RE: IML: Sway Bar QUESTION /Kits

["Rob McCall" <Rob_Mopar@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kenyon,

You sure know how to pull me out of hibernation here.  I've been
concentrating on my smaller Mopars for the last couple months.

Here's a couple things to help you, or possibly confuse you further.  

The 1st generation Viper does use the same ball joints as the '67-up
Imperials.  As does the '72-93 2WD Ram, as does the '87-96 2WD Dakota (4x4
Daks still shared the upper, lower is different).  The 1st generation Viper
shares its front suspension with the '87-96 Dakota.  Shares the wheel bolt
pattern too.  But they sure are some good ball joints.

A sway bar is a torsion bar that connects the passenger and drivers sides of
the suspension together on the same end of the vehicle.  It leverages one
side against the other as you go through the turns.

The sway bar outer diameter determines its spring rate, not necessarily its
thickness.  A hollow 1.25 bar is just as effective as a solid (given proper
wall thickness).  A racer will use a hollow bar to save weight.  That's
really not an issue on an Imperial except when you are trying to install the
bar solo...

There isn't going to be a hard and fast rule for front to rear other than
the rear is typically smaller than the front on RWD cars.  Other factors
come into play like spring rates at each corner, vehicle wheel base, track
width, front to rear weight bias, etc.  

On my 3400 Lbs '68 Barracuda I run big torsion bars up front (one step
bigger than stock big block bars) and a 1 1/8" sway bar.  Rear springs are
lowered Super Stock springs (very stiff front section) and no rear sway bar.
A-bodies get very tail happy (over steer)with stiff rear springs and a rear
sway bar.  The Barracuda handles pretty neutral as I have it setup right
now.  Still needs fine tuning, but that's a continual process.  Nothing is
perfect the first time out the gate.

The rule of thumb on the smaller chassis Mopars with softer torsion bars and
springs is about 1 1/8" bar up front and 3/4" in the rear.  With the extra
weight of the Imperial up front, the 1 1/2" bar would be a good estimate.  

If you want to pay the fabrication work, make custom arms for the ends of
the sway bars (front and rear) that use a straight circle track style sway
bar in the center.  Then you could select a couple different sizes to try
on.  It's not going to be cheap unless they can cut the arms off a stock
sway bar, spline the ends, and make adapters to adapt the circle track
pieces in the middle.  That might work.

Your torsion bars and springs are pretty soft.  The sway bars are going to
have to make up for that.  With the weight of the car I really can't see the
sway bars being enough to flatten out the car in the turns.

If the sway bars don't get the car to level off in the clover leafs, you are
going to have to step up for the custom torsion bars and stiffer springs.
They will not ride as hard as you think.  Adjustable shocks are the key
there.  Finding ones that will fit up front will take some work though.

Rob McCall
'67 LeBaron 
and other assorted Mopars





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