scottybaccus
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2014
- Posts
- 130
- Reaction score
- 6
- Location
- Central Texas
- First Name
- Scotty
- Truck Year
- 1987
- Truck Model
- GMC R1500
- Engine Size
- 6.0
This is what I did this weekend. Here's how I did it, for those that might want to follow suit. My truck has a reasonably tight original suspension, now lowered with 2" dropped spindles and 3/4 of a coil cut from the front spring. This gives me a slight nose down rake with a 4" drop in the rear (shackles & hangers). With the new powertrain, this is a fun ride, until you cross about 65 mph! At highway speeds, it feels really floaty, and it really does roll a good bit in a turn, though not as much as it did at stock height. In any case, I want it to handle as well as my lowered Tahoe. I opted for the big 1.25" sway bar from a C30. Tony Kee, my favorite Square salvage guru, hooked me right up for a very reasonable $60. My pick & pull gets $20-$30 +my labor. Add to this the cost of new hardware and a Prothane bushing kit from Summit. Tony gave me the bushing clamps, and I supplied new grade 8 bolts, washers and locking nuts. You'll need (8) 3/8"-16 x 1.5" bolts, 8 split lock washers, 8 flat washers, and 8 lock nuts. See the photos for more....
Now, with any lowering, the stock sway bar install will begin to bind. The lower you go, the more it binds. For this reason, I did not use the frame stand that usually mounts the two center bushings. If you already have a sway bar, you may consider this change after looking at the shape of the bushings on your lower control arms.
When omitting the frame stands, you will need to add a 1/8" plate under the bushing. This reinforces the frame flange and provides an even surface to support the top side of the bushing. This plate, and the bushing clamp will need a minor tweak to follow the frame as it rises up behind the bar. It is about a 20* bend, at most. I drilled the holes to match the frame clamp, then marked the bushing position centered between the holes, and folded the plate on one of those lines.
To position everything, begin by installing the bushings onto the bar, and mount the two bushings on top of the lower control arms, using the existing holes provided. To center the bar, after tightened these bushings, just wag the sway-bar up and down a few times. It will wiggle out any misalignment and you can verify that by looking at how much protrudes beyond the outer bushings.
Now just raise the bar up against the frame with the bushings installed. Leave the backing plates out for now. Push a bushing clamp over the bushing and line it up on the frame to mark the front hole. You want the hole about 1/2"-3/4" from the outside of the frame. This limits how much the frame flange can flex and should prevent any cracking with the backing plate in place. Remove the bushing clamp and drill the front hole, then bolt the clamp and backing plate into position, snug, but not tight. Align the plate with the other hole in the clamp, and drill the second hole. Use care not to wallow out the hole in the clamp. It has little material to spare. Repeat this procedure on the other side, install all the hardware and tighten it all up. You're done!
I used a split washer under the head of the bolt, and a flat washer under the locking nut. The bolt has enough shoulder that you need all the parts stacked to ensure you don't run out of thread.
The pics:
Now, with any lowering, the stock sway bar install will begin to bind. The lower you go, the more it binds. For this reason, I did not use the frame stand that usually mounts the two center bushings. If you already have a sway bar, you may consider this change after looking at the shape of the bushings on your lower control arms.
When omitting the frame stands, you will need to add a 1/8" plate under the bushing. This reinforces the frame flange and provides an even surface to support the top side of the bushing. This plate, and the bushing clamp will need a minor tweak to follow the frame as it rises up behind the bar. It is about a 20* bend, at most. I drilled the holes to match the frame clamp, then marked the bushing position centered between the holes, and folded the plate on one of those lines.
To position everything, begin by installing the bushings onto the bar, and mount the two bushings on top of the lower control arms, using the existing holes provided. To center the bar, after tightened these bushings, just wag the sway-bar up and down a few times. It will wiggle out any misalignment and you can verify that by looking at how much protrudes beyond the outer bushings.
Now just raise the bar up against the frame with the bushings installed. Leave the backing plates out for now. Push a bushing clamp over the bushing and line it up on the frame to mark the front hole. You want the hole about 1/2"-3/4" from the outside of the frame. This limits how much the frame flange can flex and should prevent any cracking with the backing plate in place. Remove the bushing clamp and drill the front hole, then bolt the clamp and backing plate into position, snug, but not tight. Align the plate with the other hole in the clamp, and drill the second hole. Use care not to wallow out the hole in the clamp. It has little material to spare. Repeat this procedure on the other side, install all the hardware and tighten it all up. You're done!
I used a split washer under the head of the bolt, and a flat washer under the locking nut. The bolt has enough shoulder that you need all the parts stacked to ensure you don't run out of thread.
The pics:
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