09/23/2012 : front sway bar with ECE bushings

2012



If you are researching sway bars for these type Chevy/GMC trucks, go visit this page here:

sway bar options for 1960-1966 Chevrolet/GMC trucks

Lots to read, explore and absorb… follow the links there as well. Enjoy.


NOTE:  I am not sure when it happened, but it seems the Early Classic Enterprises(ECE) company that is mentioned in this article has closed it’s doors as of February 2020; so you will have to source any new parts I mention below from elsewhere.

Be sure to explore The Chevy & GMC Truck Parts Vendors list on my other site to get started.

-Woog
02/24/2020


Front Sway Bar with Early Classic Enterprises Bushings.

I used a front sway bar and frame brackets that I picked up from a local, old Chevy truck guy for this job.

1 & 1/16 inch diameter sway bar. For future information, they ran these bars in the same shape for a long time, so if you have a good salvage yard nearby, you should be able to find one. If you are not able to source a used one locally, ECE(mentioned below) sells new sway bars for these trucks.

I used the Early Classic Enterprises poly-graphite bushing kit for the 1 1/16 inch diameter bar. This comes with two grease-able bushings for the frame, the two bushings for each A-arm, and the brackets for all 4. It also comes with 8 bolts/nuts(grade 8 hard ware), two washers for each bolt.

I used ECE because of the excellent reviews I’ve read about the quality of their products and customer service.

I had to buy 4 identical, additional bolts/nuts/washers(also, grade 8 hardware) to mount the brackets to the frame. Why? Because I bought the brackets and the sway bar, used. If you buy the whole kaboodle from ECE, you get it all in a box.

1963-1966 ECE sway bar install instructions(.PDF FILE)

The ECE directions call for drilling the first hole in the frame, 2 1/2 inches forward, center to center from the rivet in the front cross member. Then you check that and measure it a dozen times and lay the brackets up to check how it fits on the frame and stress out about drilling the hole wrong…

Once you decided that is where you want it, drill a 3/8 inch hole while using eye and ear protection!!! Metal bits will go everywhere and it is falling DOWN on you. If you aren’t familiar with drilling metal, use a smaller bit in the first hole. Then work up to your final size bit. I used a bit about 1/3rd smaller bit for the first hole, then went to the 3/8″ size.

Use this hole and the bracket to determine the next hole. Put the bolt in the hole and through the bracket, snug it up and see where the next hole in the frame should be.

My 1965 Chevrolet C10 already had the holes in the A-Arms so I did not have to drill those.

The next trick was getting the bolts in the A-Arm bushings with the supplied marine grease, then sliding in the sway bar… and holding it up while I snugged the bolts down on each side.

Then, the way I did it… I took the poly-graphite/rubber parts and greased ’em up and slipped ’em on to the bar. I held up the bar some more… then I put the metal brackets on and got the nuts started on each side. This way worked best for me.

Then, torque ’em all down to 40 ft pounds.

Yay.

-W

p.s. I used the hydraulic jack as my extra pair of hands to hold up the bar, after I got the ends inside each bushing on both A arms. I used the jack and the blocks of wood to level it up enough and hold it in place, as I put the rubber bushings and brackets on. Then I could get the nuts started on the bolts. Once all of the nuts were on all of the bolts, I didn’t need the jack anymore.

It worked out good for me. As my daddy always told me: Work smarter, not harder.

NOTE: GM offered a small factory sway bar as an option starting in late 1964, so the lower control arm mounting holes are utilized.

The ’63 and early ’64 models will require the lower control arm mounting holes to be drilled.


2012