1968 427 Front Sway Bar-Can one be straightened?

[William H.]

My original front sway bar on my 1968 427 is slightly bent in the middle. Can it be straightened and does anyone know who does this type of repair? Thanks.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1968 427 Front Sway Bar-Can one be straightened?

My original front sway bar on my 1968 427 is slightly bent in the middle. Can it be straightened and does anyone know who does this type of repair? Thanks.

I don't know if you live in a large metropolitan area, but an old school spring shop may be able to do this. Now that I think of it a rural setting might be more productive. The bar would have to be heated, bent to the original shape and then cooled in a way to retain or restore its metallurgical properties. I suspect you would also need to have a bar of original shape to give them as an example to "make it like this." The original stabilizer bars are bent while hot (as in real hot) and then the ends are forged to shape. Then they are heat treated to make them springy. (huge technical term there)

This is not a DIY sort of repair, and you will need to find someone who has skill and experience with heating and re-arching springs and then have them willing to "experiment" a little. I am not sure that there are many of these kinds of shops left. If you find one it will be the closest you will get to a blacksmith's shop in this century.

[Dick W.]

Re: 1968 427 Front Sway Bar-Can one be straightened?

Safest and simplest thing to do is replace it. There are many of these bars in Corvette salvage yards around the country. As Terry stated, the shops that do the heat treating properly have fast disappeared. Today's philosophy is to replace, not repair. There used to be four spring shops within a 75 mile radius of me, today there are none in a 100 mile radius.