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Swaybar Sizes

Direct fit.. Nope unless you switch to the 97-03, 06-08 style control arm and end links then you can that swaybar or get a solid dorman one, it won't fit without.


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REDCRAPGP said:
Direct fit.. Nope unless you switch to the 97-03, 06-08 style control arm and end links then you can that swaybar or get a solid dorman one, it won't fit without.


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It won't fit using the factory sway bar links, right? But it actually can be mounted in the car if you modify how it attaches to the struts? I better grab it anyway before the JY scrapes the car...
 
the sway bar style changed for 2 years, the odd ball end links hook to the strut, not the lca's.

if your end links bolt to the strut, you need to check to see if your lca's have the perch for the sway bar end links or change the lca's so you can use the different sway bar.

this is a dorman 33 mm solid bar with end links to the lca. look for that perch on the lca.

endlinksfailing_zpsca98c718.jpg
 
ScottyDoggs said:
the sway bar style changed for 2 years, the odd ball end links hook to the strut, not the lca's.

if your end links bolt to the strut, you need to check to see if your lca's have the perch for the sway bar end links or change the lca's so you can use the different sway bar.

this is a dorman 33 mm solid bar with end links to the lca. look for that perch on the lca.

endlinksfailing_zpsca98c718.jpg
Click to expand...


Mine does not have the tabs. Those can't be used unless you change the sway bar also. But if you have the right sway bar end links, can you mount the 07 front bar so that it hooks up to the strut on my 04? And is there any improvement in handling by changing from the 19mm solid bar to the 38mm hollow bar?
Thanks.
 
most swap to the older style bar and lca's. seems to be the better set up.

no one changes it to the bar with end links to the strut.
 
It's apples and oranges to compare a strut mounted sway bar to an LCA mounted sway bar. The LCA bar is "work hard" and the strut mounted bar is "work smart".
This is due to a better wheel motion ratio with the strut mounted bar. And it has less bend leverage due to the shorter arms.
BMW autocross racers have calculated a 40% increase in sway bar performance by changing the mounting locations FROM the LCAs to the struts. And that swap is with using the SAME bar.
A car that also gets shorter sway bar arms can see even better improvement.
Example: in the late 80's or early 90's, Cadillac's E-body ( Eldorado/ Seville) switched mounting locations within the same generation platform. Prior to the switch, the base front bar was a solid 29MM and the sport bar was 31MM solid. After the switch to strut mounts, the bar sizes dropped 10MM in size to maintain the same level of handling. These bars also had much shorter sway bar arms. If memory serves, this worked out to a 46% improvement in one of the bar's and 52% in the other... Had they kept the origional size bars, they would have had a street/ strip bar and a full race bar.

To properly judge the 04-05 front bars, you need to consider that the wimpy looking 19MM strut mounted bar is the aprox. = to a 30-31MM solid bar or 31-32MM hollow bar.... I say this because the strut mounts are higher on the GP than on the Caddy giving it a better wheel rate AND any hollow bar has to be 1-3MM larger than its solid counter part to perform the same due to increased flex.

If you have an 04-05 GP and switch to LCA mounted bars without going up 10 or more MM in diameter, then you are decreasing your performance.

Just some food for thought.
Cody
 


Thanks for the info. One of the problems that I have been having with my 2004 GT with the strut mounted sway bar is that the links seem to go bad in a few thousand miles of spirited driving. I have put my 4th set of links on and don't expect them to last all winter. I have reviewed RockAuto and GMDirect for replacements but I am leery of getting the same amount of use for an even higher price. Any suggestions on the most heavy duty ones available? Or perhaps could new ones be fabricated with bigger Heim joints and increased thickness of the link shaft material? Before I try some heavier duty struts and springs to increase my cars performance, I would like to get this end link problem solved.
Thanks. It is great getting a lot of different perspectives on these things...
 
1. Do the end links you are buying come with zerk fittings? If so, keep in mind that they only have enough grease in them for install. You need to fill them after they are on the car just enough to see the boots begin to swell. If you don't grease them, they will have a very short life no matter how you drive.

If you are buying sealed units (no zerk fittings) then you are good to go and its a quality issue.

2. Rough roads/gravel roads and driveways do more to make them fail then the body roll of fast cornering.

3. Try Moog Problem Solvers ( different from the regular Moog line). For the Problem Solvers, they study what made the OE part fail and then re-engineer it to be stronger and last longer. They may cost a little more, but are worth it.

4. Price check Rock.Auto, your local parts store and Ebay..... My local store was $10 cheaper than rock on 14" rotors, yet Rock was $45 cheaper on KYB AGX struts, and Ebay was half price on outer tie rod ends and motor mounts. Always use high rated sellers on Ebay who offer warranties and accept returns..... and read some of the buyers feedback before you buy.

Stay away from the brand "OE BRAND" on the end links. I bought some for CHEAP on Ebay. The boots are so thin and soft they don't hold grease.

I'll be buying problem solvers for my wife's 04 Grand Prix GT soon and am willing to pay extra for them - but I will price shop untill I find them at a good deal.

Cody
 
the problem with the strut mounted bar is that unless the mount is very close to the strut inclination angle centerline, you end up with turning influences like ours end up with since the attachment point is 4+ inches away. you also get helluva angularity from the joints and the wear and tear.

that and the whole reliability thing is why GM only did it for 1.5 years before switching back.

in our case it sucks
 
So what is the stiffest biggest sway bar for front and rear 04 I would like to stick to the strut mounting and looking for solid bars
 


Very Lost said:
Where would I get something like that?

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The end link for the GTO ( look up 2005) connects vertical through a sway bar hole like the 97-03 bar, yet connects to a strut mount like the 04-05. However, I do not know the length, but it should be close.
What you have to watch out for is the arm length and hole placement of the 97-03 bar. An end link might get in the way of the CV axle. And every inch of extra length on those arm directly effect twist leverage. Think opposite of brakes: 14" brakes are way better than 11" brakes, but a 6" sway bar arm is way, way, way better than a 7" arm.
With BMW, the sway bar arm is good for the change over and you don't have to worry about axle clearance.... I looked into this swap for my Eldorado, but didn't like the angle that the end link would be in as it would over stress the joint and make it wear out to fast. Instead, I found another E- body car with a solid 23MM bar.

You might check out some GTO bars to see how those bends and sizes work and you might look at an E-body bar as well. The overall bars are close in shape.... But I have not yet verified that they will swap.

Sticking with the Grand Prix to make sure it fits and stays simple, one of the previous posters stated that the 04 GTP Comp G had the largest bars. And another poster reported the 04 and 05 Comp G bars had the same part number.
 
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ok i've looked all over the place and can't find a direct answer. i want to order the gmpp rear sway bar and poly bushings. i've seen some say the gmpp rear is 18mm and some say it's 19mm. anyone got a part number for rear poly bushings. i also thought i read where someone had to modify the brackets or the bushings themselves for the energy suspensions. does moog make direct fits ? give me some part numbers guys.
 


i was looking at those moog k200318 , and they are 18mm thats why i asked if the bar was 18 or 19mm. moog does not make a 19mm bushing. :th_scratchhead:
plus do the brackets come with ?
 
Factory brackets are reused. I didn't measure my bar, but I thought the Comp G was supposed to be 19 and those bushings fit perfectly.
 
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