Competition Engineering(Moroso) anti-sway bar opinion/pics....not good!

[8850]

Last time out that 1.394 60' created so much twist with the factory rear anti-swab bar and air bag that I almost ruined my passenger slick. I decided I better do something. I priced around and based on the pics from catalogs the Competition Engineering bar made by Moroso looked like a good choice. Did I ever make the wrong choice!

Before I started the installation I had a few questions to ask Morose about the bar as the instructions were very vague in describing the hole drilling. In fact, non-existent. I left a message on their answering machine, faxed them, and emailed them. I haven't heard from them yet.

I have finished the installation now. Here are my comments and pics.

This first pic shows the entire assembly the way it comes. So far so good, right?
http://www.fbody.com/members/LarryS/arassy.jpg

Notice in this second pic how the hole only goes through one side of the aluminum arm. Try drilling through the existing hole to make the through hole. All you do is whaler out the original hole. No hole exists in the alloy bar. Try drilling a 25/64 diameter centered through this hard bar with a drill motor. Haha! I was able to mark the bar is about all my drill would do. Of course their theory is that by having you drill the holes it will be located farthest out for best fit. They could have at least drilled through the arms. Off the machine shop I go. The other manufacturers of anti-sway bars have their arms already located and secured.
http://www.fbody.com/members/LarryS/arholeone.jpg

This third pic shows the holes drilled. OK now I'm ready to install this thing. Well, not just yet!
http://www.fbody.com/members/LarryS/arafterdrill.jpg

In this fourth pic notice how the supplied dark bolt has threads that will bear on the aluminum. Not good engineering. I bought a longer grade 8 bolt so the shoulder, rather than threads, would bear on the aluminum. Now I'm ready to install this thing. Well, not just yet. Even the bolts in the weld on bracket to the drive shaft tube had threads bearing on the bracket. Four more bolts to buy. Now I'm ready to install this thing. Well, not just yet.
http://www.fbody.com/members/LarryS/arboltlgth.jpg

Don't have a pic for the next problem but if you examine the assembly you will see that there are two grease fittings. One in each bracket. The bar is tubing and has a through hole. If you don't plug the tube then you are going to fill the entire bar with grease. Now that just didn't make sense to me. Down to the hardware store to buy plugs. Of course I couldn't find anything the correct size so I had a choice to have a machine shop make two plugs or I could buy a 5/8 bolt which was only three thousands smaller than the hole, cut it into small plugs and knurl the OD of each plug. This is what I did and drove the short plugs into the bar ends. So now I'm ready to install this thing. Well, not just yet.

In my next pic you will notice a small screw centered in the bracket inside that pretty weld. Their are two of those screws in each bracket to install to hold this thing prior to welding. The second one is located behind the portion of the bracket that holds the bar. It would take a magician to get that hole taped and the screw installed. Needless to say, the second screw did not go in. Didn't Morose install one of these things and determine that this screw just might not go in?
http://www.fbody.com/members/LarryS/arweld.jpg

This pic shows one side completed. A big thank you to Mike over at Ober & Sons on Synott street for a super weld job! (Excuse my mismatch paint but it should keep the rust away).
http://www.fbody.com/members/LarryS/arfinished.jpg

I spent a lot of time redesigning and running down everything I needed for this job. I certainly would not recommend this bar to anybody having gone through all the problems I have encountered. I hope now that it works. Hopefully I will find out this Sunday at the CCB in Sealy, Texas.


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88 347, Twisted wedge heads,Comp Cams 224/230 cam, 1/4=10.324 @ 126.95, 60' = 1.394 http://xs-fx.com/raughammer/larrysample.htm

[This message has been edited by 8850 (edited 11-06-2001).]