How to bend a sway bar?

[767Jockey]

The front sway bar in my car is about 1" too wide. I need to bring the ends of it in 1" toward each other. It's a standard 3/4" solid bar. What is the best way to do this? I don't own a torch to heat it. I have a small propane torch like a homeowner would sweat pipe with, it's a Bernz-O-Matic type thing, I can't imagine it would get this thing hot enough to make it easily bendable. I'm thinking that if I can just get a long pipe on it I can tweak each end in 1/2" each, the problem is how do I hold the bugger in place while I do that? Anyone have any ideas about this method or any other method? The other option is for me to send it to Nick, but he's got his plate full already with a load of other parts for me as well. I appreciate any ideas you guys may have.

[jwd]

To do it correctly, you can heat it up and bend it but then it will have to be heat treated/tempered again in order to get the strength back.

[767Jockey]

OK, how do I heat treat it?

[jwd]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

OK, how do I heat treat it?

It has to be heated to a specific temp. and cooled correctly. You can not do it at home. When I inquired locally to have it done to a sway bar I wanted to modify, I was quoted $250 to bend and re-temper the bar.

[Cobra #3170]

Everyone will say this is not the thing to do but many years ago (before I knew better) I needed a different diameter front sway. I went to the local junk yard and found that an older model Cadillac had the diameter I wanted. I bought the bar for $10 and then used a cutting torch to heat the areas I wanted to bend to a bright orange. (with out using the extra oxygen of course). I bent the bar in about four places to get the shape I wanted and sprinkled water on it as each bend was completed to cool it but not so fast that it would crystallize. I ran that bar for a number of year's autoxing and never had a problem with it. I still have the bar in my parts bin, I suppose I was lucky, but it worked for me. A broken front sway bar can cause immediate oversteer so proceed with caution.

[COBRANIP]

In his book "Unfair Advantage" Mark Donohue recounted a time the team was very frustrated because they could not get the balance of the car to be consistent (on the skid pad). They finally disovered the (anti) sway bars had a faulty heat treating......
Really good book.

[RICK LAKE]

767 Jockey Don't do it. It's not safe. Been there tryed that. The heated area was weakened and snap while 4 wheeling. I layed the jeep on it's side. You can get a custom made one from a couple of different companies. The easiest thing to do is mail them yours for a pattern, tell them what size you want the bar, (diameter) and they will make it. With a BBF all iron motor, a 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" would be the best. All Aluminum motor I would drop down to 1 1/16" or 1". Give me a day or two to find the company who makes customs. Rick L. The only bars I have seen this work on are the hollow ones. I know you want to stay originial other wise go to the dirt track guys. They have the straight bars with the custom arms for an adjustable setup.

[SF_SN888KE]

check out Speedway Engineering for custom sway bars and arms
http://www.1speedway.com/Swaybars.htm