2001+ Rear Sway Bar Install

[Kawabuggy]

I got a rear sway bar from a 2002 Tahoe and just got the chance to install it yesterday. WOW! What a difference in handling the rear bar makes! I had to make frame side mounts for the end links, and also I took a 3" muffler clamp, discarded the U-bolts and just welded the perch part to my axle housing, and then made up strips of plate steel that were 1.5" in width, by 4" in length, that I then welded to the perches. The reason for the extra strips was to better match the profile of the bushing to give it a flat surface to register on. I then welded all that together. It is an AWESOME upgrade and I highly recommend that if you want better handling-you should be doing this upgrade. I am planning on doing my own coil over shock installation with custom 3 link bars that I'm building myself. Since I knew I wanted the sway bar on the truck, I figured I better put it in first so that I could then work in the coil over shocks, and 3 link set up, and panhard bar around the sway bar. I figured if I waited till after the 3 link install was done, something would be in the way of the sway bar and prevent me from getting it installed. Coming up next-3 link install with coil overs, and panhard bar.

If anybody wants pictures of what the finished product looks like I can figure out a way to post them up.

 

[tpass]

ya pics are always good

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

Pics, and what vehicle are you installing it upon?

 

[Kawabuggy]

This is a single cab, step side, 1994 Silverado. Already LS swapped.
Is there an easy way to upload photos from my phone? Or, do I have to download them to my laptop, then post them on a hosting site, and then link them here? Let me do some research..

 

[Kawabuggy]

Okay.. here are 2 quick snaps.. this is with the truck sitting on the ground. As you can see the end links are close to the leaf springs-but they don't touch or scrub.. the leaf springs are about to go away so it won't matter anyway. Surprisingly the end links were exactly the correct length and did not need to be shortened or lengthened. The only thing I think I might do is go in and add a gusset between the frame and the top end link mounting bracket.