Do all Chagers come with Front Sway Bars?

[Matthan]

Did all Chagers come with Front Sway Bars? I thought this was an aftermarket part?

Suspensions are new to me so that is why I am asking.

[Ghoste]

I want to say that all of the classic ones did (66-74)  There may be a few exceptions in the later years but not many.

[Nacho-RT74]

I think all came with sway bars allmost as standard part, just maybe Low Priced class lines could not get them ( Cars with /6s for example, or L21 coded on VIN )

[Chryco Psycho]

most base models with 318 or slant 6 would not have them unless optioned

[Ghoste]

I don't know that I have ever seen a 318 one that didn't have them.  If it wasn't standard with a 318 then it was at least a very very common option. 

[Chryco Psycho]

I could be wrong but I have seen a lot of lower control arms without sway bar mount tabs on them

[Ghoste]

Doing a quick check on the Hamtramck Registry page, it looks like up until 1969 the HD suspension was standard across the board.  In 1970 it shows a reduced rate suspension being available on 318 and 383 cars.  That would also coincide with the first year for the "stripped down" base Charger.  Like I said though, that was just a real quick check.

[red79]

My 72 came with a 318 from the factory and did not have a sway bar or mounting tabs on the LCAs 

[FLG]

Yes some came without them, i know some 3rd gens did not have front bars.

[ACUDANUT]

most base models with 318 or slant 6 would not have them unless optioned

I agree. They were not standard.  Most 318 cars do not have them

[Ghoste]

Starting with what year though?  I checked the dealer order guides at the Hamtramck Registry and they are showing from 66-69 that HD suspension was standard.  Was the swaybar not part of that package?  I can't seem to find any information to order a sway bar separately there?

[68X426]

most base models with 318 or slant 6 would not have them unless optioned

My old 68 Charger, 318, had no sway bar.

Also of note: plenty of 68 Road Runners have no sway bar. You would think that with a standard 383 motor that the sway bar would be standard. It was not. I've seen many RRs without. Most shocking is when someone has dropped in a hot 440, added upgrades all around, and hasn't added a bar.

[FLG]

I know firmfeel sells sway bars for cars "with" and "without" factory sway bar brackets for all the year chargers  

[Ghoste]

The Road Runner one surprises me even more since they made a big deal about if having the "Hemi" suspension when they were new.  You are absolutely sure those ones weren't clones or something?

[FLG]

http://a12mopar.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1199240721


Another one of ma mopars blunders?

[Ghoste]

Mass production I guess?

[FLG]

Every car built on a Monday or Friday were sway bar deletes 

[68X426]

The Road Runner one surprises me even more since they made a big deal about if having the "Hemi" suspension when they were new.  You are absolutely sure those ones weren't clones or something?

Mopar myth #142 = Hemi suspension.

I didn't know anyone else noticed these oddities, so I never gave it any more thought.

Yes, multiple RRs seen without, in particular at last year's Sacramento Mopar show there were three in a row. All RM cars, no bars, no brackets. I don't know if they were the same factory, or all early production. They were very stock RM21 and 23s. I think I took pics, I'll check tonite. [ edit - no pics ]

I will take a look at all the B-bodies at the Mopar Alley show in June. Sort of take an inventory.

I would assume that Satellites and Belvederes wouldn't have bars, so good call on the clones, but not this time.

[Ghoste]

Which is why I put it in quotations.  However, the fact remains that Road Runners were sold and promtoed as having the upgraded brakes and suspension as standard equipment.  That is to say they were equipped with the same underpinnings as an RT or a GTX and how many of those have you seen without a sway bar.  If not a very early production thing I would gues any Road Runner (or Super Bee) missing them was subject to some kind of production error.

[ACUDANUT]

Roadrunners Having "upgraded brakes"  That's BS, I had a 69 RR with Manual Drums.  I would not call that "upgraded brakes".

[Ghoste]

They were the 11 inchers though, not the standard 10's.

[Troy]

Key word: "Charger". All my 68 Chargers have had factory bars - no matter the engine. I agree with Ghoste that it was this way through 1969. Other B-bodies did NOT automatically get the sway bar (I've seen a bunch of Coronets and Satellite small block cars without them). In 1970 the sway bar arrangement changed and, I believe, they stopped adding the sway bar to the base model Chargers then. When it comes to 3rd gen Chargers I have no idea what the rules were - but I do know that not all had a sway bar.

Troy

[Mike DC]

                 
I think the swaybars became optionally removed on 1970 cars.  It was some sort of "soft ride" deal.

All the V8 Chargers in '68 and '69 had them standard, I'm sure of that.  Maybe it could be optionally deleted but I can't remember ever seeing a 68/69 car that didn't come with one.     



I don't know how the slant-6 cars were done. 
   

[Larry523]

My old '72 318 Charger did not have a sway bar, but it most definitely needed one! (Especially the way I drove that poor thing in those days when I was young and stupid!)

[Dino]

My 69 with 318 had it because when the po swapped the 318 for a 440 he put in a beefier bar.  I have the original in my garage.

[twenty mike mike]

I just bought a /6 Charger (now 440) that has no front sway bar, and there is no indication that it ever had one.

I'm fairly sure the /6 cars existed only so dealers could advertise a relatively low price for a premium car in the Sunday paper in a very competitive market, so the more content that could be removed, the cheaper the car could be. There is no fender tag or build sheet, but it looks like the only option the car came with was a radio.

[69CoronetRT]

Which is why I put it in quotations.  However, the fact remains that Road Runners were sold and promtoed as having the upgraded brakes and suspension as standard equipment. 

That is to say they were equipped with the same underpinnings as an RT or a GTX and how many of those have you seen without a sway bar.  If not a very early production thing I would gues any Road Runner (or Super Bee) missing them was subject to some kind of production error.

383 RR's got the 778/779 torsion bars and 212/212 (68) 213/213 or 214/214 (69) 212/212 or 213/213 (70) rear springs standard. The R/T or GTX 'Hemi' suspension was not standard on 383 cars.

Hemi, 440 Superbirds and 440-6bbl RRs had the, of course, 'Hemi suspension' 780/781 bars and 794/964 mis matched rear springs standard.

Adding the A31 or A36 axle package to the 383 did get you the upgraded "Hemi" suspension.

[Ghoste]

Not wanting to go off track then, but I want to be clear for the future.  So it is possible to get a Road Runner or Super Bee with "standard" sized torsion bars and symmetrical basic leaf spring sets and the 10 inch brakes (I know we haven't been discussing the brakes but I have always seen the 11 inch drums promoted as part of the "Hemi" suspension and as part of the RR SB suspension/braking package)?

[69CoronetRT]

So it is possible to get a Road Runner or Super Bee with "standard" sized torsion bars and symmetrical basic leaf spring sets and the 10 inch brakes (I know we haven't been discussing the brakes but I have always seen the 11 inch drums promoted as part of the "Hemi" suspension and as part of the RR SB suspension/braking package)?

I can't speak to the brake drum size but, yes, the standard RR suspension was the 'standard' .90 bars and symmetrical springs.

The 'Hemi' suspension had the larger 780/781 .92 bars and non-symetrical springs.

The shocks were the same on both set ups.