are some sway bars better than others?

[AmadeusCharger500]

I was having this discussion with a friend who told me that some manufacturers like Hotchkiss put a lot of design into the bars shape and mounting points and others do not. Anyone have experience with this?

[FLG]

Yes.

Bought an addco bar...month later the lower control arm mount sheared right off, and i was going straight.

Hotchkis is a good name, Firmfeel make very nice bars as well.

[ChargerST]

You could also try Hellwig - nice bars, have the front bar on my Charger - waiting to install the rear bar. Shop around (google shopping), I found them about $50 cheaper then Summit but Summit offered price matching 

[MSRacing89]

Yes.

Bought an addco bar...month later the lower control arm mount sheared right off, and i was going straight.

Hotchkis is a good name, Firmfeel make very nice bars as well.

So you are saying the Addco bar sheared your mount off?  Come on!

I know several people that run Addco bars with success so let's just make sure we are giving people some good information here.

[FLG]

Yes.

Bought an addco bar...month later the lower control arm mount sheared right off, and i was going straight.

Hotchkis is a good name, Firmfeel make very nice bars as well.

So you are saying the Addco bar sheared your mount off?  Come on!

I know several people that run Addco bars with success so let's just make sure we are giving people some good information here.

No the addco mount that connects on the strut bar sheered clean off. The bar may be fine but the hardware is trash and I'll never run one again and I'll keep telling people not to use them.

Don't tell me im giving incorrect or false information. Not to mention the bolts supplied in all their kits for 73-4 chargers are wrong the end link bolts wee far too long so i had to get new bolts and trim the sleeves shorter this is a problem in all their 73-4 kits.

[FLG]

Heres a great example...you tell me which sway bar youd rather have on your car?







The addco looks like a joke compared to the hotchkis bar.

You get what you pay for

Addco bar: $145.00
Hotchkis: $336.00


More

Addco front sway bar installed on a 73 charger with their included brackets which are tool long, as the bar is supposed to be in the k-frame not under it (image borrowed from bordin34)

The one attached to the stabilizer bar link is the one that failed, even in the pic he took it looks like his is already bent.




Firm feel front sway bar (only other people that make it for 73+ b bodies)




Again, much beefier brackets.

So here's some more GOOD information...save up your cash, go with a firm feel or hotchkis bar....stay away from addco.





I guess this is why you dont want me saying addco bars are of inferior quality?? (which is further indicated by their low price)

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,87872.msg995766.html#msg995766

Not trying to hurt your sales here, but IMO with addco bars you get exactly what you pay for.

[Chryco Psycho]

I agree , you get what you pay for , some are lighter hollow bars like Hotchkiss , just as stiff , the design of some is cheap with poor mounting locations etc

[440]

That pic of bordin34's sway bar is intriguing.

Firstly how cheap/underdone/thin the sway bar mounting bracket is, and secondly how low the car is.


The Firm Feel bar looks bullet proof.

[jb666]

That pic of bordin34's sway bar is intriguing.

Firstly how cheap/underdone/thin the sway bar mounting bracket is, and secondly how low the car is.


The Firm Feel bar looks bullet proof.

that's horrible.

[Nacho-RT74]

I think ADDCO bar kit was made to be able to fit on cars without the rod links provisions at K frame, being attached to frame rails with the extra L bracket they provide.

If you already have the rod links provisions, use your existant rods, or cut to the correct height the provided ones.

[MSRacing89]

Heres a great example...you tell me which sway bar youd rather have on your car?







The addco looks like a joke compared to the hotchkis bar.

You get what you pay for

Addco bar: $145.00
Hotchkis: $336.00


More

Addco front sway bar installed on a 73 charger with their included brackets which are tool long, as the bar is supposed to be in the k-frame not under it (image borrowed from bordin34)

The one attached to the stabilizer bar link is the one that failed, even in the pic he took it looks like his is already bent.




Firm feel front sway bar (only other people that make it for 73+ b bodies)




Again, much beefier brackets.

So here's some more GOOD information...save up your cash, go with a firm feel or hotchkis bar....stay away from addco.





I guess this is why you dont want me saying addco bars are of inferior quality?? (which is further indicated by their low price)

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,87872.msg995766.html#msg995766

Not trying to hurt your sales here, but IMO with addco bars you get exactly what you pay for.

Not only does FLG get to speak for all the Addco products, but apparently he also determines if what we are selling is a good deal or not. Thanks for your help.

I do run a Hotchkis bar, but not everyone needs to spend that kind of money.

[FLG]

Do i speak for all addco products? No

Do i speak for the addco products that go on mopars (which everyone on this forum drives)? Id say, considering the one i got was garbage, and the ones ive seen were garbage.

He asked if theres a difference in quality/fitment of swaybars, i told him that there was..and my experience with addco products is that this is one of the "bad" bars that you want to stay away from, and yes ive also seen/installed hotchkis bars and was impressed and they seemed of good quality and fitment. Does this mean that they fit great on a Camaro? Got no idea, but were talking mopars not chevys...id be willing to say for the price they probably fit and work just as good across the board.

You told me i wasnt giving people "good" information, i think due to my experience with Addco and the quality of there bars compared to the better names its clear that its a case of you get what you pay for. I paid for a cheap bar, and i got a cheap bar. I should have spend the extra 100$+ or so and just got a Firmfeel bar, now i lost the money on the addco bar and still need to buy the firmfeel bar. I think its good information when someone goes out and says "i need a sway bar but dont have a lot of cash at the moment, let me buy an addco bar", than something snaps off (thankfully in my case i literally was driving on a straight road, with the slightest dip and all i heard was a piece of metal fly from under the car, turned around and found the strap of the sway bar on the floor) at that point do you really want to ask addco for a replacement part (which hey, i cant vouch for the customer support... might be awesome and they just give you the part) but knowing the first one broke clean off, what makes me think "i want to try that again" (the 30+ stock strap even with some pitting held up just fine, this one lasted months) so now instead of just paying a few hundred for a bar that is of better quality to begin with, your stuck spending the initial cost of the addco bar, plus the cost of the hotchkis or firmfeel bar.

These cars arent your daily driver beater, and yes you can cut corners on not having the best spark plug wires, or the best ignition, or the best heads, etc...but when you start cutting costs on suspension/brake parts, your looking for disaster. And, no that dosnt mean i need to put a set of brembos on my car, or a set of coilovers...but if your looking to upgrade than do it right the first time, i made the mistake of going cheap and now im spending more in the end. Not everyone needs to spend 300+ on a hotchkis bar, but firm feel make a very nice bar for 275$, nothing wrong with that...but is saving the 100$ for the addco bar really worth it in the end? I dont think it is.

Also, i didnt comment on weather or not the bar you posted was good deal or not, i could care less...but i find it odd you say addco make good products, yet your selling yours and run a hotchkis bar. Why not just run the addco?

[charger Downunder]

I have had a addco bar on the rear of my 70 charger for over 20 years no problems with it.

[FLG]

Not familiar with their rear bars...maybe there made better,or maybe they we'er made better 20 years ago.

[bill440rt]

Egads... 
The Addco bar uses the strut rod as a mounting point on a 3rd gen?? That's scary stuff even by itself. 

I've got a set of Hotchkis bars on a 2nd gen, they are awesome. Super beefy hardware & very well designed. Price was $500 for the set of front & rears. Money well spent.

[Charger_Dart]

I switched from Addco to Hellwig - night & day difference in quality and feel. 

[bordin34]

I have learned to hate Addco products too. As seen in the picture, the way they mount stuff isnt too well thought out and the hardware sucks.
I also bought their rear sway bar about 2 years ago and the hardware was totally incorrect, still havent installed it yet.

[Nacho-RT74]

The Addco bar uses the strut rod as a mounting point on a 3rd gen?? That's scary stuff even by itself. 

Stock is the same

[bill440rt]

The Addco bar uses the strut rod as a mounting point on a 3rd gen?? That's scary stuff even by itself. 

Stock is the same

Really, Nacho?? I had no idea.
Then why does the Firm Feel bar show lower control arm adapter mount brackets? 

[Nacho-RT74]

maybe 71/72s...

forgot to say, the strut rod bar attaching began in 73s with the brand new front suspension design

On bordin34's car pic you can see in fact the original rubber bushing still attached, just moved to the front.

An old friend of mine got the ADDCO bar, and the movement was simply cut the link bolt assembly to the right lenght. Once again I guess the longer assembly is for non sway bar equipped cars asembly, without the provision for the link, attaching the L bracket to the frame rail

[FLG]

According to their site it's 73-4 but maybe the pic is wrong. Also the stock one mounts to the strut bar but the stock bracket has a rib in it for strength unlike the addco bar.

[bill440rt]

So where does the Hotchkis or Firm Feel bar mount then?

I only ask because look how much beefier the Addco bar is vs the strut rod. It's like placing a load from a heavier component transferring energy to a lighter component. I would think this would leave the strut rod more prone to breakage. 
On a 2nd gen the end link mounts to a bracket on the lower control arm.

In any case, by the pictures & comments that have been posted it's clear the Addco bars are lesser in quality, and that is reflected in the price.

[Kern Dog]

The 72-93 trucks used the same mounting technique for the sway bar. I guess hauling thousands of pounds around should be a testament of durability.

[Nacho-RT74]

I think by the sway bar movement, the strut rod is stronger than the vertical rod used on earliers

[Rolling_Thunder]

yeah - 3rd gens are funky when it comes to sway bars - Also look at the 65-66 C-body - uses a very similar set up - also seems to have bent vertical rods as well - customer had a 66 VIP and the sway bar was down right weird compared to the 66-70 B-body stuff