VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans Should an AD Sway or Not?

Does anyone know if the stabilizer bushing (OEM # 599430) from a 39-40 Master/DeLuxe and 41-57 All including Corvette is interchangable with the 1951 Suburban stabilizer bushing OEM # 3695870? I've found all the other individual rubber bushings and grommets on Steele Rubber, but they don't seem to reference the mounting bracket bushing.

Thanks in advance.

nevermind, found the answer on another forum.

I am replying to the original question. I have a '51 3/4 ton and added a sway bar at the same time I did a lot of front chassis work to the truck including a set of them thar radio tars.

Prior to all the chassis work, my old motto was "give me a groove and I'll follow it".

Following new king pins, new shocks, new Moog 26L&26R tie rod ends on a stock original 47-54 1 ton tie rod, and the installation of an aftermarket sway bar with custom brackets (GMC front cross member is different from Chevy), my truck handles like a sports car at all speeds.

Each component gave a little improvement, but the two largest single factors affecting handling on my 3/4 ton were radials and the sway bar. To me, on the 3/4 ton it was profound.

These trucks, when driven on modern roads, average a lot faster speed than they were originally designed to go. Limited access highways push those up even higher and the high center of gravity cabs will take a lean set on a corner like a cloverleaf style ramp, or even going around a long turn on a highway. When you come out of the turn the return response in the steering from cab roll is pretty pronounced. Front sway bars eliminate that.

Here's a slide show to the work I did on my 3/4 ton and it was a very significant handling difference.
http://rides.webshots.com/slideshow/353293942FmhAXv



As far as this 3/4 ton owner is concerned, sway bars are a no-brainer. There is no downside to this at all with the sole exception of your time, and your wallet.

If you are going for a trophy for originality, you might lose a few points to some judge whose hanging on too tight. If you want to drive your truck and enjoy it more, put the sway bar on it and slap some radials on there at the same time and you will be astounded at the difference.

Anybody that sees me at a show or anywhere and wants to take my truck for a ride to see for themselves on this is more than welcome any time to slide in behind the driver's seat and go for a spin.

I drove this in a 2007 Cannonball Run from Boston to San Francisco and topped Pikes Peak, Mt. Washington, and the Redwood Highway along the way. Trust me going up and down those highest auto roads in the East & West and then the Redwood Highway gave it all the steering testing possible in a 5,000 mile run. The sway bar is worth the time and effort.

Loved your story about the Cannonball Run Rob, I read it last year and fell in love with the truck also. A trip to the Midwest Truck Nationals from Illinois this fall, (1,000miles round trip) looks like an impossibility right now, maybe next year.
I couldn’t agree more with you on the handling. My “big ol’ wife” really enjoys going to the shows with me now. Before she was a white knuckle every time we made a turn. Before I ever drove the truck the front axle and steering was completely torn down and rebuilt and I feel perfectly comfortable running 55 or 60mph on the freeway now. That was the best money spent so far on the truck. After I got over the idea that I had to drive around on 15”split rims equipped with Bias plies with tubes and flaps and caved into a set of radial tubeless tires I’d say that was the next best investment. The bar came just this summer and once again, ranks about third as money well spent. $150 and she now is a very well behaved 3/4-ton mama.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Hey, Joe...If you recall, I have a 1954 Chevy Hydramatic Pickup (2-tone blue-gray interior, checkerboard seat, clock, radio, etc.---all from the factory in Van Nuys). It also came ordered from the factory with a 1954 GM front sway bar and 1954 GM coil-overs in the rear to go over the corkscrew shocks? By the way, if you haven't figured out/found out yet, another rare one in my stable is a 1954 Chevy Hydramatic Suburban, also with the swaybar in the front (as expected). Ah...but guess what I found underneath the 1954 Chevy 3/4 ton NAPCO pickup? A front swaybar. So, it is possible to put a swaybar on a pickup +++like you said+++, even if it is a 3/4 ton! ...But I don't know if that one is GM or NAPCO stuff... Take care, and I hope all is well.

I found a sway bar at a local swap meet recently. Got the replacement rubber from Jim Carter. I'm having trouble finding the U-bolts that attach it to the front axle. In Mother Trucker's posts, the picture shows a set of standard rounded-end U-bolt like the kind to restrain a pipe. His other (wonderfully educational) post shows Part number 3695873 - a square ended u-bolt (like the ones for springs).

Will a rounded-end U-bolt like the kind to restrain a pipe be ok? (I can find this at the hardware store.)
Is there a source for a factory equivalent part? I've been to my local auto parts store and called chevies of the 40's and Jim Carter, but have had no luck.

Diameter is 3/8". It needs to be about 3.5" long. Width between prongs is about 1.75" (a guess - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

The one in the local junkyard is still on the truck and I want to get it but was concerned about the rubber parts availability,I am also concerned about the severe pitting on the metal parts as this truck has been in the yard for over 40 years.

Those rounded U bolts were used because the 3/4 ton axle is larger than the 1/2 ton axle & we couldn't get the 1/2 ton squared u bolts to wrap around the 3/4 ton axle.

Been driving that truck for 15 years now with no problems ... but if you just have to have the squared U bolts... a spring shop could make them up for you while you wait.