Rear sway bar recommendation for 82 C10

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MikeB

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Looking to buy a rear sway bar for my 82 C10. Have heard good things about Hellwig, but the $340 price is a bit steep. Any recommendations?
 

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Adapt one from something else? A rear bar from an S10 Blazer might fit the axle. If it does, a set of the offset style 90's Jeep front sway bar links may line up with the frame rails. If not, the links just need a simple crossmember to mount to.
 

eskimomann209

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I have swaybars from a 2003 suburban that came off the 10 bolt axles I’m going to end up trying
 

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Adapt one from something else? A rear bar from an S10 Blazer might fit the axle. If it does, a set of the offset style 90's Jeep front sway bar links may line up with the frame rails. If not, the links just need a simple crossmember to mount to.
97 s10 blazer sway bar is ~33" wide at links should line up nicley with the underside of the frame rails. thought about doing that to mine. should fit the truck well. my exhaust would be in the way on mine is the only problem i see.....
 

bluex

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Some people use 3rd or 4th gen Camaro bars. I have one to put on mine soon I hope. I've read you need about a 1" spacer per side for the end link brackets though.
 

RoryH19

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Would be good to know what works, especially if they can be taken from another Chevy instead of buying new.
Also has anyone added a rear sway bar to a Blazer? Someone mentioned a front c10 will fit but I haven't tried.
 

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Belltech makes one too.
 

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I’m surprised the Hellwig bar is that much. I paid $130 for mine plus $20 shipping in 2003. Yeah, sixteen years is a fair amount of time but the price of most things for our trucks hasnt gone up 175%.
I should mention the end links that came with mine were about as strong as bendy straws and were both bent within a few days. I made my own using all-thread rod with galvanized pipe slipped over for reinforcement. Don’t know what Hellwig is using for end links these days but mine were junk.
 

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Only thing I know is it should be smaller diameter than the front one.
 

bluex

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Only thing I know is it should be smaller diameter than the front one.

I was just about to say that too. It definitely has to be smaller diameter or you'll really mess up the handling. So if you have a 1 1/16" front make sure you the rear you get is less than 1"....
 

DoubleDingo

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I was just about to say that too. It definitely has to be smaller diameter or you'll really mess up the handling. So if you have a 1 1/16" front make sure you the rear you get is less than 1"....

What I've learned from the Forester guys that have tweaked their cars to handle as close to a WRX as possible, is that a large rear bar causes the back wheel to lift. A lifted wheel in a turn is bad juju, just as bad as body roll, really.

That said, I have a rear bar on the yellow truck that I am wanting to use, now I need to measure it to make sure it's smaller than the 1-1/4" front one I'm putting in.
 

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