[Terry64HT]

I’ve always been unhappy with the way my 64 wallowed around turns, so I finally got to changing the stabilizer bars. Most of the Bird suppliers offer “heavy duty” stabilizer bar kits and I ordered one from Pat Wilson. I use him for a lot of my parts because he is the only full line supplier that goes to Carlisle and will bring parts for pickup. I can’t speak for the west coast suppliers, but almost no dealers go to shows in the east anymore. It’s all internet catalogs.
The new bar comes complete with all the hardware needed, and as the photos show is noticeably heavier. It weighs over 15 pounds compared to the barely 5 of the original. The frame bushings are, of course, much bigger and have grease fittings on the brackets. The hole through the bushing itself needed to be cleaned out so grease could get to the bar. I don’t think greasing is a big deal on cars like ours, but I suppose the brackets are used on a lot higher performance kits. The link kits are also shorter and there are ¼” spacers for the brackets.
I did the swap with the car on jack stands and it would have been a lot easier with more room to work. The bars can be removed and replaced without touching any other parts of the suspension. Off came the old link kits and frame brackets and I mounted the new bar loosely using just the brackets with no bushings in them. I installed the new link kits so that the bar would center itself and then undid each bracket, installed the bushing and re-bolted to the frame. I don’t know if getting the bar centered is a big deal, but it wasn’t much extra work. Everything fit perfectly and, except for the tight work space was a piece of cake.
There is a noticeable difference in the handling of the car. Turns are much smoother and flatter, and when you take a highway ramp at speed, you don’t feel like you are on the edge of control.
Not a cheap job, but I think well worth it.
Terry
64HT