1954-56 Buick performance front sway bar kit

Anyone with a '54-'56 Buick knows two things: They came from the factory with a front sway bar, and the front sway bar is a Tinker Toy.

Stock bars are .69-inch diameter, with a 113lb/ft spring rate.

Wanting something that kept me in the seat around corners, I started manufacturing 1.00-inch bars for these cars, with a 500 lb/ft spring rate. I could have gone up in diameter, but 1.125-inch bumps it up to an 800-lb spring rate, which I thought was too stiff for our Buicks.

These are true bolt-ins, attaching to the frame and control arms with the factory mounting points. It'll take you longer to get the tools out and get the car up on jack stands than it'll take to install the new sway bar.

My sway bar kits include a sway bar powder-coated black powder-coated to modern OE specs and standards, black urethane bushings, and all new plated hardware.

These bars are proudly made in America to modern OE specifications.

$219, plus shipping.

For more info, send me an email at brad56@windstream.net, or call (706) 424-5035.

-Brad

Can I get a HALLELUJAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tha's a lot of anti-sway for the bucks. Awesome Brad. I know you've been working on this for awhile and appreciate your seeing it through. Look forward to trying one out in the near future.

I bought two of them years ago for my '54 and my '55 and it made a difference in handling light night and day. I highly recommend them.

wow, $200 beats the hell out of a new 3K front end!

HA!

And it installs a good bit quicker too!

-Brad

We are now set up to take PayPal payments, and credit cards through PayPal, for our sway bars.

-Brad

Well then, I'll be the first to report. I got my sway bar in the mail today, and installed it in time to drive her out to the Orange County Buick Club meeting.

With old original springs on a 1954 Super Riviera, bias-ply tires, Dynaflow, and with power steering and factory AC recently added, I noticed a very nice improvement in cornering. There is much less sway. The front end feels more stable, not nearly so heavy on the front.

The kit comes with new brackets for the frame mounts. I kept my originals, and they work fine.

Very nice job, Brad!!! I highly recommend.

Thanks for the kind words!

I LOVE doing something that makes people enjoy their cars more.

-Brad

Still plenty of time to install one to make your summer driving season that much more enjoyable! Lots of pleased customers with these bars.

Send me an email at brad56@windstream.net, or call me at (706) 424-5035 and get one ordered.

Are the bars for the smaller (40 & 60 series) or for the larger (50 & 70 series) cars?

Are the bars for the smaller (40 & 60 series) or for the larger (50 & 70 series) cars?

They are the same for all series 54-56

Thank You Lamar !

HA! Thanks Lamar!

As Lamar said, they are the same for all models, 1954, 1955 and 1956.

We've shipped about two per week, and we've gotten GREAT customer feedback from them.

Bulldog, being in Birmingham, you could save shipping and come pick it up at the NE Georgia Swap Meet or the Gear Jam vintage drags at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce! It's about four hours from you, but we're getting guys from B'ham, Charlotte, Chattanooga and Nashville coming for our one-day swap meet, and The Gear Jam will definitely be worth the trip if you want to see a great swap meet, car show and vintage heads-up racing all day.

Or, I can ship it to your door, you can install it and drive that pretty Buick to the events!

I'm easy that way.

-Brad

Brad ,

I'll probably make one of your swaybars a Christmas Gift (or birthday gift, if, I can afford it sooner)to my self. I'll be contacting you about that soon,

I installed one on a client's car yesterday. Took less than a half hour removing and installing new one. I used all of the hardware since it won't be judged, but like Father Buick said, the bushings will fit in the original brackets if desired.

Like the young girl that just finished attending a FINISHING SCHOOL said, '"OH, HOW NICE.........

I won't tell the rest of the STORY,,,,,,,,LOL.

Nice job on the bar, AMEN.

Dale in Indy

I just wondering, what effect a thicker bar, 1 1/8, or 1 1/4, would have on the ride, and cornering. It seems that the 1 inch is optimum in your opinion or experience, but was just wondering about the thicker bar. Also, from what I have read, a rear sway bar is advised when using a thicker or stronger front sway bar. Opinion ?????? Thanks, Paul

Paul,

The stock bar is .69-inches, with a 113lbs/inch spring rate.

My bar is 1.00-inches, and has a 500-lbs/inch rate.

Going up to 1 1/8-inch (1.125) bumps it up to 800 lbs/inch rate.

I don't know what a 1 1/4-inch bar would be (1.250).

I thought long and hard about the diameters, and decided that Buicks were known for being a COMFORTABLE ride... soft even... With the 500 lbs/inch bar, you can still hit bumps with one front tire, and it won't jar the whole front end. Would a 800-lbs/inch bar be overly harsh? Probably not, but it definitely wouldn't be as plush. We aren't carving corners in our '54-'56 Buicks... we're driving them at regular speed limits, on regular roads, and want something that keeps us from sliding across the bench seat when we go around curves and corners. The 1.00-inch, 500 in/lb bar does that.

That said, I will be doing a small, limited run of 1.250-inch bars late in 2014 or early 2015, because I do plan on building a '54 Buick race car to run in the La Carrera Pan Americana. I WANT a very stiff bar for that.

As for rear bars, yes, once you start making the front end handle tighter, you'll want to tighten up the rear end a bit too, because at that point you're going for more spirited, performance driving.

I found out that '54-'56 Olds 98s, the top of the line Olds, came from the factory with front and rear sway bars. The front bar is the same diameter as our Buick bars (but not interchangeable).

I've added a 1.250-inch bar to the front of my '61 Suburban: it's heavier than our Buicks, and has a much higher center of gravity. I drive it much faster than I should, and I haven't noticed a "need" for a rear bar... but I do want to add one anyway, because like I said, I drive it faster than I should.

Chances are before all is said and done, I'll add rear sway bars for '54-'56 Buicks to my offerings, but it'll be at least 18 months before I do.

-Brad

Thanks for the informative reply, and, as I said once before, one could and should get a college diploma from reading and corresponding in this forum. Thanks, Paul

Kind of like the DIPLOMA I once pulled out of a CRACKER JACK BOX, don't you think???. Maybe, just maybe. LOL

Dale in Indy

Original shipment to me was 50 bars.

24 sold, and nothing but great comments from people.

26 left... get you're while the gettin's good!

-Brad

Any thoughts of having same made but for '50 Buicks instead (and whatever other years are the same as '50)?

Al

years 1948 thru 1952 all and '53 40 interchange

1953 50/70 is one year only

I emailed Brad a heads up re your question Buford

Best improvement to the summer driving season you can make!

These have sold real well, and I have a lot of very, very happy people with them!

Back to the top.

-Brad

I will definitely want one, but it will have to be next month!

Brad lives not far from me. I am planning on being at the Charlotte Auto Fair http://www.charlotte-autofair.com/ on April 5th and if anyone here with a 54-55-56 is planning on going and needs one of his sway bars, let me know and I can save you shipping (Brad said typical shipping along the east coast is around $20-25) and bring it with me to the meet. We can meet and you can pay for and pick it up there.

Lamar, bring one for sure. The old Roady just leans like a ship in a storm when I round a corner. I've been wanting one and these will be a good opportunity to save a few bucks...and I do love to get a good deal...Just let me know where you will be. I'm judging so that's where I'll be on Saturday. Thanks a lot, Earl

Ah yes, the car show! I'll be there, money in hand! I am currently running NO sway bar! HA HA HA

Anybody else?

Still have some on the shelves, but they are moving pretty briskly!

If you've thought about getting one but have been putting it off, I wouldn't.

I'm also interested to see if you're thinking about branching out to other years.

Thanks in advance,

Steve in Mpls

'49 Roadmaster

I have had to cancel my trip to Charlotte so will not be able to deliver. Brad can bring these to his monthly swap meet however if anyone plans to come to it anytime.

How much to ship one to Canada? I live in the Toronto area.

Keith

I have always felt a SWAY BAR doesn't affect straight line ride quality when hitting bumps in the road. I'm fully aware they do great things in aiding corner lean, but since you make these bars, WHAT IS YOUR SKINNY ON STRAIGHT LINE RIDE QUALITY, does a heavy duty bar have any NEGATIVE affect?

Dale in Indy

Brad, I sent you a pm...Earl

I have always felt a SWAY BAR doesn't affect straight line ride quality when hitting bumps in the road. I'm fully aware they do great things in aiding corner lean, but since you make these bars, WHAT IS YOUR SKINNY ON STRAIGHT LINE RIDE QUALITY, does a heavy duty bar have any NEGATIVE affect?

Dale in Indy

If you hit a bump with BOTH front wheels, at the SAME TIME, then the sway bar will rise with both, and it won't affect ride quality.

If you hit a bump or pot hole with just ONE front wheel, that A-arm is attached to the frame and the other A-arm via the sway bar--Because the other A-arm isn't moving, it effectively holds the arm that hit the bump, from going through it's full range of motion. Basically, it adds more resistance to the shock and spring on the side going through the bump.

There's a line (and sometimes not all that fine of a line) between keeping the ride comfortable, and making it harsh when one side of the front suspension hits a bump.

That's why I chose the 1-inch diameter bar for our Buicks; it firms up the cornering, but doesn't over-power the coil spring and shock.

-Brad

Brad, I sent you a pm...Earl

Email returned.

You can email me directly at brad56@windstream.net, as well.

-Brad

From experience with one in my '54 Super, ride smoothness is not sacrificed, and the car handles much better in the curves. It's a good product!

Thanks Fr. Buick!

Still have them on the shelves, but they are going quick!

For our Overseas enthusiasts, I've found I can ship them fairly reasonable via US Postal Service, so give me a call if you live outside the US. Shipped one to Norway this week, and have several enthusiasts in Australia and New Zealand that we're shipping to.

Well, I have mine, but I'm still doing some other work on the car, so I haven't been able to drive my Roadmaster with the new sway bar yet!

Keith