C-3 Rear sway bar ????

[Michael G.]

Did the rear sway bar ever become standard issue in the latter years of the C-3 production run?

[Joe L.]

Re: C-3 Rear sway bar ????

Did the rear sway bar ever become standard issue in the latter years of the C-3 production run?

Michael------


It was NEVER standard equipment. For 1965-74 it was supplied only as part of the big block option (never as part of F-40 or F-41). From 1975-82 it was supplied only as part of the FE-7 suspension option (which was also part of 1974-75 Z-07 package).

[Duke W.]

Re: C-3 Rear sway bar ????

Because the Corvette chassis is inherently neutral with a small block and only a modest front anti-roll bar, the FE7 package in the years mentioned by Joe replaced the base 13/16" front bar with a 1 1/8" front bar and a small 7/16" rear bar. It also included the HD springs from the prior F40/41 package.

Adding a rear bar to a SB will bias the car toward oversteer unless the front roll stiffness is considerably increased via use of a very large front bar.

The contribution of the anti-roll bar to roll stiffness increases with the fourth power of diameter, so a small change can make a big difference in the understeer/oversteer balance.

Though I consider the HD springs way too stiff for road duty, if one wanted to improve handing, installing the 1 1/8" / 7/16" bars from the '75-'82 FE7 package on a base suspension car would be a good starting point for higher grip as long as the car has real sticky tires - not the typical rock-hard, low speed rating tires that most guys install.

Duke

[Michael G.]

Re: C-3 Rear sway bar ????

Outstanding info Joe & Duke. Thank you. Very helpful. Mike