quickmedic1 Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Hi All The sway bars got here from the group purchase with Tom. Fast service! We'll see how this works out. Can't wait to flatten out this truck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxjiggaxx Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 That's pretty good news. Keep us updated on the install, and how it helps the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buyfire Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 when you get them on please let us know if it has any effect on the wheel hop on bumpy corners. i feel like my SS is going to take off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodwardspecialties Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 i got mine this afternoon as well... got them on... took about 2- 2.5 hours... kind of a pain... luckily i have access to a lift and all the proper tools that made things easy. only things i didnt like was having to loosen the gas tank... of course i had just filled up before reading the instructions... but i was lucky and was able to hold it up with a trans. jack. also i didnt realize youd have to dril the frame... it wasnt a big deal to me... it wont hurt anything... but i thought it was a bolt on kit. but so far they have made a huge improvement. the front setup went on easy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodwardspecialties Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 here is a pm where i answered some questions for another member about the hotchkis install... i thought it might help others to hear. love to answer anything that will make it easier for you guys to be prepared. actually as far as the tank goes... you need to remove the straps, and lower it about 1 1/2 inches and slide it toward the passenger side of the truck till it hits the drive shaft.... that will allow enough clearance to get your hand up there between the frame rail and the gas tank to install the bolts to mount the hotchkis mounts to the frame. its not as hard as i thought it would be.. but i was also on a lift and using a tranny jack on the gas tank. so it was pretty simple. youll want to have a good set of drill bits and a good drill to drill the frame... and a good center punch. figuring out where to drill was a bit tricky... but i installed the swaybar and assembled it all ... then put it all up where it should go then marked for my holes. it made it easy. the pictures in the hotckis directions were incorrect... so it had me confused for a few minutes... they talk about where to drill on the drivers side... but they show a pic of he passenger side.. so everything was backwards. but once i could get past that it was simple. having all the right tools made it easier. youll prolly also want to have an extra set of hands around to help you hold the bars up etc. but it was pretty simple. after driving the truck for a few hours ... it is becomeing much more fun... re learning how to drive it... i can really roll around corners now... it didnt effect the ride any... if anything tightened it up a bit... previously... i thought it was a bit bouncy for my likeing... it is nice and tight now... but not too much... just right. the truck has hardly any body roll now... around corners at 60-70 mph it stays level.. .i love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted July 4, 2004 Report Share Posted July 4, 2004 That's pretty good news. Keep us updated on the install, and how it helps the truck. yeah i have been wait for someone to give us some real world experience on the install and feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliteAutoToyz Posted July 4, 2004 Report Share Posted July 4, 2004 Does the sway bars work on a truck with the spindal drop in front and lowered in the rear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickmedic1 Posted July 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Sway bars by there very nature reduce unwanted body roll. Especially if your vehicle does not have any in the 1st place. The bars should be the same for a lowered vehicle but will have shorter end links. I installed the Hotchkis swaybars on my ss today and what a difference. Much tighter in the corners. I also noticed that on hard braking the ss does not nose dive like it used to. The truck is very nimble now. The front bar is up in size from 1 1/4 to 1 7/16 inches. It is also a solid bar with a higher spring rate than the factory bar. I wasn't expecting to have to move the gas tank but that didn't annoy me as much as the fact the front end links were too short. No real biggie though...Just swapped the new bushings onto the old bolts,washers,and spacers. Would recommend this upgrade to anyone who likes the corners FAST. Heres some pics...Visit my page. http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/569946/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenKey Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Nice improvision with using the stock links, but I wouldn't let Hotchkis off that easy. Looks good. I remember having to do all of that with my last truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodwardspecialties Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Sway bars by there very nature reduce unwanted body roll. Especially if your vehicle does not have any in the 1st place. The bars should be the same for a lowered vehicle but will have shorter end links. I installed the Hotchkis swaybars on my ss today and what a difference. Much tighter in the corners. I also noticed that on hard braking the ss does not nose dive like it used to. The truck is very nimble now. The front bar is up in size from 1 1/4 to 1 7/16 inches. It is also a solid bar with a higher spring rate than the factory bar. I wasn't expecting to have to move the gas tank but that didn't annoy me as much as the fact the front end links were too short. No real biggie though...Just swapped the new bushings onto the old bolts,washers,and spacers. Would recommend this upgrade to anyone who likes the corners FAST. Heres some pics...Visit my page. http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/569946/6 i did not find that the frt. endlinks were too short... they wouldnt work when the truck was on the lift... because the wheels were all the way down... at full extension of the shocks. all you have to so is lower the truck down and comress the shock a bit to get the a arms in position to where the bolt will thread through. its real simple. i was able to use the endlinks no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSminneapolis Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Does the sway bars work on a truck with the spindal drop in front and lowered in the rear i emailed them a while ago about that..they said that it wouldn't. but then again no one has tried it yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickmedic1 Posted July 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 i did not find that the frt. endlinks were too short... they wouldnt work when the truck was on the lift... because the wheels were all the way down... at full extension of the shocks. all you have to so is lower the truck down and comress the shock a bit to get the a arms in position to where the bolt will thread through. its real simple. i was able to use the endlinks no problem. Although in your case compressing your suspension did resolve your end link issue that was not the case in mine. After measuring both end links I found my new ones were 1/2" shorter than the old ones. This was probably my 1 in a million chance I would get the wrong part but as Murphys law goes here we are. Wish it was the lottery! I still think the kit is over priced but it does work very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schklege Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 One of my employees installed mine last week while I was on vacation. Much tighter truck now. Probably my best upgrade since the scharger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenKey Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 One of my employees installed mine last week while I was on vacation. Much tighter truck now. Probably my best upgrade since the scharger. Sheldon, it's about time you started modding that truck again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.