove them. If your bolts are rusty like mine, do not try to force the removal or you may end up with a broken bolt or stripped threads in the frame.

I hope this helps.
Lee O'Dell

Maked correction Not Bronco bar. It is a Cherokee bar. I'll contact him to verify the bars diameter.

Ducor Kid

Bruce,
Here is some info from an older thread:
02 Oct 2006 09:46

rambos_ride

RE:Racers? Front Anti swaybar Replacement For Stepdowns ?
7XPacemaker wrote:

rambos_ride wrote:
Excellent! Do you have any ideas what years those might have been produced?

AMC Hornet V8 1970-1977
AMC Concord V8 1978-1983
AMC Gremlin V8 1970-1978
AMC Spirit V8 & GT, AMX Models 1979-1983

Hope this helps.......


What size did you put on your car? Used, new, aftermarket?

So far I've found this link on an aftermarket one... but their picture doesn't appear to be correct (then again it looks like they use the same picture for all cars:))

http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/ADD866.htm

179.00 for 1-1/8" diameter kit

The orginal stock swaybar...3/4" diameter (on a good day!)

My educated guess is this would make a substantial difference on handling!

Hope this helps along with info from Lee

Larry Garlock

[Deleted User]

Better be careful about putting a heavier front sway bar on stepdowns, as it will break off the plate that it attaches too, that is part of the lower saddle. You must do a reinforcing job. Walt.

brumac

Thank you Larry and Lee. Lee, I am very interested in how the bar will work for you and how much and just how you bent it, meaning cold or hot. Here in Western NY State I will have a better chance of coming up with a Bronco part and as the car will be going into winter storage in a couple of weeks, all work on it will be put off until spring.

Bruce

7XPacemaker

walts garage-53 wrote:

Better be careful about putting a heavier front sway bar on stepdowns, as it will break off the plate that it attaches too, that is part of the lower saddle. You must do a reinforcing job. Walt.

Mine has been on for over 15 years without any reinforcing.

Lee ODell

brumac wrote:

Thank you Larry and Lee. Lee, I am very interested in how the bar will work for you and how much and just how you bent it, meaning cold or hot. Here in Western NY State I will have a better chance of coming up with a Bronco part and as the car will be going into winter storage in a couple of weeks, all work on it will be put off until spring.

Bruce

Hi Bruce

I made and error. It was not a Bronco anti-sway bar installed. It was a Cherokee bar stalled on the stepdown. Sorry about that.
Bending the bar will require heat. After heating and bendling it must be allowed to cool slowly not quenced in oil or water. Just let it set and cool. That advice was given to me by a shop that makes them.
I have installed many larger anti-sway bars on cars and that is the best handling improvement one can make on older classic cars. It is something you will wish you had changed years ago.

Lee

brumac

Lee, gotcha, an 88 Cherokee and cool slowley. Thanks to you and all others that have responded.

Bruce MacLellan