[HitmanX]

Do SS/9C1 sways bolt up to the D bodies?

I see them at times still in the yards and on here for reasonable rates, yes I know to measure mine first on mine. All I am looking for is a set of OE pull offs from one of those, nothing wild. Just hoping to tighten up the body roll a touch, not turn it into a Z51 equipped Vette.

Thanks guys

 

[Marky Dissod]

Do SS / 9C1 sways bolt up to the D bodies?

Hell yes.

I see them at times still in the yards and on here for reasonable rates, yes I know to measure first on mine.
All I am looking for is a set of OE pull offs from one of those, nothing wild.
Just hoping to tighten up the body roll a touch, not turn it into a Z51 equipped Vette.

Speaking of measuring yours first ...
Since your Fleetwood 2.93 is neither V92 nor V4P, your SPID sticker includes suspension RPOs.
What spring options you have (6?? , 7?? , 8?? , 9??)?
FE1? FE2? FE??

 

[HitmanX]

I SWEAR it is FE1, when home in a few weeks I will snap and post those RPOs. I just have new AC Delco front shocks, going to fix the air suspension and have Porterfield R4S pads and shoes to slow this hoss down. Front end stuff is just Moog as the lower BJs are loose.

Glad to hear those bars will bolt up, I will measure and go from there.

Thank you for the reply!

 

[Caddylack]

I have a pair of front and rear SS bars that I don't need. Sway bars have actually been cheap to ship in the past.

 

[1slow96]

Measured my Fleetwood bar at 28mm. Stock SS is 30mm. Hardly seems worth the trouble.

 

[Fix Until Broke]

30mm is >15% stiffer than 28mm

 

[1slow96]

I don't know that. I suspect one would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
Bolt up a Hotchkis bar if you want a noticable difference.

 

[Caddylack]

I don't know that. I suspect one would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
Bolt up a Hotchkis bar if you want a noticable difference.

You suspect?

Don't bolt up any front bar without an appropriately matched rear bar.

2 mm over the entire length of a sway bar is quite a bit.

 

[95wagon]

30mm is >15% stiffer than 28mm

Depending on dimensions , maybe more than that.

Sway Bar Rate Calculator | GTSparkplugs

Simple calculator to determine Sway Bar Stiffness

www.gtsparkplugs.com

 

[MWP]

It sounds like you want comfort but more fun/stability. Here is the suspension on my DD/road-tripper Fleetwood. Each change had an impact.

Rear swaybar - IIRC, the regular Fleetwood bar is already same as Impala, so no change here.

Front swaybar - I noticed a good difference going to the 30mm bar from the 28mm.

Control arm bushings, front/rear - big improvement in comfort/handling.

Trailer hitch - less rear end shaking over bumps/potholes.

Dick Miller braces for the rear control arm body mounts - more stable in changing camber and over bumps.

Bolt-in front brace at swaybar mounts - crisper turns, less shaking on rough pavement.

Bilstein shocks - huge improvement front and rear - turning, bumps, potholes, dips, braking. Factory air shocks are not good for body lift/roll in turns.

Aftermarket rear lower control arms with poly (UMI, Metco, etc.) - less jiggling over washboards, more stable in turns. Rear UCAs are stock and new rubber.

Springs - front are still FE1, should be a little stiffer. Rear Moog cargo coils are too stiff--car is much flatter in turns, but oversteered until I put in the 30mm swaybar. Shoulda changed the swaybar first, then played with springs.

Air Lift 1000 air bags in rear - least useful thing I did. Not helpful with the cargo coils, so I keep them at minimum pressure. Maybe they'll be useful with some slightly softer non-progressive rear coils.

Then it was time for a new 2.5 steering box and 18" wheels/tires. I'm sure the car needs new body mounts (the originals must be shot by now) but it is a lot more fun to drive than it first was.

 

[HitmanX]

Cannot seem to transfer the codes, yet have them since my brother is in town.

FE1, so was correct on that
6DJ
7DJ
8RZ
9RZ

Guessing just standard equipped business.

 

[GoremanX]

I don't know that. I suspect one would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
Bolt up a Hotchkis bar if you want a noticable difference.

Guaranteed there's a noticeable difference going from 28mm to 30mm. I found the 30mm Impala SS bar to be a much better match to my 21mm rear panther bar than the stock wagon 28mm was. I found the 32mm 2nd gen Trans Am bar (which also has slightly shorter arms) to be too stiff. These were all hollow bars. 2mm of diameter makes a ton of difference.

 

[95wagon]

were all hollow bars.

Sorry , say what??

 

[GoremanX]

I mean, I assume they've all been hollow. I've never seen GM provide solid bars from the factory.

 

[95wagon]

Had a 77 TA , have a 2nd gen F body bar on my Cutlass with ends cut off and welded , have an 2nd gen F bar on my wagon .
My observations the opposite
Never seen a hollow Gen2 bar .

 

[GoremanX]

Huh... now I'm tempted to cut the trans am bar to find out. I have a solid 2nd gen 1.25" bar from PTFB and it weighs noticeably more than the OEM bar that was on there before

 

[HitmanX]

What the heck size did the Fleetwood use in the rear?

 

[95wagon]

Maybe an tiny exploratory hole sideways in the arm on the centerline of the main bar.
My thinking , you would get an answer without ruining a good sway bar.

 

[doug.repairs.it]

I have a pair of front and rear SS bars that I don't need. Sway bars have actually been cheap to ship in the past.

I'm interested in having those on my roadie. What do you need for the pair?

 

[96 Black]

What the heck size did the Fleetwood use in the rear?

My experience with two FWBs has been that the oem (FE1) rear bar is appreciably visibly really smaller dia. than the SS bar. On my first one I replaced the oem front with the SS front from my SS (which itself then got an F-body bar), and then replaced the stock rear (the notably skinnier one) with the SS'es rear bar (which then itself got an HO rear). I then 'added' the FWB rear bar back onto the SS rear bar for no less understeer than without it (still shoved in corners even with 255/50-17 - Bilstien - old sacked out SS coils) So, I then got another SS bar from a friend and doubled them up back there. Now THAT ran it much flatter = very nice. And yes, more oversteer.
For my current FWB I got an SS bar for the front and took the second rear SS bar off the other FWB for the back as I don't need the current driver quite as road-hugging. There's another FWB regular on here who saw about my doubles and decided to just combine the oem rear bar with an SS bar and he's pleased. Just a bunch of reference FWIW.

[part. snips for comment] .
.
.
.
Trailer hitch - less rear end shaking over bumps/potholes.
[best Buick brace ever made. Plus, it doubles up as a trailer hitch to boot. ]

.
Bilstein shocks - huge improvement front and rear - turning, bumps, potholes, dips, braking. Factory air shocks are not good for body lift/roll in turns.
[have them on all my cars, even my son's '88 MC SS. Except I thought I'd try the Monroe Severe Service (poor man's Bilsteins) on my current FWB. OK, but lil bit stiffer compression. Will. Be. Changing. To. Bilstein. All around. I also hear KYB mono-tube Gas-A-Just are good alternate and cheaper.]

Aftermarket rear lower control arms with poly (UMI, Metco, etc.) - less jiggling over washboards, more stable in turns. Rear UCAs are stock and new rubber.
[1st Gen Extended Metco on the garage queen SS, Hotchkis on the FWB. Strongly recommend aftermarket.]

Springs - front are still FE1, should be a little stiffer. Rear Moog cargo coils are too stiff--car is much flatter in turns, but oversteered until I put in the 30mm swaybar. Shoulda changed the swaybar first, then played with springs.
[~1/2 coil cut off oem fronts (1" drop and stiffer but no risk of bottoming out like happened when I cut almost 2 coils off the first FWB), and left the stock rear coils alone - more notes below]
.
Air Lift 1000 air bags in rear - least useful thing I did. Not helpful with the cargo coils, so I keep them at minimum pressure. Maybe they'll be useful with some slightly softer non-progressive rear coils.
[Agreed Airlift is overkill with your cargo coils. But then again, I left the rear coils as stock and just added the Airlift 1000. Only a few lbs. but levels the rear back up (after ditching the terrible oem airshocks) plus adds attractive 1" rake]. And ten more lbs. carries the heaviest tongue wt. when towing]
.
Then it was time for a new 2.5 steering box and 18" wheels/tires. I'm sure the car needs new body mounts (the originals must be shot by now) but it is a lot more fun to drive than it first was.
[Big Fat +1 on the 18" and even going 'Plus 1" Rubber' (of course needs a program). Running 255/50-18 gives 'nearly' the pleasant ride of tall stock -65 series sidewall plus much bigger contact patch.]