SWAY BARS!?!?
 

Has anyone found any aftermarket swaybars for the Bonnie? I have an SE, does the SSEI have have a more high performace version?, and can I assume that they are interchangable if they do?

Buddha Jones

-If anyone finds out any info for the '87 - '91 bonnies sway bars let me know
..if someone could measure their strut bars for me from anolder bonnie... it would be appreciated. I was hoping that the strut bars for the newer bonnies would work on the older ones. :alien:

Ok, somebody around here has the strut bars from a 92-99 on an earlier Bonnie. Don't remember who, but It's in the signatures. The're both H bodies, regardless of the major changes in the body, so my assumption would be that they'l fit. Did the SE come without a bar, or is it something you're wanting to upgrade?

There are only aftermarket swaybars for the 87-91 Bonneville's. Just search in Yahoo. The 92+ have different swaybars so they need to be custom made. I will be making some for myself eventually but I would much rather do other suspension modifications first.

Addco makes a performance rear sway bar for the 92-99s. It's on their webpage. The price isn't listed, but I called them one day and they said something like $200 for one.

For the front, I don't know anyone who makes an aftermarket one. Stock SE size I believe is 30mm, stock SSEi is 34mm. I broke my SE's original bar, got an SSEi bar as a replacement, they bolt up fine.

BTW, if anyone is interested, I have another 34mm sway bar as well. The company that I ordered the bar from (gmpartsdirect.com) completely screwed up shipping the first bar that they sent to me. I received an empty box!! (sway bar broke loose and went off into oblivion) After I irately told them of what I thought of their packaging work, they sent me a second bar, this time actually packaging it right. I put it on, worked great. A month later the first bar ends up on my doorstep, courtesy of UPS. I don't need it, but I'm sure not going to pay to ship it back to where it came from. So $50+SH and it's yours.

IT'S MINE, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SELL IT TO ANYONE ELSE!!!

email me with the specifics please, the link is down below.

I have a facttory strut bar on my 89 bonne so yeah they fit up fine. The junkyard here sells them for between 25-35 dollars. If anyone would like one and they can't find a cheaper price then that I could probably get a couple and send them to you. I would just need address info and the money up front, plush S/H, cause I am totally broke right now.

I want it regardless, but is this a front or a rear sway bar?

Also, where can I get some poly bushings?

I have a guy the same guy who makes my struts who can make you a racing set that can be adjusted I will have to drop him a e-mail and work out a price but it will not be cheap. I was also going to offer the addco product but have yet to deal with them.

If hector makes them then he would be your best bet. Cheaper and top quality.
If not or if you really need racing parts let me know and I can get you a adjustable system.


Ty

Hey csprague, any news on that swaybar that i want?

You've got mail.

Alright then, it appears that ADDCO does make a rear sway bar for the 92-99 Bonneville's, and the catalog has been sitting here on my desk the entire time. Anyways I can get it for people if they are interested.

I can get it for $190 shipped to your door, so if anyone is interested, let me know.

The bar is 7/8 inch thick.
This includes the urethane bushings as well.

-Hector

Yes it is a perfect bolt on and the car feels like a totally different animal with the brace installed. The car tracks much more precicely now and I can take corners at a slighter greater speed, 5 or so mph, with confidence.

Here's something I dug up that may help too:

Installing a Buick STB

By Mike DeQuardo


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GP rear strut tower bar (via Buick Regal OEM front shock tower bar P/N 12456148, (GM refers to it as an 'f-bar kit') Total installed price; $8.

The bar has two holes on each end. I simply 'reamed' out one on each end (on the side closest to me) with a 1/2 inch drill bit. Not very scientific and quite sloppy to be honest. I just kept reaming it out until I could slip the bar over the two-strut tower mounting bolts easily. Then I simply removed the two nuts from those bolts with a 15mm open-ended wrench (ratcheting version would be preferable but not necessary), placed the bar on, and snugged up the nuts tight. 20 minute job.

Have questions? Ask Mike DeQuardo (mad@execpc.com)
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8)

That's a GP rear STB installed on the REAR of the Buick/Bon, or the front?

That's whats I was trying to figure out too! The directions are for the front bar, but it sounds like he's installing it on the rear of a GP though? :? The bar is FROM a Buick not on a Buick! :roll: I've never tried it since I already have a front factory bar! But the earlier Bonnevilles (Prior to 92) did not have one! :cry:

If I could get one for cheap, I'd like to install one on the rear......don't know how much difference it would make until I try. I drive like Drifter, just not as often. Just a thought....

Hmmmmm....... :idea:

I don't think you can install a rear brace in the bonne's at least not in my 89 I looked around trying to figure it out and could not.

My 1995 se Bonneville has a big metal structural base that is spot welded to the rear strut towers. As for a rear sway bar one can be made for a 89 if you are serious. I can have one made for you if you want.

Hey this is my 666 post I am sure da rat would like that.

Ty

So could I just buy a strut bar for the '92 and up Bonnie, and just bolt it right onto my '88 or should I just wait till they come out with a better bar from one of the Stores? :alien:

I believe if the 92 will fit I would go for it. There is no shame in that at all. Just be careful and get a feel for the car. It will change the way it handles. If there is no easy cross over I would assume either Hector or myself will make one. Actually in my case I will have someone else make one for ya. Its not hard, but a 92 from a yard would most likely be cheaper. Let us know how it works. You do realize you are currently our 87-91 Innovator?

Ty

Hey, if you need measurements on the STB, I'll brave the rain and do it for you. You'll know for certain it will fit, but being an H body, it should. LMK, or anyone else. That's a cool upgrade for an older Bonnie. You might want to consider the larger sway bars from an SSEi, too. They'll be 15-20 bucks apiece at a wrecker, and all you'll need is the bar and bushings.

There's a couple procedures up in Techinfo on this.

The only problem I have had with my STB is that there is no room now to add brake fluid.

In order to add brake fluid I have to take off the STB first.

I don't know about you, but if I remove my STB, I have to have the front end aligned. I'd be finding a new way of doing it if I were you.

Why do you have to have the wheels alligned if you remove the Strut Tower bar?

I don't see how that can mess up the allignment.

What if you placed the bar over the bolts, without removing them? would this werk?
-willwren can you measure the bar for me thanx :o

I am going to the junk yard tomorrow and I am VERY interested in the offer. :shock: Ill let you know if I am going to get one from you or not tomorrow.

Tim, I'll measure mine tonight for you.

willwren
I just measured the distance on my car today, I got about 41" Length by about 5 1/4" from one bolt to the other, for one side where the bar connects.
If it is close at all just let me know. I am going "shopping" today :twisted:

Shit, soory, Tim.

Your measurements are right on. Go for it, but seriously think about doing something with the master cylinder. Let us know what your solution is. You won't be the last one to do this.

You might be able to do this but I am not sure how the brake fluid check sensor would work out. I don't know if your older computer would recocnize the newer container.

I know my car is stil in allignment because the tire wear is uniform all the way across and it does not pull to one side or the other.

You only take of the two inside nuts when you remove the STB and I remove and install them in sequence. I loosen the back drivers side on some then do the front passenger side one then the front driver side and finaly the back passenger side one. Once I have removed most of the tension in the bar i go ahead and take the nuts all the way off. When I reinstall the bar i reverse the procedure tightening each nut a few turns then moving on to the next one till they are all tight.

Pretty much the same way you do head bolts just with fewer bolts.

We're pulling the STB off of JSeabert's car in a couple weeks to do all the intake/head seals and gaskets. Pulling his headers for a little cleanup in the ports, too. My concern with his is that we'll be leaning on the car, removing a ton of wieght, and the car will be sitting overnight. Lucky guy won a free alignment in a raffle, though, just in case we need it. I'll post how it may or may not have affected the alignment.

:lol: Ok, my turn to be stupid! That hadn't even occurred to me! :oops: Hadn't really planned that far ahead. :roll:

:twisted: Found a strut bar from a '93 SE today.
Going to check it out so0n. Ill post more when I play around with it a little.Ill post some pix on CarDomain.
O and its a perfect match!!! :D Cost about $20 for the bar and two support bars from a '94 Grand Prix
Ill be "testing" in a few days :twisted:

Way cool. You also have the perfect op to do a little custom paint on it before installation......just an idea. If you're going to be unique, take it all the way! Get it chromed! It'll make the car faster!

You read my mind... :shhh:
but keep it a secret I like it when I surprise people, and there like "what the hell?!?"
8) But It should be done by this weekend. :)

I am planning to break out the stencil kit and stencil PONTIAC onto the top of the STB.

O my GOD you already did somthing I was planning to do! :eek:
So much for that original idea :idea:
hmmm... but I am still going to paint it :wink:

:greenbounce: Got it done, works like a charm!!!
It definitly feels a little stiffer. :arcade: Go to page 4 on my site in my signiture to check it out.
I think it came out pretty go0d. O and you definitly have some ro0m to take off the brake cylinder cap to fill it if necessary. It cost me $10 from a local junk yard. It fit so perfect, it makes me wonder why they didn't think about this idea earlier, and mabey there are more parts that are interchangable between older and newer Bonnies :roll: