WANTED Sway bar link for 1966 C body

[Gerald Morris]

I noticed the threads on one of my links are broken/worn off to the point that a nut will just barely grip. I can try running a 5/16 - 18 die over it, sure, but I don't think there is enough good steel left to really warrant this with any confidence. Anybody have one or 2? I saw something on ePay recently, pricey! Hoping there might be a lone link looking for a good home....

 

[Samplingman]

Can you post a picture of what the link looks like?

 

[Zymurgy]

I might be able to help up. I took my factory front sway bar off my '66 300. Picture of what you need, and we'll see.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Can you post a picture of what the link looks like?

OK, let me crawl under Tilly 1st thing tomorrow morning and get a shot. Here's a pic of a swaybar with the appropriate links on it. Mine are just this kind:

Thx 4 ur prompt responses 2 my query.

 

[LocuMob]

Close up of a greasy link with the rubber out of it.

 

[Zymurgy]

I Am certain I have one You'll need the rubber bushings. PM if you are interested, I might get a chance to look tonight, to confirm.

 

[mr. fix it]

I have one with the links from a 65 Polara too
Where you located?

 

[Gerald Morris]

I have one with the links from a 65 Polara too
Where you located?

Tucson, AZ

 

[Gerald Morris]

Close up of a greasy link with the rubber out of it.

View attachment 161496

That's the thing! I've not used my NEW rubber yet on these, and won't until I get the passenger side done. Thus far, I've been VERY pleased with how EASY this rebuild has been. NOT PHYSICALLY, which was BRUTAL AND GRUELING, but mentally, this is just straight up geometry with a little Romper Room Newtonian Mechanics. I also need to check the junk yard up the street, which has a 66 Fury III I sometimes get lucky with.

 

[Gerald Morris]

I have one with the links from a 65 Polara too
Where you located?

Tucson, AZ

 

[Zymurgy]

Jerry since we can't post pictures in conversations, I thought I'd go ahead and post my sway bar picture here. It is in better shape than I remember I'd have to cut that hard rubber bushing off to get a kink off the sway bar.

 

[66Newyorker]

This is what I did when I rebuilt the front suspension on our car. The sway bar bushings came from Autozone. A couple of coupling nuts from Fastenal some 1/2 all thread a piece of flat bar some welding and other hardware.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Your approach to the Energy/Prothane Suspension mod is very similar to what I've thought on a few times. If its too much hassle for you to get your old link(s) loose, keep them. I'd use a drill on that hard rubber if I were determined to get the link loose, but one must be careful! I did that with the old rubber on one of my links last year and it worked well enough. I might use a rod coupling on the old link, by cutting off the bad thread, run a die over the smooth rod, then a bit of 5/16 -18 all thread or even a long bolt (I want #8 grade steel, not 5!) into the coupling to get it up into the old hole for the bushings. Anything beyond that warrants doing something like what you did.

There was nothing at the local junk yard. Anything to do with old MoPar suspension has become as common as chicken teeth around here.

I'll post when I solve this little matter, however I manage it.

 

[Zymurgy]

I was thinking of using my drill press to put a hole or two through the old bushing. I'll give it a shot this weekend. Nice work 66Newyorker, if I had seen that 5 years ago I wouldn't have a link to hand out. Very resourceful, that is what I love about the minds on the site.

 

[Gerald Morris]

View attachment 161816 View attachment 161817

This is what I did when I rebuilt the front suspension on our car. The sway bar bushings came from Autozone. A couple of coupling nuts from Fastenal some 1/2 all thread a piece of flat bar some welding and other hardware.

This sort of solution has occurred to me ever since I got Mathilda Mar, 2016. Strut channel has appeal here too. As an old electrician, I know a few tricks with strut and straps. I might try a strong 1 hole rigid pipe strap, say, 1.25 - 1.5" with some poly bushings meant for 7/8" bars. A few good heavy fender washers, hard all thread rod or long bolts, possibly rod couplers, and it should be easy enough to contrive good substitutes, considerably cheaper than $50 apiece.