Seville Rear Sway Bar Upgrade Questions

Since Addco sway bars are unavailable for my '96 Riv, I am looking for the rear bar from 98-04 Seville. However, it seems there are two kinds of rear sway bars for it. One is curvy and one is straight, I guess that's the difference between Magnetic Ride and regular suspension. Which one would fit my '96 Riviera? What's the ride quality between the two sway bars?

Sway bars don't influence overall ride except on single wheel bumps. A stiffer bar will add to the spring rate on that wheel.

I don't know what the difference is between the Caddy bars. Seems odd that they are shaped differently, but if the explanation is the magnetic ride option, I would choose the regular ride bar. 95-99 rivieras never had a magnetic ride option.

OrangeCat3800 wrote:

Since Addco sway bars are unavailable for my '96 Riv, I am looking for the rear bar from 98-04 Seville. However, it seems there are two kinds of rear sway bars for it. One is curvy and one is straight, I guess that's the difference between Magnetic Ride and regular suspension. Which one would fit my '96 Riviera? What's the ride quality between the two sway bars?

Your Riv already has a rear sway bar - I would choose the bar that appears to be bent the same way as your current bar. If only so you hit the same mounting points.

The STS bar (bent the same way) was already heavier than the Riv's bar, in my experience. When you take the Riv bar off and put them side by side it will be easy to see. I got an STS bar for my '98, pretty happy actually.

So, Albert, did you get that sway bar used?
Do you think that is a common item around used parts places?

denim wrote:

So, Albert, did you get that sway bar used?
Do you think that is a common item around used parts places?

I got it used.

It is not that common BUT you have to know what to ask for, and be sure to get the mounting brackets/bushings. There are a lot of the soft ride version around, even on eBay.

So... what you search for is any Seville/STS of model year 1998 - 2004 with the heavier suspension in a boneyard, and get the rear sway bar. The more experienced yard parts folks know that there are 2 bars - the 'soft ride' one (which you have as original EQ on the Riv) and the "sport" one (which is what you're looking for). I would search online for yards in Alabama/Arkansas/Mississippi/Florida Panhandle/Georgia/Texas that say "we ship" but are not trying to list the cars on eBay.

There are several of the 'soft ride' version on eBay.

denim wrote:

So, Albert, did you get that sway bar used?
Do you think that is a common item around used parts places?

I got it used.

It is not that common BUT you have to know what to ask for, and be sure to get the mounting brackets/bushings. There are a lot of the soft ride version around, even on eBay.

So... what you search for is any Seville/STS of model year 1998 - 2004 with the heavier suspension in a boneyard, and get the rear sway bar. The more experienced yard parts folks know that there are 2 bars - the 'soft ride' one (which you have as original EQ on the Riv) and the "sport" one (which is what you're looking for). I would search online for yards in Alabama/Arkansas/Mississippi/Florida Panhandle/Georgia/Texas that say "we ship" but are not trying to list the cars on eBay.

There are several of the 'soft ride' version on eBay.