Firm Feel or Hotchkis Front Sway Bar?

[JR_Charger]

For the 72 Charger. I've currently got the Firm Feel rear sway bar and the QA1 front sway bar, mounted under the K member. I'd like to have the bar mounted through the K member. It looks like the center section would have to be around 28" wide to stay inside of the splash guards. The QA1 bar is closer to 31", it won't even clear the strut bars.

Someone has a Hotchkis bar mounted through the K member - has anyone mounted a Firm Feel bar through the K member?

Are there any other things to consider? Firm Feel is powder coated (or should be), is Hotchkis powder coated or paint? Is the Firm Feel bar hollow, like the Hotchkis bar?

 

[autoxcuda]

Hellwig I think is available hollow and less expensive than both.

It’s a simple straight in middle sway bar for stock 70-72 setups.

I can’t believe QA1 made a bar to go on the outside. Maybe really intended for their own K-members.

 

[Charlie Brown]

Better call Firm Feel and ask about inventory and lead time to ship - I've not had good experiences with them.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Got a picture of your QA-1 bar? I wonder if someone mounted it wrong... 70 & Up B body should be through the K... Unless someone adapted a bar they had...

I Agree with Steve Hellwig 55904 hollow, 1 1/4" cheaper & works great... It is powder coated... I wish it were black, but it's a silver & black hammertone finish...

 

[themechanic]

Here's my Hellwig bar installed by a previous owner. I passes in behind the support in front of the K member. I've read that some K members were designed so that the factory sway bar passed through it and some weren't.

 

[autoxcuda]

Here's my Hellwig bar installed by a previous owner. I passes in behind the support in front of the K member. I've read that some K members were designed so that the factory sway bar passed through it and some weren't.View attachment 1782859

That's a 66-69 style sway bar setup. Lower control arm mount near end of control arm. The K-member does not have a cutout in it to pass a Sway bar through it *


* some late 69 B-bodies have K-members that have a cutout style K-member enough though the sway bar is mounted up front like in picture above. These were released early for the 1970 B-bodies that had sway bars that when through the K-member. I think they are seen on many 69 1/2 A12 cars?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Here's my Hellwig bar installed by a previous owner. I passes in behind the support in front of the K member. I've read that some K members were designed so that the factory sway bar passed through it and some weren't.View attachment 1782859

Through the K 70 & up... You have a 69... Swap a 70 K member & you too can have a sway bar hidden inside your K.... Or not...

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

One other thing to consider is front vs rear bar size balancing and how it affects oversteer/understeer. Typically rear bars are smaller diameter than front bars. Then you have hollow front bars generally running larger OD than solid front bars. So if you mix and match brands for the front and rear it will probably work ok, but might not be dialed in as well as you might like? I may be splitting hairs here.

Typically, in general -
Front sway bars are larger OD than rear sway bars
Hollow front sway bars are generally larger OD than solid front sway bars, but may still have the same stiffness characteristics depending on size.
The larger the front bar OD, the more you are headed towards understeer (doesn't mean you will have understeer, but a larger bar will go in that direction).

On my 68 I run a Firm Feel rear bar and up front a Hotchkis front bar. Works well. I bought them separately (front first, then rear later because I wasn't sure at first if I needed it (I did) and went with Firm Feel rear since their rear bar is frame hung above the axle). In hindsight, if I really wanted it dialed in I might have gone with Firm Feel front and rear and keep it the same brand for the simple fact of balancing front and rear sizes better. The Hotchkis front bar is bigger than what Firm Feel offers.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Stay away from firm feel. Great stuff, but the owner has either retired or passed on and whoever is running the business is not customer friendly. You will get your credit card charged and never see your stuff. Sad because they had good products.

 

[T2R9]

I have run Hellwigs on 4 70-72 B-Bodies with no problems. They offer both 1-1/8" and 1-1/4".

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I have run Hellwigs on 4 70-72 B-Bodies with no problems. They offer both 1-1/8" and 1-1/4".

The 1 1/8 is solid the 1 1/4 is hollow, they are about the same actual spring rate but the 1 1/4 is lighter...

 

[Geff McCarthy]

I live across the river from Matt of Firm Feel, who took over from his Dad, who is still around. They have treated me very well, tho' they typically have weeks of projects to fulfill. I also receive great service from Steer and Gear.

 

[JR_Charger]

My QA1 bar is mounted on the QA1 K member. No way it goes through the K member. I tried it - it hits the strut bars, and the splash guards are inside of the strut bars (did not have the splash guards installed until later).

The Helwig bar sounds like a good answer.

AFAIK the Firm Feel bars are copies of the factory police package bars? I've not had any luck getting anyone to tell me what the "rate" for their bar is.

If the Firm Feel bar fits it would be a good choice, BUT there's the lead time and the extra $. I waited several months for my rear bar!

 

[autoxcuda]

My QA1 bar is mounted on the QA1 K member. No way it goes through the K member. I tried it - it hits the strut bars, and the splash guards are inside of the strut bars (did not have the splash guards installed until later).

The Helwig bar sounds like a good answer.

AFAIK the Firm Feel bars are copies of the factory police package bars? I've not had any luck getting anyone to tell me what the "rate" for their bar is.

If the Firm Feel bar fits it would be a good choice, BUT there's the lead time and the extra $. I waited several months for my rear bar!

Oh you are running a QA1 K-member. Didn't realize that.

I have no idea if a stock routed 70-72 B-body sway bar (also all E-body) will work with the QA1 K-member.

If you could borrow a stock one you might be able to figure out.

Are the QA1 lower control arm sway bar tabs in the factory location? The eyelet to eyelet end link hole will need to be very close to your existing QA1 sway bar.

 

[JR_Charger]

This is a pic of the bar in the 71 Charger R/T concept car built by 71 Wing Cars -

And some pics of the QA1 bar and K member in my Charger (which is on jack stands, the front suspension is hanging at the limit of its downward travel)

And here is the Hotchkis bar mounted through the QA1 Kmember of one of our FBBO user's 2nd gen Charger -

It looks like the QA1 bar is a couple inches wider than the above Hotchkis bar -

I don't think the splash shields are mounted on the Hotchkis equipped car - maybe the Hotchkis bar won't clear them either?

The factory bar is under the splash guards, but it appears to be a couple inches higher than the QA1 bar. "Appears." Is it really?

Will any of the bars clear the splash guards when mounted through the QA1 K member?

 

[JR_Charger]

It's really a shame the QA1 bar is so wide, as it's a nice piece otherwise and more affordable than the other options. I hate not being able to use it, but I don't see any way to.

 

[dbc105]

I have Addco front and rear for my '68 though I've not yet installed them, just wanted to let you know there is another option.
Plymouth Belvedere, Gran Fury, Roadrunner, Satellite 1965-69 Front - Addco

 

[JR_Charger]

I have Addco front and rear for my '68 though I've not yet installed them, just wanted to let you know there is another option.
Plymouth Belvedere, Gran Fury, Roadrunner, Satellite 1965-69 Front - Addco