Did GM ever offer a rear sway bar for full sized wagons in the 1980's? If not, are there any "bolt-on" sway bars available?
GM never offered any swyabar for the B-Body wagons. You have one of 2 options. Get a set of Metco rear control arms that allow the use of a stock wagon swaybar. These control arms also allow the use of Aftermarket swaybars as well incase you wise to upgrade at a later date. If you want an aftermarket bar. Most of which are larger than a stock bar. Rear control arms are suggested anyway. So either way beefed up aftermarket control arms are almost a must. All that being said. You will love the transformation. These wagons can be made to handle alot better than anyone really thinks. Of this I know first hand. If you are looking for the best bars try to get a set of wagon super bars off the Impala forum from Navy lifer. the rear bar is an honest 1.5 inch solid bar. MASSIVE. I love mine.
Thank you for the reply. I am slightly confused though. You state that rear sway bars were never available for "B-body's", but then say that METCO control arms will allow a stock station wagon bar to be bolted up?
I think Stick meant, stock SEDAN rear bar. GM had rear bars stock on some of the mid 70's wagons, but they are very hard to find. The Metco rear lower control arms with a sedan rear bar is a nice set up. Some of us that have the '91-'96 B body wagons have been using mid 1990's Ford Panther platform (Crown Vic, Lincoln TownCar) rear sway bars with great success. I bet they would work on the the '80s "B" wagons just as well. The platform changed very little. The Ford bar can be done for less than $50 if you get the bar out of the JY. If I'm wrong about this I'm sure someone will chime in. http://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t1147-ford-sway-bar-on-a-b-body-wagon Mike
200OZ is correct. What I meant to say is a stock sedan bar. I got mine off of a Deville. The Metco control arms have 3 holes each side. The front 2 are for stock sedan bars, and the rear 2 aftermarket wagon bars.
I don't know if they fit...but it may be a lead. The 80's, full-size, RWD Cadillacs (1980-84 DeVille, 1980-86 Fleetwood Brougham, 1987-92 Brougham) had sway bars on the rear of cars ordered with Electronic Level Control (ELC)...this option was available on it's own or with either the heavy-duty suspension package or the chassis package, both of which came with the ELC. In '89, ELC became standard on the Brougham...with that bodystyle lasting through 92. The ELC option uses softer rear springs (versus those on non-ELC equipped cars) supported by air shocks...and to keep things under control (for a Cadillac, that is...), the sway bar was included with the option. I don't know how common it was to see sway bars on the rear of other GM sedans of the era, but the Cadillacs are more commonly seen with ELC and therefore, should have sway bars. But, again, I don't know if it would fit on a B-body wagon. Hope this helps.
The sedan, B or D body rear sway bars will not fit the B wagons from '77-'96. The wagons have a wider rear axle, which puts the lower control arm mounts about 3/4" wider apart than the sedans. This is why Stick suggested the Metco control arms, they move the sway bar mounts forward, and thus closer together so a sedan bar would fit a wagon. The Metco arms are expensive though, that's why I suggested the Ford bar, It's almost to easy to believe. Mike
