If your classic doesn’t have front and rear anti-roll bars, fitting them is a good way of improving handling and safety

Many years ago a 1957 Chev pick-up I owned blew a rear tyre on the highway just outside the town of Kamloops, in Western Canada. I had a fair amount of equipment on board, so the old truck was probably a bit top heavy for the speed I was doing.

As soon as the tyre blew the truck tipped dangerously, while the wheel on the high side in the rear hopped ominously. I corrected, and that kept me from rolling over, but it also lined me up on the gas pumps of a petrol station that just happened to be on the other side of that stretch of highway. A last minute jig of the wheel got me past the pumps and brought me to a stop beside the petrol station.

The proprietor ran out and stood there staring at my truck, scratching his head in disbelief. This whole humiliating episode taught me an important lesson, and that is, no matter what type of suspension your classic has, stabiliser bars (also known as anti-sway or anti-roll bars), can help you avoid humiliation, and possibly even save your life.

By limiting how far your car can lean or sway, these simple additions to your classic’s suspension can keep you right side up and in your own lane through turns and unforeseen mishaps. That’s because with stabiliser bars, if the weight of the body and chassis is pitched to one side, the bars transfer much of the pressure from the weight on the low side back to the high side of the vehicle, and help right it as a result.

Trucks, like many older cars, have chassis and bodies that sit on top of their suspension systems, but most modern cars sit down into the suspension, making them far more stable. Sitting on top of the suspension limits high-speed handling and makes a vehicle rather unforgiving if you get it sideways. Independent front suspension won’t help that situation much — the only way to fix the problem is to install sway bars, and luckily almost nothing could be easier.

Before you get into the installation, take your classic out for a spirited spin and note how it handles. Don’t push it near its limit. Just get the feel for its stock performance through corners. There are two reasons for this. The first is to have it fresh in your mind how your vehicle’s suspension normally behaves, so if something is not right when you finish the installation you’ll know it. The second reason for taking a spin is so you will be able to fully appreciate the difference sway bars make.

A word of caution is in order, though. Adding just a front stabiliser bar can help fight body roll, and is a good idea, but never install only a rear sway bar without a front one, because you will have major handling problems if you do.

When you get your bits or kit(s), lay all the hardware out on your shop floor and familiarise yourself with how things go together. The only tools you need to install sway bars are a set of wrenches, a couple of big screwdrivers for gently prying things into position, and a large, hand-held electric drill.

Rear Bar

Lay the rear sway bar over the rear axle with its arms facing to the rear, and its hump over the differential housing. Slip the U-bolts up under the axle, then place the U-shaped clamping brackets that act as locking devices on top of the axle. At this point you may need to bend the U-bolts in toward the axle slightly in order to install the doublers and brackets.

Slip the doubler, or backing plate, down over the U-bolts. Put the split rubber bushing around the sway bar and slide it over the doubler. Now install the brackets and just snug them into place, but don’t tighten them yet. Assemble the rubber bushings, washers and spacers on the end links along with the attaching brackets that go on the frame of your classic. Slip the bottom ends of the end links into the eyes at the ends of the sway bars, then note how the brackets need to attach to the chassis. Mark the holes for the brackets, then take the end links back off.

Bolt the end links loosely into the sway bar, and then attach the end link brackets to the frame. Check out your installation to make sure it clears brake lines, shock absorbers and springs through their complete range of travel, then evenly tighten all the fasteners.

Front Bar

A front stabiliser bar is no more difficult to install than one in the rear, but you must make sure the steering components and shock absorbers are clear of the stabiliser bar through the entire suspension travel.

Lay everything out on a table, and familiarise yourself with the parts. In addition to the brackets and bushings to hold the bar in place, there are the end links and the L-shaped brackets to which they attach. Make sure you jack up any vehicle with a solid front axle exactly in the centre of the axle, so the suspension will hang down an equal amount on both sides. Put jack stands under the frame, and make sure they are secure before climbing underneath.

The sway bar itself attaches to the front chassis cross member. Place the sway bar under the cross member, then mark where you want the brackets to attach. A cobalt-tipped bit is handy to drill the required holes for the bolts that attach the brackets. Slip the rubber bushings onto the sway bar, move them into place, then, with the doubler on top of the brackets, bolt the sway bar into place loosely.

Loosen the nuts on the front inner bolts of the spring perches, and use them to attach the supplied L-brackets, positioning them so they are pointing in at a 45-degree angle to the frame. Now assemble the end links and attach them to the eyes in the sway bar and the holes in the-L brackets. Check your work carefully to make sure everything clears, then tighten all the bolts.

Before you let your classic down off of the jack, get a friend to climb in and turn the steering all the way from lock to lock to make sure the steering apparatus clears the sway bar in all positions. Next, let the car down off the jack, then get your friend to jump on the front bumper while you make sure everything clears as the springs bounce up and down. If there are any hang-ups or there is binding, make sure you correct it before going further. If things look okay, it’s time for another test ride.

You will be surprised at how much flatter your classic corners, and how much more sure-footed it feels. Sway bars don’t affect riding comfort, but they make a big difference in performance. Coupled with a good set of adjustable shock absorbers, they can make high-speed driving a far more pleasant situation.

Guide to fitting a stabiliser bar

This is all the hardware needed to add sway bars to your car
Start by placing the rear sway bar on the rear axle and arranging it for clearance
Slide on the rubber bushings, then secure the bar in place with the special brackets
Make sure your sway bar will clear any brake lines or shock absorbers before going further
Attach the end links and their brackets loosely, then use them¨to locate where you need holes in the frame
Attach the brackets, then tighten the end links into place
The installation is complete. No more dangerous leaning through corners with this set-up
This is the complete kit for the front sway bar. Never install a ¨rear sway bar without installing a front one
Snug the end links into place so you can do the alignment for the rubber bushings and brackets
Use a cobalt-tipped drill bit to drill the holes for the bushing brackets
Mount the bushings and brackets on the front cross-member assembly
Make sure the steering, brakes and suspension clear your new sway bar, then tighten it into place

Words & Photos: Jim Richardson

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