More parts ID help. Rear sway bars.

[Lynn]

I have a couple of rear sway bars. One is 9/16 inch, the larger one is 5/8. I bought them at a swap meet in the 80’s. Guy said they were optional on 69 Camaros (yeah, I know they weren’t but didn’t know then). He said the big one was for a big block and the smaller one for a small block car.

I posted about some NOS weld on brackets that I received with them. I also received the two brackets pictured with the first set of links and a couple of NOS 3983702 brackets, which I understand are for 70, 71 Camaro with F41 suspension, as well as a pair of chromed 3983702 brackets (chromed right over the pitting!).

Anyway, I would really like to know what these two sway bars really fit. The bars are not pitted at all. The links are all four pitted, but not too deeply.

All four rubber pieces are present for each set of links. One piece is really not usable. The rest are.

Pics:

[Lynn]

I believe the 5/8 sway bar fits 70 Nova with F41 suspension based on an expired ebay auction. The 5/8 bar has the smaller rubber bushings on the bar, and goes with the links on the left in my first pic. I also believe the weld on brackets I posted in another thread go with that set up, as well as the black nos brackets that bolt to the lower shock plate. Appears all that is missing are the rubber bushing inserts for the lower mounts.

Apparently the next year, 1971, Chevy changed over to the other set up with the larger bushings (links are in the second picture). I am not sure what the small bolt on brackets in the first picture fit. They fit snugly on either of these sets of links, but I believe the Nova used a weld on bracket. These appear to be bolt on. I bought all of this stuff from the same guy many years ago.

Can anyone confirm my assumption re 70 and 71?

[mbxlesney]

What I have found out that there are differences in 1970-74 Novas and 70-81 Camaro/Firebird (C/F) rear setups. Swaybars tip to tip on C/F are longer than Novas because C/F used the existing inboard leaf spring plate holes and Novas had a Tab added to the stamped spring plate that uses a shorter sway bar tip to tip. The 70-74 Nova lower plates are different. Also C/F used a shorter drop link due to the C/F using a bolt or weld on bottom of frame rail bracket that you have pictured in which put the bracket closer to the sway bar. Note: C/F also had 2 different ones of these also one bolt on like this post and one weld on like your 3rd post. I think the ones you pictured in this post are the later variations. The 70-74 Nova had a weld on drop link bracket welded to a larger secondary plate that was located inside of the rear frame rail location and closer to the floor pan which is why 70-74 Novas needed the longer drop link. As far as diameter of both your swaybars it is possible that one was for a BB application although C/F used these rear swaybars from 1970-1981 that you have to take into consideration of Z28, Trans Am, Standard F41 etc. Also in the later 70s you had WS6 T/As also which would have probably used a larger rear sway bar. 1975-79 Novas utilized the same setup that the 70-81 C/F used. The lower clamp drop link designs also varied from 1970-74 on Novas. 1970 Nova had the single bolt clamp for the lower end of the drop link and the opening for the clamp was facing the ground and bolt was paralell to the ground. 1972 Nova had a 2 bolt strap system simular to your pictured ones. 70-81 C/F lower drop link clamp opening faced the rear bumper as well as the clamp bolt being paralell to the rear bumper. C/F also had different lower strap designs with one a solid clamp, one with a double bolt style and one with a slit. I hope this helps you if not email me and I can send you some pics of what Im describing.

[Lynn]

Are the Camaro and Nova bars the same length?

Can someone post dimensions of the different bars? Or, if you have a Duece, can you post the diameter, the over all length?

If you have a 70 Z, can you do the same?

Kim, does your L78 Nova have F41 option? If so, what is the diameter of the rear bar? Lenght end to end? Thanks.

Lynn

[mbxlesney]

Lynn ....I sent you a PM.